Instructor Highlight: Amy Kastelin
/Rain City Clay is lucky to be staffed by a group of dedicated ceramicists who work diligently to keep the studio running, who teach with passion and exuberance, and engage and build community through clay. In addition to all that they do at RCC, they also have their own clay practices, either at RCC or off-site, where they make their own work and grow their skills. Each month we will be featuring one of our fantastic staff members and their talents.
This month we are highlighting instructor Amy Kastelin (she/her)! Amy is currently teaching an all-levels handbuilding and texture class here at RCC.
Amy’s Bio:
I make my functional pottery in my home studio in the Sunset Hill neighborhood of Seattle. I have been working with clay since taking classes at Lily and The People Clay Studio in the nineties with the beloved Carrie Gustafson. Originally a wheel thrower, I switched to primarily hand building about ten years ago when I wanted to take a deeper dive into texturing soft slabs.
Amy Kastelin
My obsession with pressing items into clay never ceases to delight me and I am continually on the hunt for new textures to explore. My pieces are made of thin slabs of clay that I texture with all manner of things including hand carved linoleum blocks, bisque stamps, sticks, stones, vinyl wallpaper, found building materials, fabric, seeds, plants, and of course my fingers.
Once I have constructed the vessels and they are bone dry, I apply an underglaze wash to the entire piece which I then wipe off to reveal the underlying texture. Work is then bisque fired, it is lightly sanded, glazed and fired again to cone six in my electric kiln.
I draw most of my inspiration from the world around me, and quite specifically what I see on my many walks around Ballard where we have such an astounding confluence of natural beauty, wildlife, and industry. My pots are meant to be used in your daily life and hopefully spark some of the wonder and joy I feel when I am making them.
When I am not in my clay studio, you can find me walking my two small rescue dogs around Ballard, or wearing my other hat as the office manager of the small architecture firm I run with my husband Paul, Whitney Architecture. I also sing soprano in a local LGBTQ all gender chorus called Puget Soundworks, whose mission is to make the world a kinder, more inclusive place one song at a time.
Get to know Amy!
What are your inspirations or influences when making work?
My inspirations when making work are generally revolving around the "notice what you notice" idea and I mostly notice the natural world around us. Specifically I find the gestures of plants to be exciting and never ending source material.
What valuable lessons have you learned along your artistic journey that you wish you knew when you first began?
Oh my goodness, valuable lessons are always presenting themselves! I wish I had known that you can use a brush attachment on a drill to push glaze through a sieve when mixing glazes. I spent many hours with a gloved hand and a rib swirling and pressing before I learned this much easier way to do it.
What is your favorite part of the clay process?
My favorite part of the clay process is wiping off underglaze from a textured piece. It almost always makes me happy to see the contrast.
What do you like about teaching at Rain City Clay?
My favorite thing about teaching at RCC is the students! It is such a joy to see what each person brings to the work table from their life experiences and to witness the "What if?" questions that spark when folks get their hands in clay.
Do you like to listen to music or podcasts in the studio? If so, do you have a playlist or favorite musician, or show you'd like to share?
I listen to audiobooks most of the time in my studio. I love literature and can't sit still long enough to read novels so listening is perfect. Recent favorites have been: The Covenant of Water by Abraham Verghese and Buckeye by Patrick Ryan.
I also listen to the Ologies podcast by Alie Ward and music often ends up being Adrianne Lenker or Becca Stevens, two of my favorite singer/songwriters.
What's next for Amy? Shows? Markets? Etc?
I will be teaching a few workshops at Niche Gallery in Ballard, one on making planters and one on textured wall pieces. As for shows, I usually only do a few per year and then have other work at a few local galleries, Niche, Goldvine Coffee, Plantbaby, and Orcas Island Pottery.
I will be part of the PNW Parent Education Trunk Show on May 8th at The Ballard Elks. I always do Art in the Garden in Ballard in August, and look forward to the Rain City Clay Holiday show in December!
