I think that appreciating the beauty around us is pretty much the secret of life. I strive to make things that help people do that, in big and little ways. I am a sculptural and a functional potter, so I make useful things like cups and juicers and cake stands, and I also make objects of fine art/craft. We need both in our lives, and I don’t elevate one above the other. Handcrafted functional objects give us an opportunity to appreciate little moments, to notice and not take for granted our everyday existence. My sculptural work is a tribute to the exquisite and mysterious forms I find around me—seed pods, frost, shells, creek beds, flower petals, animal skulls. I love creating these two different types of work because they let me express different sides of the same impulse to create. The urge to create is a necessary part of being human, and we all have inborn creativity that we need to find an outlet for. I find a great balance in splitting my time between making Raku and functional pottery. The two very different work flows inspire and feed each other.
For me creativity comes from my appreciation of the world around me. Living in the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountain gives me the opportunity to enjoy the daily flow of nature. Seeing how time and the seasons act on the landscape around me, I am inspired to create objects that I hope are an extension of that landscape. I aspire to connect people to their world by surrounding them with the unique, imperfect beauty of handmade objects.
I am originally from Fairbanks, Alaska. When I was a child we moved to my dad’s hometown in north Georgia. From my first pottery class in 1998 I was hooked. There is always something new to learn in pottery, so much to explore technically and artistically. I graduated from University of North Georgia with a degree in Art Education in 1999. I taught art for two years before hitting the road, living (and studying pottery whenever possible) in New York, Colorado, Japan, California and India. In 2008 I returned to Georgia and became an Artist in Residence at The Funky Chicken Art Project outside Dahlonega, Georgia. In 2012 I became a Resident Potter at Mark of the Potter in Clarkesville. I was selected as a Museum of Arts and Sciences Emerging Artists for 2017. In 2018 I was honored to be the Featured Artist at Fired Works, the largest exhibition of functional and sculptural pottery in Georgia. I have shown my work at many regional Art Festivals, including Bele Chere, Biltmore Village Art and Craft Fair, Atlanta Arts Festival, Yellow Daisy, and many more. I live in Rabun county with my husband, two children and our dog Loretta Lynn.
For me creativity comes from my appreciation of the world around me. Living in the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountain gives me the opportunity to enjoy the daily flow of nature. Seeing how time and the seasons act on the landscape around me, I am inspired to create objects that I hope are an extension of that landscape. I aspire to connect people to their world by surrounding them with the unique, imperfect beauty of handmade objects.
I am originally from Fairbanks, Alaska. When I was a child we moved to my dad’s hometown in north Georgia. From my first pottery class in 1998 I was hooked. There is always something new to learn in pottery, so much to explore technically and artistically. I graduated from University of North Georgia with a degree in Art Education in 1999. I taught art for two years before hitting the road, living (and studying pottery whenever possible) in New York, Colorado, Japan, California and India. In 2008 I returned to Georgia and became an Artist in Residence at The Funky Chicken Art Project outside Dahlonega, Georgia. In 2012 I became a Resident Potter at Mark of the Potter in Clarkesville. I was selected as a Museum of Arts and Sciences Emerging Artists for 2017. In 2018 I was honored to be the Featured Artist at Fired Works, the largest exhibition of functional and sculptural pottery in Georgia. I have shown my work at many regional Art Festivals, including Bele Chere, Biltmore Village Art and Craft Fair, Atlanta Arts Festival, Yellow Daisy, and many more. I live in Rabun county with my husband, two children and our dog Loretta Lynn.
Ester Lipscomb
Education
Simon’s Rock College, Great Barrington, Massachusetts — Associate of the Arts, 1996
University of North Georgia, Dahlonega, Georgia — Bachelor of Science in Art Education, Ceramics Studio Concentration, 1999
Experience
Self Employed Potter — 2008-Present
Featured Artist, Fired Works; Macon, GA — 2018
Emerging Artist Award, Museum of Arts and Sciences; Macon, GA — 2017
Resident Potter, Mark of the Potter; Clarkesville, GA — 2012-2018
Board Member, Dahlonega Arts Council; Dahlonega, GA — 2010-2012
Resident Potter, Pottery for Living; Gainesville, GA — 2010-2011
Volunteer Art Teacher, No One Alone Domestic Violence Shelter; Dahlonega, GA — 2009-2010
Artist in Residence, The Funky Chicken Art Project; Dahlonega, GA — 2008-2010
Volunteer Mentor/Art Teacher, Free Arts for Abused Children; Los Angeles, Ca — 2007-2008
Habitat for Humanity Trip Leader, Tamil Nadu, India — 2006
Assistant English Teacher, JET Program, Utsunomiya, Japan — 2005-2006
5th Grade Art Teacher, City Park Intermediate School, Dalton, GA — 2001-2003
Volunteer Art Teacher, Childrens Foster Care Group Home; Dalton, GA — 2002-2003
Education
Simon’s Rock College, Great Barrington, Massachusetts — Associate of the Arts, 1996
University of North Georgia, Dahlonega, Georgia — Bachelor of Science in Art Education, Ceramics Studio Concentration, 1999
Experience
Self Employed Potter — 2008-Present
Featured Artist, Fired Works; Macon, GA — 2018
Emerging Artist Award, Museum of Arts and Sciences; Macon, GA — 2017
Resident Potter, Mark of the Potter; Clarkesville, GA — 2012-2018
Board Member, Dahlonega Arts Council; Dahlonega, GA — 2010-2012
Resident Potter, Pottery for Living; Gainesville, GA — 2010-2011
Volunteer Art Teacher, No One Alone Domestic Violence Shelter; Dahlonega, GA — 2009-2010
Artist in Residence, The Funky Chicken Art Project; Dahlonega, GA — 2008-2010
Volunteer Mentor/Art Teacher, Free Arts for Abused Children; Los Angeles, Ca — 2007-2008
Habitat for Humanity Trip Leader, Tamil Nadu, India — 2006
Assistant English Teacher, JET Program, Utsunomiya, Japan — 2005-2006
5th Grade Art Teacher, City Park Intermediate School, Dalton, GA — 2001-2003
Volunteer Art Teacher, Childrens Foster Care Group Home; Dalton, GA — 2002-2003