Fired Up

Sweet Fern Pottery stoneware vessels featuring wood and soda-fired textures and white slip brushstrokes.

When Sarah Burns first “touched clay” in college at the University of New Hampshire, it made a big impact. “That was it for me,” says the New Durham-based potter. “I just loved it immediately.”

Burns, here in her home studio, shares her love of clay through workshops at places such as Portland Pottery in Portland, Maine, a creative community hub.

The New Hampshire native soon began apprenticing with a mentor in Barnstead and has since built a full-bodied life from her work with clay. Her current studio is in her rural home, which she shares with her husband. (Their two children are in college.)

“I am surrounded by the beautiful Lakes Region, and I spend a lot of time in the woods,” says Burns, “which I think subconsciously affects my work.” She doesn’t necessarily include representative natural details in her pots, bowls and mugs, but rather, reflects on the shapes, shadows, light and negative space that “percolate between the growth of trees” to influence her approach. “It is more about space and silhouettes, and being in that landscape of Lake Winnipesaukee and seeing those mountain ranges that make its way into my vessels.”

Using clay primarily from Sheffield Pottery in Sheffield, Massachusetts (“A great place where they make their own clay”), and from another company in California, Burns says she varies which material she uses depending on the project. “I have a wood-fired kiln that I have used for a very long time,” she continues, “as well as occasionally firing in different community kilns.”

“The way I go about decorating and thinking about my pots and how I make them is based on the collaborative effort with the wood-fired kiln,” explains Burns. While she does paint some of her vessels with a glaze on the interior, she says she “loves those raw pots when they go in. I think about how that flame is going to affect the shape and the coloring based on the materials.”

Her ideal wood-firing process is to use a mix of hardwood and pine. “I find that really successful. I source some of my hardwood from scraps from a company that does fine woodworking, and I get the pine from a local guy who cuts it for me.”

Wood-fired basket complete with forged copper handles and inlaid Egyptian paste.

Being part of the bigger community in New Hampshire is vital to her craft, says Burns. As a member of the League of New Hampshire Craftsmen, she showcases her work in their galleries in Littleton and Meredith, as well as a couple of other galleries in the southern part of the state. “Being part of the League is such an honor. It has such historic value for the arts and crafts in New Hampshire.”

Her business, Sweet Fern Pottery (named for the plants that covered her property when she first began), also has an online store and a good social media presence, which allows her a wider audience for her pottery.

“I also have an annual holiday sale on the first weekend of December at my studio,” says Burns. “My studio is a working studio, so I take the opportunity to clean it out, set it up really lovely and have all my pots out on display,” she says. “I live pretty rurally, so I’m always honored when people come to my studio. Every year has just been better and better.”

Customer input is also important to the potter. “I like to dance around that line (between functional and artistic) a little bit, especially with my basket forms with the metal handles that I’ve been incorporating,” she says. “I like those pieces because they are a little bit more architectural, and when I have presented them at the League of New Hampshire Craftsmen’s fairs, people are really inquisitive about them.” She says that people want to talk with her about the process and what they are for. “I love having that interaction with interested people.”

Burns mentions that she finds it very satisfying to know that her crafted objects are used by people every day. “To have handmade objects at your table while sharing conversations with friends is so important,” she says. “I love watching people try out all the mugs, because the handles have to fit just right in that person’s hand, so that’s always fun.”

Another iteration of Burns’s pottery baskets with metal handles, which have proven intriguing to attendees at League of New Hampshire Craftsmen fairs.

“I think some of my fondest memories are when customers (let me know) where it lands in their home. I am always overjoyed when people take the time to send me a picture of a vase filled with flowers from their garden and/or a mug they’re sharing on a beautiful morning, with the light coming through, on their dining room table. It’s just wonderful to have that continuation of the conversation.”

Burns acknowledges that it’s every artist’s dream to do what they love.

“(Working for myself) has been very flexible, and I’ve had some great teaching opportunities come to me. I’ve taught at a variety of different places, including the former New Hampshire Institute of Art; now I’m mostly with community education.”

Currently she’s teaching at Portland Pottery and is quite inspired by people who are new to the art form. “It’s fun to see people persevere or even just share those conversations about why they’re starting this up. Sometimes it is the memories of working with clay from their childhood, or they’ve always been interested in it, and here’s their opportunity to start.”

Essentially, Burns credits the clay community in New Hampshire as helping her flourish as an artist and as a human. “Growing up, my parents always took me to the League’s fair. I didn’t quite know what people were doing, but I knew they had beautiful pieces that they (made themselves), and I loved that. I saw that art is not outside of life; it’s part of life here.”

For further information about Sarah Burns, visit sweetfernpottery.com