Artist Spotlight: Meghan Yarnell

About Meghan

"I grew up in a family that valued and appreciated art. My dad was an artist and I loved attending art shows with him and helping in his booth. I took ceramics my sophomore year at BGSU. The studio at the time had so much energy. John Balestreri and Steve Roberts were the professors and they were a great team. I found myself wanting to hang out in the studio more and more, and while I was there, I thought I might as well get some clay out and make something! After that semester, I ended up switching from 2D to 3D. After graduation, I was hired to teach middle school art. I set up a studio in my home and I’ve been teaching art in a public school (currently high school ceramics) and making pots in my basement ever since."

MEGHAN'S PORTFOLIO

Q: What inspires your work or keeps you excited in the studio? 

A: "The house I grew up in was surrounded by a large field and woods with a pond and creeks and a river nearby. Some of my happiest childhood memories were spent exploring these areas. I still love spending time exploring the natural world, traveling, hiking, or even looking for weird mushrooms in my backyard. Nature is a limitless source of inspiration for me. I also love the community I have on Instagram and the encouragement, banter, and problem solving, people are so generous with information and help."

Q: What is your favorite AMACO product and why?

A: "My favorite products are a tie between the dark chocolate clay and the velvet underglazes. I love that the dark chocolate clay is stained so I don’t have any of the glaze flaws that I was getting. The velvet underglaze is just a really great consistent product with rich colors and a really nice finish. I can’t say enough about the quality of Amaco/Brent products."

Q: Any advice you'd give to someone just starting out with clay?

A: "Really just to have fun and find ways to play. Don’t take it so seriously, it can be very frustrating at first and the learning curve can be steep but also the rewards are great."

Follow Meghan's Work!

Meghan's Instagram | Meghan's Etsy