Claire Vining
ABOUT THE ARTIST
Claire Vining is a ceramic artist living and working in Peoria, Arizona. She has over 30 years of experience in clay, both creating and teaching. She received her Bachelors of Fine Arts from Stephen F. Austin in 1995 with an emphasis in Ceramics and Printmaking. She earned her Master's of Art Education in 1997 from the University of Houston and began her teaching career as a high school art teacher in Cypress, Texas. Claire taught predominantly sculpture/ceramics and drawing/painting for over 20 years before moving to Arizona in 2014. Claire is excited to explore ceramics again after a much too long absence from the medium while "life" took over. She is thrilled to have found such a creative and collaborative community here at Ground Floor Artists. Currently, Claire likes to create functional ceramics, both on and off the potter's wheel, that can be enjoyed everyday. From the act of eating a simple meal and how your knife and fork skate across the plate, to the comfort of holding your favorite mug while you take your first sip of tea, to how the lip of that mug sits on your mouth as you take that first sip in the morning. Those are just a few of the things she considers while making functional pottery. She draws inspiration from the colors and shapes found in nature and loves to incorporate texture, both visually and physically on her work to reflect that beauty that nature provides us. Claire has been married to her husband Jeff for 27 years, and they have 2 children, Layton (20) and Julia (24).
