Autumn Borts-Medlock is known for her often fancifully carved pottery and use of unique shapes.  This large jar is coil-built, fully carved, and stone polished.  It is a striking piece.  The shape creates a “full volume” vessel, where the sides provide a lot of space for carving. This piece has a water serpent (avanyu) encircling the jar.  The top band, in matte, has clouds.  The bottom band is a water design. The top and bottom are also both fully polished.  The jar comes up to a small neck and there is a carved lid that fits perfectly onto the top of the jar.  The piece is highly polished and fired a glassy black.  Simply stunning!   It is signed, “Autumn Borts-Medlock” on the bottom in the clay.

Autumn has said of her pottery:

“I love traditional designs that have been handed down, but I also want to express my imagination. It’s important to take it into my own hands and be unique, and everything has continued to grow and evolve from there.  You learn to have patience as a potter. You have to set one coil at a time and then come back and do another one. For me, it’s quite a commitment to start a big pot, as it can take between one and two years to finish. That’s a lot of time and energy invested in one piece. I like their presence and energy and challenge.  When I’m building a pot, sometimes designs quickly come to my mind. I think about what kind of design is going to balance the shape of the pot. It will start to work itself out as I plan the design on the shape. Other times I build a pot and have no idea what I’m going to put on there.” Autumn Borts-Medlock, Spoken Through Clay