Scargo Pottery & Art Gallery

Artists

Kim Holl

Kim Holl has spent fifteen years working at Scargo Pottery full time. After attending college and taking time to start a family, Kim was drawn back to her father’s studio. The idea of intensively learning the dynamics of a craft which was ever present in her youth intrigued her. She began to spend more time at the studio working with clay, and eventually became an apprentice at the shop. The atmosphere around Scargo was tempting to Kim, as well as the ability to arrange her own hours around the schedule which included two young children. At that time, the studio was often frequented by various apprentices and artistic peers of her father Harry Holl; the energy was stimulating and exciting, and it would not be long before Kim realized this was to be her career.

Kim began her study of clay with slab work. This kind of hand building requires patience, and teaches one the inherent characteristics of the medium. A well constructed slab piece that survives unchanged through the firing is not an easy feat, and Kim spent months exclusively learning this technique. This eventually gave way to working on the wheel. While her slab work took a back seat as she became more proficient in throwing, she recognized its importance in her training and hopes to return to the process in the future.

Over the years Kim has focused on refining her throwing technique and expanding her body of work. Functional pieces have been her primary draw, and striving to throw the perfectly proportioned and balanced vase or serving piece is a constant and welcome challenge. Dinnerware sets are a favorite undertaking, and Kim it often commissioned to design and throw an array of place settings. By working on a custom order she not only builds on her past work, but is met with new ideas and challenges introduced by people with whom she is working. Often this entails creating a pattern or experimenting with new combinations of glazes.

In the past years Kim has looked outdoors for inspiration and turned some of her focus on garden pieces. Bird castles constructed out of multiple thrown pieced and outdoor bird baths provide another outlet to expand her artistry, often allowing for a more decorative approach than strictly functional works.

Kim has participated in many of the special shows put on by the shop throughout the seasons. She recently has become involved in the teaching aspect of ceramics, and hopes to further this pursuit in the future. While she has worked with adults, she is especially interested in sharing her knowledge with children. She also anticipates further work with outdoor sculptural and constructed pieces.

#3 large landscape platters can be ordered 15 to 18"

#1 light chun dinnerware set 8 place settings

The images and information on this page can be obtained from Scargo Pottery