Rachel Vitko

My artwork combines my love for painting with the functionality of pottery. I have always been drawn to plant life and nature itself for inspiration; the free flowing forms of things found in our environment inspire me to create patterns and color combinations for the surface of my pottery.

My parents were both artists. My mother and her illustrative background were very inspirational to my artwork. She used black ink in most of her artwork and this is where my appreciation for the contrast of dark lines against color came from. I am an illustrator at heart and you can see an illustrative touch in all of my work.

I have always been a painter and studied at the Minneapolis College of Art and Design - but my thoughts were never far from clay. It wasn’t until the last couple of years that my part time hobby of throwing ceramics became my canvas for painting. Besides nature, I also find inspiration from the forms of what I throw. A mug might call for a completely different design as opposed to a large platter - all depending on the flow of the shape.

I throw with a white clay body, paint on underglazes and put on a clear coat to make the finished product. All of my pottery is dishwasher, oven, microwave, and food safe.

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