Nancy Herman

Asheville, NC | Exhibiting Since 1977

Clay has always served as a kind of canvas for me to decorate and paint upon.  I have been an avid gardener for as long as I have been working in clay, and garden imagery pervades my work.

Porcelain was my clay of choice in my earlier work.  Twenty years ago I discovered low fired Italian maiolica techniques through workshops at Penland and in Italy.  I love the earthiness of the red clay with its brightly colored glazes, (maybe more suitable for a gardener who loves to dig in the dirt).  These pieces are functional and will hopefully enhance the table.

Lately I have been experimenting with more narrative pieces in an attempt to address social issues with levity, if that’s possible!  I have added overglaze enamels and computer generated decals to some of this work which is not functional and which can be seen on my website.