Essence Jones received a BFA in Visual Communication Design from the Herron School of Art and Design, where she studied Visual Communication Design and Ceramics. Her first experience with clay began as a teenager in 2012, and what started as an introduction to ceramics became a lifelong practice. Through anxiety, life changes, and grief, clay has remained a place of solace, a way to slow down, return to center, and find a sense of calm.
The Work
Pottery is meant to be lived with. I make functional pieces with generous forms, thoughtful proportions, and a sense of sturdiness. Pots that feel good in your hands and naturally find their place in everyday life, from the table to the sink and back again.
Flowers have become a way of tracing my own journey through life. From the magnolias of the South to the peonies of the Midwest, each flower carries a sense of place, memory, and time. These blooms find their way onto my pottery through layered, painterly patterns, bringing color, movement, and a little bit of the seasons into everyday life.
Color and glaze are where things become a little unpredictable. I work with surfaces ranging from soft matte to glossy and build patterns with intention, but the kiln always has the final say. I love that part of the process, the unexpected movement, shifts in color, and small surprises that happen when earth, minerals, fire, and time come together.
