Artist Spotlight: Falconfire Pottery

Studio potter Sharon Moen  (aka Falconfire Pottery) studied at Penn State and the University of Minnesota, but not to be a ceramic artist. Rather, she aspired to follow in the footsteps of science provocatures such as Aldo Leopold and Rachel Carson. Along that way, she picked up clay and was never able to shake it loose.

Sharon began potting in earnest after earning a M.S. in ecology, having two daughters and moving to Duluth, Minn., where her talent was incubated at the Duluth Art Institute. Now, 20 years in, Falconfire has a cult following of collectors.

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 “Clay is a perfect medium for capturing nature’s motion and magic,” Sharon says. “The process of turning clay into a functional vessel echoes Earth’s cycles and life as tempered by hope and fire. My background in ecology and time spent outdoors, especially in Minnesota’s North Woods and around Lake Superior, inspires my designs and my life.”

 Falconfire’s utilitarian pots, such as “birchware” (shown here) and “loonishness,” are fashioned out of stoneware or porcelain then fired to volcanic temperatures.
 
TO SEE MORE OF SHARON’S WORK:
The best place to see Sharon’s most recent work is on Facebook. For special orders, contact Falconfire by phone (218) 591-2568 or falconfirepottery@gmail.com. Falconfire Pottery is available through Mealey’s in Ely, Minn., the Waters of Superior gallery in Duluth, Minn., and Waters Edge Trading Co. in Lutsen, Minn.