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Becca Irvin
Pottery
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"I was born and raised in west Tennessee. I have always been interested in the arts so that led me to pursue a degree in art at East Tennessee State University. I was drawn to this University because of the art department’s amazing facilities and the beauty of the Appalachian mountain range within sight of campus.
I was unsure of which medium to focus on until I enrolled in a beginning wheel throwing course. As soon as I sat down at that wheel and put my hands around that simple lump of clay I knew I had found love! I spent a lot of all nighters in the studio for the next three years throwing, glazing, and firing wood, soda, electric, and gas fired kilns. My senior year I helped lead a team to build a soda fired kiln. I went on to receive a full scholarship to study in Tuscany, Italy at the Spannocchia Castello Institute. My classmates and I spent time perfecting our technique and firing an Etruscan style kiln. We also explored the Tuscan region and studied ancient Minoan and Etruscan pottery.
I graduated with my BFA in ceramics in the spring of 2014. After graduation, I worked on an apprenticeship under the direction of Greg Pace, a renowned master potter. He and I built a 65 cubic foot gas firing car kiln that we use to fire our wares in. Under his direction, I learned to calculate glazes and master the crystalline glazing process. I have continued working full time in his studio, Pisgah Hwy Pottery right outside of Asheville, North Carolina at the foot of Mount Pisgah".
