Samantha Henneke

Seagrove, North Carolina, USA

Title: Spotted Vase

Year of Creation: 2010

Glaze: Molybdenum and matte crystalline

Clay Body: Porcelain

Dimensions: Height 19 inches, Width 3.5 inches

Artist's Statement: The tall slender form that I am presenting for the 2011 Vasefinder Nationals is currently my favorite shape to throw. The exaggerated verticality of these vases is advantageous for the iridescent and fluid molybdenum glazes. The crystalline glazes have enough room to show off their active changing qualities as they flow down these statuesque vessels.

I work and maintain a studio pottery, along with my husband Bruce Gholson, in Seagrove, North Carolina. We named our pottery, Bulldog Pottery, after our two lovely American Staffordshire Bulldogs, Moka and Babu. These two brindled canines have recently passed on, and now Maxwell, an English Staffordshire Bull Terrier is the current Bulldog living with us. I make my pottery at the wheel with porcelain clay. I enjoy working with porcelain's smooth texture and the brilliant color response glazes have when applied to its surface. I like to decorate the surface of the pots I make, and many times I will design the clay forms for particular glazing techniques.