Hi! My name is Tess. I was born and raised in Southern California and spent the latter years of my childhood in British Columbia. I currently operate Artesstry out of Norfolk, Virginia.
In addition to my small business, I occasionally assist with camps & birthday parties at a local art studio, and I work at a local pottery studio as a kiln tech & studio monitor.
Ceramics is my main medium. All of my pieces are handbuilt; I don't have a throwing wheel! I use lead-free underglazes and glazes, which make all of my pieces non-toxic. I try to reclaim as much clay as I can, and I'm proud to say I've never spent a cent on packaging materials; 100% of my packaging is recycled!
Since my home studio is quite tiny, I only create small batches of work, enough to fit two 4x2' tables.
I'm heavily inspired by the natural world. I love mushrooms - not exactly for their flavor, but for their role in the balance between death and new life. I also research endangered species to occasionally include in my work to bring awareness and wonder for earth's various fascinating creatures. 15% of the profits of each piece inspired by an endangered species is donated to conservation efforts.
Recently, I've been getting back into reading as a form of self-care. I love fantasy books! I fell in love with ceramics because of my desire to create sculptures of creatures and characters from my favorite novels. J.R.R. Tolkien, Cornelia Funke, and Sarah J. Maas are my top 3 favorite authors of all time. If you know, you know. I'm looking to get back into sculptural works very, very soon!
My art career is graciously and lovingly supported by my partner, Matt, and our two cats - Scout and Cinco. I truly don't know where I'd be without them.
I hope the beauty you see in my work allows you to appreciate the magnificence of worlds natural and fictional all around you!