Mary Briggs

Eugene, Oregon potter Mary Briggs is inspired by European folk art.  Her color palette is reminiscent of Provence or Tuscany, celebrating their traditional golds, greens and reds.  She is also interested in the landscape paintings from the Barbizon School in France, whose approach, beginning in the 1830’s, opened the door to Plein-Air painting.  Briggs’ intention is to remind of us of a romantic, more peaceful time.  This helps her find solace in our fast-paced world.  Her subject matter is often animals, and she works with terra cotta clay.  After sometimes firing the pieces three times, she sands and waxes the bottoms of her pieces to give them a smooth surface which will help protect surfaces that they sit on and also to make them feel even better in one’s hand.  Mary Briggs studied ceramics with Ron Meyers at the University of Georgie and then received an MFA from the University of Iowa.  She works as a ceramic artist and a gardener, both of her loves.