Naperville ceramic artist draws on mix of inspiration
Laurie Pollpeter Eskenazi tells people to imagine a quilt with the mishmash of patterns, fabrics, colors, textures and different stitches.
Now imagine that same collection of crazy on the exterior of clay vases and serving dishes.
“That’s really what I’m trying to achieve in the work that I do,” said Pollpeter Eskenazi, of Naperville. “I use a lot of different textures and colors without really worrying about how it turns out. It doesn’t really matter what’s next to each other. It doesn’t matter because it’s all going to look great.”
Pollpeter Eskenazi will be one of 140 artists participating in the Riverwalk Fine Art Fair Saturday and Sunday, Sept. 17-18. The fair includes artwork in 14 different mediums, including 2-D and 3-D art, mixed media, medal, sculpture, ceramics, jewelry and photography.
Inspired by her Midwestern upbringing in rural Iowa and the tchotchkes on her grandmother’s dresser that she treasured growing up, her work reflects that in the textures and patterns she chooses for the vases, serving bowls and plates, and other pieces she makes.
A plowed field or old barn siding, buttons and small flowers often appear in her work.
However, the bold colors she chooses for her pieces often convey an ethnic feeling.
“I often hear, ‘It’s Spanish’ or ‘It’s Moroccan’ or ‘It’s Southwestern,’ ” she said. “I’m really attracted to Spanish and Mexican pottery because they have a lot of vibrant rich colors.”
Pollpeter Eskenazi starts some of her pieces on the throwing wheel, but does a lot of hand building as well. Her favorite pieces are the big vases and larger serving bowls that may take a few days for the entire process of building, decorating, painting with glaze, firing and so on.
“They’re super time consuming, but I really like making those big pieces,” she said. “They turn out different every time.”
All of her serving pieces are functional and food safe and can be used in the microwave or dishwasher.
“They’re sturdy pieces even though they look ornate,” she said.
Pollpeter Eskenazi said she feels fortunate to still be doing something she fell in love with as a sophomore in high school.
“I’m really fortunate that my business is doing well,” she said. “I’m so blessed to be able to make a living doing what I love — especially with the economy the way it is.”
For information about Pollpeter Eskenazi’s work, visit lpeclay.com or look for LPE Clay on Facebook.