Janet K. Burner

ARTIST STATEMENT 2020
Clay as Art is my goal and inspiration. The human figure, my life's experiences,
and images from nature fascinate my imagination; smooth surfaces, texture,
movement, and contrasts are often incorporated. I bring my 50 years of
experience to every lump of clay; to shape from nothing, a piece which lives
beyond myself with dignity and pride.
My love for clay began in 1970 at the Tucson Art Center while finishing my
degree in Microbiology at the University of Arizona. The same year I met Harry
Holl in Dennis, MA & decided then & there to become a potter, not a
Microbiologist. My interest to learn took me to Anderson Ranch in Aspen, CO &
then an apprenticeship with Harry Holl in 1972. I worked alongside Harry in the
summers for over 30 years learning from a master, all things clay. After my initial
apprenticeship I began my business, Sabino Stoneware Pottery, in Tucson
where I resided the rest of the year and began teaching at the Tucson Museum
of Art.
My intention as a potter was & is a spiritual one, to be one with the earth; to
make from a lump of clay, something of beauty that will endure beyond myself.
My love for drawing, painting & sculpture is present.