Annie Burke

My sculpture is an exploration into how natural forms transform as they are deprived of the living elements. The absents or abundance of earth, water, fire, and wind.

For me enjoying cut flowers starts with the bud and ends with a dried transformed stem.

I draw inspired from the flowers and their pods I grow in my garden and by bits of shell and bark found on the beach. 

My goal is never to create a true replica, but merely to sculpt the form and its visual movement.

 My vessels are throw on the wheel or hand built, the flower forms are hand sculpted in Porcelain, stoneware and terra cotta then fired at cone 6 in an electric kiln. I mix all my own glazes which giving me the freedom to experiment. I prefer to keep a very natural palette as to not take away from the quiet movement of the form.

I particularly enjoy mixing and experimenting with “crater” or “volcanic” glazes tinted to resemble mother of pearl and shell surfaces.

I live and work in my studio on Orcas Island where I grew up and have called my current home for the last 14 years.