Meet Lisa Ingram

Lisa Ingram started the Starving Artist Expo in 2012 with the vision of hosting a lively art show along with food, friends, and music. Things came together so well that it made perfect sense to foster that idea and let it evolve and grow. Lisa is excited to see the show add new artists and move to Downtown Rome this year. She loves this town and all it offers artists.

Q: Tell us a little bit about yourself. Do you come from a big family? Are you from the south? Do you speak another language?

Lisa Ingram, Rome, GA

I was born in Illinois but have lived in Georgia since I was 10. I love the south as we experience four seasons, can get to the beach within a day and many of my family members are close by. I grew up as one of three girls and am now the mother of one sweet baby girl. I married my "I can't help but keep running into you wherever I go" sweetheart and am learning Spanish. I also have a sweet puppy that keeps me company in the studio- and brings me her ball to throw about 20 times an hour while I work.

Q: Please describe your work. What makes it different from other art in the same field?

I make wheel thrown pottery with a few hand built items in the mix. I enjoy making things that are useful for everyday purposes such as mixing bowls, mugs, olive oil bottles, sugar jars, and more. In the past year or two, I have been experimenting with slip trailing, a process of drawing with liquid clay on my forms. This gives is a unique look and texture, playing with the glazes and shapes.

Q: Can you tell us a little bit about the process your work goes through?

Pottery is a very involved process but it all starts with a ball of clay. All my materials are from the earth which is very inspiring to me. There is very little waste in pottery. I shape my pieces on the wheel usually, but I also work from slabs for certain things like trays or ornaments. Wheel thrown items are trimmed and then if they need any attachments such as bases or handles, those are added after the piece has dried some. Finally, I add my slip trailing decorations which is similar to decorating a cake. I create my own liquid like clay from my slurry that builds up while throwing and use a squeeze bulb to draw with. This is very therapeutic and enjoyable for me. It is also very erasable so I can try try again when things do not go right.

Q: What prompted you to become and artist?

I can remember long long ago I was so surprised I could draw a spider. I was maybe 3? From there, I just love it. I loved drawing and drew horses, faces, hands, etc. I made jewelry, learned to knit, sew and chrochet. My mother was always very creative and I enjoyed growing up in that atmosphere. I visited an artist's shop at the beach one day in high school and decided that was what I wanted to do, make things for people to enjoy. When I attended Berry College, I enrolled in the art program and was assigned to a handbuilding ceramics class. While I did enjoy that, I was exposed to the students in the wheel throwing class. After seeing those students throw beautiful pottery, I knew I had found my destiny. It took a year and a half to get that class in my schedule but I waited my time and never stopped again after I started.

Q: What is one of the biggest failures you have faced as an artist?

Oh wow, potters can have LOTS of failures. From cracked bases to dropped pieces to glaze drips, there are a million things that can go wrong with a piece. I have had two major kiln firing disasters- one where the self shut of mechanism did not work and burned the entire load, turning every one of my 30+ pieces I had poured hours into a bubbly brown. The other time, I had a computerized kiln and programmed it to hold at the maximum temperature of 2250 for 5 HOURS instead of 5 minutes. The pieces were not too terrible, but they were not wonderful either.

Q: What is one of your biggest successes as an artist?

The first time my work was accepted into a gallery I had this realization that I was actually doing what I hoped I would do one day. I felt like doors were opening and that my plan was actually becoming reality. More recently, managing to work while having a small child has been a great accomplishment.

Q: Aside from creating, what is another passion of yours?

I really love my family and being a mom. I love puppies, the outdoors and yoga. Cloth diapering is a minor obsession. Oh, and I also like planning events like the Starving Artist Expo.

Q: Please share some humor you have found in your artistic endeavors.

I did a street demo during the art walk one year where I had my pottery wheel out making all kinds of things for people walking by. One young boy was watching and asked what I was doing. I responded that I was making a bowl. The boy gasped and exclaimed, "Oh! You made OUR bowls!" I guess since I was the first bowl maker he had met that it just made sense that I must have made his family's dishes. It was pretty cute.

Q: Is there anything else you would like to share with us about you?

I'm so happy to be a part of this group and to have so many enthusiastic & artistic colleagues that are willing to give their time and talents to make this event a success. These participating artists inspire me. I love this event and hope it continues on many years!