Rachel Smith

Lexington, NC | Exhibiting Since 1998

When I was about five years old my mother, who was discovering her own love of art, showed me how to make a hollow bird from a pinch pot. She went on to painting, but that first touch of clay stuck with me. Japanese pottery is a big influence for me, partly because of being raised in Seattle and the strong Asian presence there. My Norwegian ancestry and the Seattle Scandinavian community gives me an additional appreciation of decoration and function. I love the textures and patterns of Indonesian batik, forties curtain fabric, Oriental carpet, African sculpture.