Today we’d like to introduce you to Nicole Russell-Schlesinger.
Hi Nicole, so excited to have you on the platform. So, before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
I have been creating art ever since I was a little girl. I would ask for art supplies for birthdays and Christmas instead of toys. I remember treating my coloring books like my “portfolios” and holding art shows in my bedroom. From age 10-14, I attended Rollings School of the Arts for Visual Arts and was able to experience a lot of different mediums and learn from talented teachers.
Although I really wanted to study Studio Art in college, I made the decision to follow in my mom’s footsteps and pursue teaching. After graduating from the University of South Carolina with a BA in Early Childhood Education, I taught 2nd grade for several years and picked up pottery as a hobby. Later, I decided to stay home when my daughter was born and found that being a mom was extremely fulfilling to me but I also wanted to find time to focus on a personal passion as well. So, on my very first Mother’s Day in 2019, my husband surprised me with my very own pottery wheel.
I began creating in my garage and found a local studio to fire my pieces. It started slowly and without a real plan! I would sell to my friends, then friends of friends, then in local stores, and eventually creating my own website. Since then, I have acquired my own kiln and work mostly from home but still frequent Terrace Clay Studio for the camaraderie and the extremely knowledgeable members. I enjoy making wheel thrown pieces but have also combined my love for painting and understanding of ceramics to create mixed media pieces.
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle-free, but so far would you say the journey has been a fairly smooth road?
Anyone that works in ceramics will tell you – it is not an easy medium. There are so many factors that go into successfully completing even just one piece and sometimes things don’t go your way. I have worked on certain pieces for weeks that end up cracking in the kiln or the glaze ends up crazing or blistering.
But this is also the beauty of it. It’s challenging and infuriating and yet there is so much joy found in the process of it all. Sometimes the mistakes lead to the best thing you’ve ever created.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I am an artist creating ceramics and mixed media works on canvas. I create one-of-a-kind, hand-thrown pieces on the pottery wheel and utilize glaze in a “painterly” way.
I’m inspired by the colors of nature – not only in the Lowcountry but also from my travels. More recently, I have been focusing on my love of flowers – hand-making each one before attaching it to a ceramic form or a completed painting. I love the contrast of elements in art and I find that comes through in my work.
I enjoy working with clients on commissioned pieces – whether it’s a special mug for a friend, a larger bowl for a wedding gift, a vase for your kitchen table, or a mixed media painting to adorn the walls of your home.
It seems odd to be proud of this, but I have not always totally had a plan for where my creative journey will go but it seems to continue to flow in a direction that makes me feel happy and fulfilled and I’m excited to see what is next.
Where we are in life is often partly because of others. Who/what else deserves credit for how your story turned out?
My husband, Ben, is a big reason I began to pursue my art business and encouraged me to put it out there in the world. My family and friends are SO supportive – always building me up when I wonder if I’m good enough and sharing my work with others.
The art world in Charleston is also insanely supportive. Every single creative person I’ve met wants you to succeed and wants to help you. Myra Bowie, the owner of Terrace Clay Studio, is a big mentor for me – she is the Yoda of Ceramics. All the members there are the absolute best. Liv Antonecchia, Maria White, Sarah Miller, and Julia Deckman are all amazing members of the creative community that have also supported me in so many ways.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.nrsceramics.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nicole.rs.studio/
Image Credits
Carrie Elizabeth Photography
