Working Potter: Ani Kasten
Growing up in a family with two artisan parents, my sister and I were raised without television and were encouraged to pursue creative activities starting at a young age. I was brought up with a strong ethos in our daily lives enriched by objects made by hand. My father made textiles and our home was filled with handmade rugs, drapery fabric, and upholstery fabric. My mother grew our food and was a masterful gardener and cook. They both collected and valued art. Throughout my schooling, I became interested in writing and wanted to pursue a liberal arts degree in college, always with my desire to work in visual arts on the back burner. I feel to this day that my time studying literature and writing is very useful to me in the life I have made working in clay—being able to communicate and write proficiently has many important applications for a working potter, from crafting artist statements to applying for grants to writing articles, I use my English degree almost daily...