Millennia Antica About Vicki

About Vicki

I have been making pots for many years and have trained with some extraordinary potters - Warren MacKenzie, Karen Karnes, Rose Lee, Jim Gremel and Graham Stevens, to name a few. I successfully built my reputation as an artist through shows and gallery openings in Northern California until late 1989. The patrons who collect my work have brought it to Japan, New Zealand, Australia and many other areas of the United States. After a 12-year hiatus, and coming to Seattle, I began my work newly in 2000.

My work, particularly the surface decoration, is inspired by the colors and textures found in nature (with my love of Japanese and Italian ceramics as a contributing factor). I am passionate about, challenged and delighted by, and fulfilled in my work. Each piece is unique.

I was the Resident Artist at Earthworks in West Seattle for 2 years, and had had the pleasure of working with the owner of Earthworks, Paul Supplee. After Earthworks closed in September 2002, I moved to the Moshier Community Art Center in Burien, where I am a Studio Artist and teach beginning and intermediate wheel throwing classes.

When I first took ceramics and pottery classes many years ago, our instructor took the class to the Asian Art Museum in San Francisco. I was hooked - I fell in love with Japanese pottery, particularly the folk pottery produced in Mashiko. I learned about Shoji Hamada and Bernard Leach, and set out to ascertain what was behind this particular kind of expression - pristine simplicity and poetic. I learned everything I could about what actually went into the production of a piece of pottery, and I said I would go to Mashiko. Thirty years later, I did. In April 2002, I had the pleasure of accompanying my husband, Dennis, to Japan. One of the things we did there was to visit Mashiko. Shoji Hamada lived and worked there for many years - his home, workspace, kilns and reference collection museum are still there. Visiting this place was extraordinary - I was in tears a good part of the time. Inspiring is, I think, the word I am looking for. In the middle of Mashiko on April 20, 2002, I was returned to what it was that had me want to be a potter in the beginning - working with the 4 elements (air, earth, fire and water) to create an expression closely tied to the earth and brimming with life.

In the summer of 1983, I participated in a workshop with Warren MacKenzie at Big Creek Pottery in Davenport, California, near Santa Cruz. His work is heavily influenced by Hamada and Leach. During this workshop, I made a lidded jar - my "loosen up" project. It was the first one, reminiscent of a Japanese lantern. I still have that jar - Warren coached me through it. And I have considered Warren MacKenzie my mentor since that time.

When I began my work here in the Seattle area, I created Millennia Antica Pottery - ancient millennium. Following are some locations in the Seattle area where my work has been sold:

     Hollywood Schoolhouse, Woodinville, WA 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005
     Columbia Winery, Woodinville, WA, 2005, 2005
     Phinney Ridge Neighborhood Center, Seattle, WA
     Leisure Books on California Avenue SW, Seattle, WA
     West Seattle Junction Arts & Crafts Market
     West Seattle Street Festival
     West Seattle Jazz Festival
     Earthworks - The Pottery School of West Seattle
     City of Edmonds Arts Festival - Juried Art Show 2004
     City of Edmonds Summer Arts & Crafts Market 2003, 2004, 2005
     The Issaquah Gallery, Issaquah, WA
     Burien Arts Gallery, Burien, WA
     The Snohomish Arts Council Gallery, Everett, WA
     The Pickering Barn, Issaquah, WA 2003, 2004, 2005
     The Normandy Park Arts Festival, Normandy Park, WA 2005, 2006
     Moshier Community Art Center, Burien, WA 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006

I have also produced some collaborative work with Leonardo Lanzolla, an extraordinary Italian painter. I create the ceramic forms and Leonardo paints them with underglazes, many times etching and carving them so that his fresh and exciting designs appear on the clay surface through the underglazes. The work is passionate, powerful and profound.

West Seattle
November 2005