My name is Terri Kennedy, I live and work from my studio which
is my home in Denham Springs, Louisiana. I have worked in clay
full-time for approximately fifteen years, but my love for clay and
sculpting goes back to when I was a child. I would use leftover piecrust
clippings and form the pieces into flowers and animals. Through the years
the love of molding things with clay has grown into a life long
and loving endeavor, to make pottery for everyday life.

The main part of my work is wheel thrown earthenware which is
decorative, but functional vessels. I like to call them "Functional Sculpture.
These pieces are thrown in separate sections and then, appliquéd, carved and
assembled. I like to incorporate all of Louisiana's culture into my pieces
by carving the crumbling brickwork, which is reminiscent of the ole’ French
architecture of New Orleans, and by handbuilding the flowers native to Louisiana. I
strive to incorporate the French impressionistic motif by layering a multitude of glazes.

The other area of work that I am exploring is Saggar fired vessels. Saggar
is an ancient Chinese term which comes from the term "safe guard". A saggar
is a container made from fire clay in which to put another pot to protect it
from the harsh environment of the woodfire kiln. I do it wrong by turning it
around. I want the harsh environment next to my piece. I want it to scar and
mark the piece with the smoke and flame. So I place organic and household
things in the saggar around my vessel, so when it is being fired the organic
and other items will burn off and leave wonderful colors without the help
of any glazes I have used everything from sawdust to toothpaste to get some
wonderfully diverse textures, marks and colors.

With all of these processes I try to merge form with function while
encompassing the beauty I see in the Louisiana Culture from past to present.


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