Shannon Ross

Shannon Ross

I love to make ceramics that bring elegance, sophistication, and merriment to the everyday. I have a diverse range of influences and seek to marry the past eras with modern desire for beauty and utility.

Shannon Ross Vase

My influences for my hand-built vessels and sculpture range from Art Nouveau illustrations of flowers to paisley patterns as well as details of natural elements from birds and animals. Such diversity combined with my own personality culminates by infusing each design with levity, humor, and character.

I enjoy the freedom of firing my pieces sometimes 3 or 4 times to get the right color or detail. I use glazes that are layered and each pigment interacts with the other, giving depth to lively colors that are robust as well as elegant. I challenge myself to develop unorthodox practices such as taking separate components (e.g. stone, shells, mineral specimens, fish skin) and attaching them after firing. As with working with clay, the details or form may change along the way, and the results of each piece are truly one-of-a-kind.