Tasha McKelvey

The clay work of Tasha McKelvey is intended to be useful; it is an art that is meant to be touched. Her belief is that when we seek out handmade art, we make our surroundings a more human. Tasha throws on the potter's wheel or uses slabs of clay to hand-build her clay forms. Each piece is glazed by hand and fired in an electric kiln.

Over the past few years, Tasha has made pottery and ceramic jewelry inspired by gardens and forests, incorporating birds, flowers, and leaves into her designs. She is working on combining these motifs inspired by the natural world with geometric- and textile-inspired designs.

“From a very young age, I knew I wanted to be an artist. Drawing, painting, crafts, and creative play were second nature for me, unlike most early school work due to my dyslexia. I was blessed with family and teachers who actively encouraged me to focus on my strengths, even while I struggled in other areas. My difficulty in school was great training for being a professional artist. Being an artist is labor of love that can be filled with challenges, yet the good definitely outweighs the bad. You just can’t give up.”

Tasha believes in making sustainable choices for her business. She strives to decrease environmental impact, such as moving her studio to her home and buying from local suppliers to reduce fuel usage, hand-recycling her clay, and using recycled shipping materials.

http://tashamck.com/