Color and Clay                                  Linda Lee Kiepke              

About the artist​

"I'm healthiest when I'm creating and pushing myself to explore new ideas and ways of making." 

​

My journey with ceramics began in the children's section of the library, where fairy tales and fables ignited my imagination. I would gather beautifully illustrated books and immerse myself in their enchanting imagery, using them as inspiration to craft my own interpretations in clay. My creative process expanded with the rise of the internet's vast resources, yet the thrill of hunting for captivating images and patterns to interpret through ceramics remains unchanged.

 

Born in New Jersey and raised as the middle child of seven, my father's career in aerospace engineering took us like space gypsies across five states before I turned eleven. I quickly lost my southern drawl when we moved to Littleton, Colorado where I first fell in love with clay in the 8th grade.  After high school, I studied at Arapahoe Community College before moving from Colorado to Arizona to attend Arizona State University.​

​

While a student there, I worked closely with mixed media artist Suzanne Klots. In 1987 I received my BFA in Art Education with an emphasis in ceramics. After graduation I moved to Florida, where I completed my teaching internship through Rollins College in Winter Park. A year later, I returned to Arizona to teach seventh and eighth grade art at Landmark Middle School in Glendale. 

​

I left full-time teaching in the public schools after three years to pursue my art full-time. I used the next two years to enhance my technical skills. I took classes as a non-declared graduate student at Arizona State, studying painting under Rip Woods and ceramics under Kurt Weiser and Jeanie Otis, while also working as Resident Artist for the City of Tempe, and studio assistant to Suzanne Klotz. 

​

​A new chapter began in 1995. I discovered I was pregnant with my first child, and my husband's job took us to the charming suburb of Naperville, Illinois. With no familiar faces around, I dove into motherhood, forming friendships while navigating the challenges of raising children and living with Multiple Sclerosis, a condition I was diagnosed with after losing my speech temporarily in May 1997, just weeks after my son's first birthday. Our family grew with the arrival of our daughter in 1999, and it was during this time that a wonderful neighbor invited me to join an evening ceramics class at College of DuPage in Glen Ellyn, IL. This experience opened doors to creativity and connection in my new community 

​

College of DuPage is one of the largest community colleges in the US with a large ceramics program, but there wasn't the sense of community I had known in AZ. In 2000, as president along with fellow students and staff sponsor Kate Keilty we started Clay People Ceramics Club. Our club became a vibrant hub, bringing in renowned workshop presenters from across the United States and even the late Ian Currie from Queensland, Australia. We organized sales, events, competitions, and exciting road trips, fostering a strong sense of camaraderie among ceramic enthusiasts.

​

In 2006 the club dissolved when a group of the members pitched in our time, money, and equipment to establish ClaySpace NFP, now DBA ClaySpace Ceramic Arts Center.  Marie Gnesda was the founding president, and I worked hard alongside her as the first Vice President. I beam with pride when I look at ClaySpace (CS) today. Located in Lisle, IL., there is a fully equipped studio, 55 full-time resident artists, over 150 students every 8 weeks, monthly gallery openings and well attended sales and raku fundraising events. Over the years we have brought in countless workshop presenters. I enjoy teaching at ClaySpace even after all these 'years. Currently, I teach an 8-week class called "Goal Driven Ceramics". The class evolves around the goals of its 10 members- wheel, hand building, sculpture, slip casting, colored slip, tera sigillate, China paint, glaze mixing, spray booth, soda and electric kiln loading and firing, I never know what and to what extent we will explore the endless avenues of working in clay.

​

In my current work, I utilize a soft linoleum mat, intricately carved with unique images, to emboss print clay slabs. The challenge of painting these images with colored clay, rolling on underglaze, and skillfully building with the soft slabs without compromising the design truly excites me. My work often revolves around animals, as they evoke powerful emotions and inspire my artistic expression.