AMANDA BACON BIOGRAPHY:
Amanda Bacon is a ceramic artist who enjoys creating functional pieces that represent their art history background. Being a graduate of the University of Akron Fine Arts Program, Bacon is devoted to their craft in clay. In Bacon’s free time, they enjoy spending time with family, working in their home studio, and knitting. Bacon also shares an intense passion for riding horses and teaching horseback riding lessons. Bacon’s work has been accepted into juried exhibitions in Cape Cod and Pennsylvania, as well as several local and international exhibitions.
AMANDA BACON ARTIST STATEMENT:
I’ve been doing art my entire life. I started art lessons in preschool working with a local (nationally recognized) ceramic artist who was working making bronze busts and 3D portraits. She was also was a painter and a calligrapher. (Funny that ceramics, calligraphy, and painting are my favorites!) I continued making art all throughout school and my work was selected for many scholastic art shows several times, with placings in many of those shows. I had an amazing art teacher in high school who introduced my small class to new media & allowed us to explore many materials. He taught us to think and see things differently. I was also inducted into the National Art Honor Society in High School.
I went on to college on several art scholarships. I started as a double major in graphic design and photography and changed majors my senior year, much to my to all of my design professors’ dismay. I finished up at the Myers School of Art at the University of Akron with a BA in studio art, minoring in ceramics and professional photography. During my time in college, I got married to my best friend and had 3 children, all while working 1-2 jobs as well as taking classes.
These days, you can find me spending time with my family, working in my studio, knitting, riding one of my horses, or teaching horseback riding lessons. I’ve been fortunate to work with one of my mentors and former professors, Eva Kwong, for over the past year. She has been a tremendous help to me. Ceramics and pottery is my main focus, but I also love painting and drawing, as well as knitting, spinning wool on my spinning wheels, hand-embroidery, or any form of fiber arts really. I’m always working on a knitting project or painting and drawing in my sketchbooks as research for my surface designs and new projects, constantly exploring new mediums and application techniques.
The main focus of my ceramic work is to create functional pieces that are intended to be used and enjoyed. I work primarily on the throwing wheel in stoneware and porcelain, though I do enjoy hand-building. I love playing with new forms, finding new ways to manipulate the clay, and new discovering techniques. My attempt is to make discoveries through pushing boundaries and through trial and error. My designs are inspired by nature and the world around me.
My work is currently on exhibition in Cape Cod and in Pennsylvania. I have had work accepted several juried shows at the local and national level.
