Firefox Pottry by Patty Bilbro
Photo of Patty Bilbro
Photo Frame

Native to the south, I was born and raised in Huntsville, Alabama and have lived in Asheville, North Carolina since 1992. I graduated from the Haywood Community College Clay Production Program in 1997 and continued on to complete my undergraduate degree in Psychology from the University of North Carolina at Asheville. Starting in 1999 I took an extended hiatus from clay, happily returning to put my hands in the mud during the summer of 2007. In September 2008 I began a 2-year residency with Odyssey Center for Ceramic Arts, which I completed in the fall of 2010. Currently I am a full time studio potter.

I create mainly functional ceramic art. I work on the wheel and all of my pieces are individually thrown and hand glazed. Utilizing high fire stoneware I craft pots that are dishwasher and microwave safe. My work is fired in a gas reduction kiln, lending organic elements and depth to the surface.

My attempts to simplify my life are reflected in the shapes, lines and surfaces of my most recent work. Simplicity of brush-strokes, figures and emotions are combined on traditionally functional shapes. I rely on unmanageable atmospheric patterns and colors created in the kiln to reveal the often complex nature of those things that appear simple. My background in psychology combined with my love of illustration, subtlety, and humor provides me with endless inspiration.