Who I Am
About the Artist
Julia Elizabeth Strait is a functional ceramic artist residing in and having her studio (Sunrise Pottery) in Oxford, CT. She was born in Nuneaton, England, and grew up in Hinkley in the county of Leicestershire, England/ United Kingdom.
She loves creating and always has. As a child, she was inspired by the work and crafts of some of the people in her life as well as the beauty of the countryside and canals of England.
Background
As a young adult, she traveled the world, living in many countries in Europe and even Australia. Since childhood, she has been an artist. When she lived in Spain, she was paid to paint a wall mural.
Over her lifetime, she has excelled in many forms of art, including designing fabrics and clothing and sugar art including cold porcelain, pottery, and ceramic art. She studied with the famous sugar artist Scott Clark Woolley and the works of Alan Dunn.
As a sugar artist, she created incredibly beautifully decorated wedding cakes and she was so good at creating lifelike flowers and plants of every genus that she had a one-man art exhibit of her works at the Greenwich Garden Center in Greenwich, CT. She has applied all her various skills as an artist and, in particular, her skills as a sugar artist, to her ceramic work.
For a number of years now, she has concentrated solely on pottery and ceramic art. Almost all of her work is hand-built, one of a kind, and functional. She is constantly gaining recognition for her beautiful pottery and ceramic art and currently has some of her works in art galleries in Connecticut.
SUNRISE POTTERY – VIEWPOINT - JULIA ELIZABETH
A Statement about how the functional ceramic work is produced.
All pottery and glaze combinations I use in my ceramic art are unique to the particular shape or style of pottery. I use the colors to blend them and use them uniquely with regard to the particular piece. When I begin a new work I touch and handle the clay I am working with and my hands and fingers start building and forming. For me it is a magical and spiritual process. There is no pre-conceived plan, I create as I work.
The greens and blues mean Earth and sky which in one form or another surrounds us every day and are a natural part of our well being. I use these colors and shades of these colors to showcase this concept.
I believe most people buy a piece of pottery because they fall in love with it, as well as being functional, pleasing to the eye and also suggestive of something positive for the person to own. This makes ownership satisfying and rewarding.
I want not only for my work to be enjoyed, but also that every piece I create is unique and yet functional.
More than any other media, Clay speaks to me and allows my creativity to be expressed through it.