81°
Ginny Waters has turned her passion for ceramics into a profit by forming her own business, Mizuya Ceramics. The Greenwich resident is quick to point out that although her work is functional, it is and far from boring and includes items from intricately designed mugs and bowls to Japanese-inspired kappa.
"When you sit down at the wheel, the piece will be what it will be," Waters said. "What's fun is the interplay between what I'm thinking and what the clay actually wants to do. It is collaborative."
Waters, a self-proclaimed refugee from academia, began her journey into the ceramic world six years ago after taking a few sculpting classes. As a former Japanese language professor, she found herself inspired by mythical creatures, sword guards, demons and her own unique flare. "I took one of my favorite bowls out of the kiln, and the frog I had put at the bottom of it had popped off," she said. "So colored it in and called it the road-kill bowl." She also creates a variety of lanterns, mugs, bowls and vases all with a saying or story behind them.
As you walk into her studio at her Cos Cob home, one can get a sense of Waters' sense of humor with the demonic-looking Homer Simpson and collection of mugs with teeth that smile back at you. "Serendipity would be my catch phrase," she said. "You need a little bit of 'whatever.' People need to learn to embrace the unconventional."
Drawing from her Japanese background and schooling, Waters believes that working within limitations has its charm. "Clay has a memory," she said. "Any potter will tell you that once you do something it will remember. And you think you have fixed it but, it will come out in the firing."
Lets chat: Have you ever tried doing ceramics? Do you embrace the unconventional? Leave a comment below, on Facebook or send me an email at acorbett@mainstreetconnect.us.
Click here to follow Daily Voice Greenwich and receive free news updates.
