Artist Bio

JoAnn Axford lives and maintains her studio in Glenmont, New York. She received her bachelor degree at the University of Bridgeport, Conn. and her masters from The College of Saint Rose. Her interest in botanical imagery led her to post-graduate study in Botanical Illustration at The New York Botanical Garden. JoAnn’s work has been included in invitational and juried exhibits throughout the United States, including the prestigious Smithsonian Craft Show, Washington, DC, NCECA Ceramics conference exhibit “The Evocative Garden” Portland, Oregon, and locally “The Artists of the Mohawk Hudson Region”. Her work has appeared in Ceramics Monthly, Pottery Making Illustrated , ”Beauty & Challenges in Nature” and Clay Times. JoAnn finds inspiration in balancing her studio practice with teaching. She has taught in public schools, art centers, and colleges, most recently at Sage College in Albany, NY.

Artist Statement

The beauty of the forms and textures in the plant world initially seduced me to carve botanical images into the surface of my pots. The flowers and trees on my pots bring nature into our domestic settings. My wheel thrown porcelain pots begin the conversation of these bas-relief botanical images as I carve into the partially dry clay. Some of these leather hard pots become models that are cast in plaster. A liquid porcelain is poured into the plaster mold allowing me to make multiples . After some recarving of the fine details they continue the process of firing and glazing along with my one of a kind pieces. The unglazed exterior surface of each piece is hand polished after the final high temperature firing to achieve a smooth marble like sheen. It is the soft touch of this surface that makes the intimate gardens on my pots speak.