Carla Prinster

Ceramics

At a very young age my grandma told me I was going to be an artist because of a scribble I made on her wall. From then on I was always doodling and scribbling with whatever made a mark on things I found.

Fast forward, my second year of college as a drawing and painting major, I added a ceramic class as an elective and was hooked. The end of that year my professor awarded me a fellowship to go live and work with the Ota Family in Japan. We worked eight hours a day throwing pots and I had the privilege to help glaze, load and fire the traditional naborigama kiln.  This is a five chamber climbing kiln and holds approximately ten thousand pieces of pottery. While only there for two months, this is where I learned my craft and I owe my ability to this experience with keeping the traditional values of excellence and hard work. I have been growing ever since.

Today, I manage my work in a tiny studio in my garage and water heater closet. Sounds funny but every inch of space is that valuable to me as studio space. In the summer, my kitchen table is taken over too.

Everything has a story and each work contains that element. One of a kind pieces are created by using three dimensional forms I use as a canvas to paint out a story. Although common patterns and images are repeated their meaning provokes a different thought or memory.

I absorb the outdoors, plants, terrain, birds, traveling, architectural structures, experiences, patterns and color, and the imagery of daily living greatly influences my designs.     

Artwork by Carla Printer

This is a representative sample of Carla’s work. Not all pieces are currently for sale.