Instructor Highlight: Heather Luedke
/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 Heather Luedke (she/her)! Heather is currently teaching an all-levels handbuilding class here at RCC.
Heather’s Bio:
Heather Luedke (with Ollie)
Heather Luedke has lived the past 30+ years in the Renton/Issaquah area but grew up amongst the citrus orchards of central California. After completing a degree and working in the field of Interior Design, she turned her focus to raising two children with her husband of 25 years. Aside from pottery, she enjoys gardening, hiking, and taking long couch naps with her two spoiled pups, Scout and Ollie.
Heather has dabbled in creative pursuits throughout her life including sewing, dance, and music. She loves to explore various art forms and play with different materials. Clay grabbed her heart from the start in a beginning wheel class during Rain City Clay's opening session. Heather is most inspired by the colors and textures found in nature and likes to experiment with ways to integrate this into her work. While she enjoys working on the wheel, the organic quality of sculptural work is where she feels the most flow and focus.
Get to know Heather!
What do you like about teaching at RCC?
The people! The RCC community is so supportive. The teaching and learning is mutual as I am constantly witnessing the sharing of skill, ideas, and constructive feedback amongst both the teachers and students.
What are your inspirations / influences when making work?
Always nature. I have lived in the rural part of Issaquah for over 17 years, surrounded by trees and with frequent visits from the local fauna. It is not unusual to look out the window and see a doe and her fawn grazing or a bald eagle perching in the low branches of our maple trees. Whenever I need inspiration, I look to the textures, contrast, colors, and movement all around me.
What is your favorite glaze/glaze combo/surface decorating technique/material?
Using underglazes and oxides in a watercolor style to achieve depth of color and texture. Also, combining matte and gloss finishes to add interest and contrast.
What valuable lessons have you learned along your artistic journey that you wish you knew when you first began?
So many! But I'd say there are two that stand out. First, I have learned to slow down and be patient with the process. Early on, it seems like there was so much focus on getting to the end result as fast as possible. Now I find that I am most satisfied with a piece where I slowed down to be thoughtful and intentional with each step. Next would be being ok with failure, whether by my hands or the equipment. I still struggle with this one — it's so hard to detach yourself from something you put emotion, time, and effort into creating. I try to look at every failure as a lesson on something to do differently next time. I think it's even ok to say, "Nah, not trying that again!”
What is your favorite clay tool?
My X-acto knife, because a sharp, clean cut makes me so very happy.
If your work was a musical genre, what would it be?
Probably 80’s new wave/post punk. It’s like two sides of the same coin with new wave being the light, fun side and post punk being moody and introspective. There are groups that span the two and groups that fit clearly into one side or the other. I definitely have certain pieces that I could describe in the same way.
What's next for Heather? Shows? Markets? Etc?
Keep learning and become confident in my teaching abilities to potentially continue teaching. This is my first time teaching (outside of elementary school kids!) and there is definitely a learning curve that I'm tackling when it comes to concisely sharing a thought or skill in my capacity as a teacher. I don't have aspirations to participate in large shows or markets any time in the near future, but I do hope to keep developing my skill and eventually have pieces I would feel confident in submitting to a show or community art event.
