Member Spotlight: Kristine McFarland

I recently posted a wonderful flowery bowl on the MudWorks Instagram without knowing who had created it. Kristine commented that it was hers, and I knew at that moment that we needed to know more about her process and history as a potter.

Read on to learn about her history (and future!) with clay.

MudWorks: What excites you as an artist?

Kristine McFarland: Putting so much thought and hard work into a piece and seeing how it transforms into a beautiful piece.  Even the stinkers bring me joy along with a learning experience.  I love seeing what students and other members make, so much creativity at MudWorks.  Of course bringing pieces home to show the family and they act like I am frigging Picasso, they are my cheerleaders!

MW: You mention on your Instagram that "you have not thrown on a wheel in two decades." What was your first experience with clay? Why did you get away from it?

KM: I was one of those smarty pants who finished high school a year early, but lived in a different state as my parents, so I stayed where I was for a year and took French and Pottery for my ‘classes’ so I could graduate with my friends. I fell in love with both. My pottery teacher was open to learning about every aspect, from throwing, glazing, and teaching how to use the kiln. After I officially graduated, I moved to San Francisco to be with my parents and took pottery classes at SF Community College. I met a friend who had her own kiln, so would hang out in her backyard in the Mission making stuff and firing, sadly she moved to Cambria, then life happened, and I did the whole job, party thing and family and fell out of mud.

MW: You continue with "I'm back in love with pottery." What are you loving about it again?

KM: Back in the day it seemed natural to me, I have a few pieces still that I was so proud of but today I shake my head at them. I was nervous that I would go back to pottery, and it just wouldn’t click, I made a whole lot of stinkers and I simply didn’t care because I was making something and it brought me joy to come home covered in mud. I loved the teachers and classmates and was proud of my stinkers. I really like to learn and ask a lot of questions, so in due time my work progressed to be better. With a husband, kids, and a stressful job, I felt I could use some alone time and be creative again (outside of painting). Bonus, it is amazing therapy!

MW: What projects are you working on right now in the studio?

KM: I started with the beginner class with Toni and progressed to Lynne’s intermediate class, after these two I struck out on my own to really learn how to transition my learnings into being better on the wheel.  My creativity is mainly in painting, I lean towards lots of color and nature in an abstract style, I wanted to play more with shapes so enrolled in Ursula’s hand build class. I love the wheel and am still mastering hand building and am enjoying what I think is more of an ability to create unique shapes.  I am working on two different projects; one is for my family members making plates with imprints of our Grandma’s doilies and the other are vases with 3D clay and my bright paintings, which is where I plan to go moving forward.

MW: Where do you find inspiration?

KM: Nature and music + Instagram and Pinterest.  I am a child of nature and dancing my booty off brings me so much joy.  When I was starting, I was all over Instagram, Pinterest and Youtube, seeing different styles and watching artists make.  I took what I learned, copied styles and then finally have come to what I think is my style: functional, funky/pretty and colorful.

Thanks to Kristine for sharing her story and her works with us!

Bittersweetly, Kristine is moving away at the beginning of July. We’ll miss seeing her pieces and her smile in the studio!

If you would like to support Kristine in her move by purchasing a piece, please reach out to her at mcfarland.kristine@gmail.com.