Playing with colour and clay
- Celia’s ceramics feature whimsical illustrations of animals and nature
- Storybook-style drawings are etched into her earthenware with the sgraffito technique
- She completed a residency at The Clay Studio in Philadelphia
During the pandemic, ceramicist and Massachusetts College of Art and Design graduate Celia Feldberg supplemented her practice by creating custom pieces with illustrated ceramics for clients. She found that drawing animals and incorporating more whimsical, storybook-like details in her work marked a turning point in her career. “I saw how deeply people connect with images of animals and how they can see themselves in those characters,” she says. Celia primarily works with earthenware on the potter's wheel, and applies white slip and drawing using the sgraffito technique. She adds colour with underglazes diluted with water to achieve a soft, watercolour-like effect. Through her teaching, Celia encourages her students to explore their own styles and interests with different making and surface decoration techniques.
Discover her work
INTERVIEW
I gravitate toward nature, animals and colour. I also draw from personal experiences and memories, particularly moments of joy, wonder and comfort.
Yes. It is especially fun when another artist gives me a form that I can add a surface to or vice versa. I have co-created work in this way a couple of times, and really enjoyed it.
I tell my students to try to be open to the process and not be too concerned with the final result. I encourage people to experiment and have fun with the craft.
I love spending time in the studio, trying different processes, tending to work and bringing my ideas to life. The process is both cathartic and fun, and it is rewarding when people tell me that my work makes them smile.
