Joy Belanger

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The first report I ever wrote, way back in 4th grade, was about what I wanted to be when I grew up, an artist. I had no idea what that even really meant back then but it was an intuitive desire that never left me. I graduated from Sonoma State in California with a BFA emphasis of ceramic sculpture in 1999. 

 

Finding space to work and starting a family in 2008 made it hard for me to continue with ceramics for many years even though it was my passion. I kept making things, whether it be collage, sewing or simply crafting with my children. In 2021 I finally had a space perfect for my ceramic studio and have been creating in my new space since then. 

 

In the back of my mind, I am often thinking about where we wear the scars of our experiences in life, both good and bad. Beauty lives in the building and layering of who we are, have been and will become.  My interest in figurative work and creating these layers of texture and color has bled over into creating functional pieces as well as sculptural work. The intuitive calling of the 7 year old girl who dreamt of being an artist still lives in the intuitive steps I take in my creative process.