“From Within” serves as a mirror reflecting Shelby's ceramic journey up to this point. This collection showcases three interconnected bodies of work, each overlapping to reveal different facets of her artistic exploration.
A mentor recently reminded Shelby of an important lesson she learned long ago: beauty comes from within. This got her thinking about her journey in ceramics and self-discovery. She realized that she doesn't have to search the world to figure out what to create or "find herself" to be the person she is today.
Working with porcelain is a balancing act. Many of the pieces are incredibly thin, leading to a lot of breaking and cracking during the drying process. This was especially disheartening as she had put in more than 3 hours of work on some of the pieces. It was a challenge to push the vessels without reaching the breaking point.
"Through clay, I have been able to gain a stronger sense of who I am. It took some digging to discover, and it didn’t just appear but it was there all along. There is a confidence that was unveiled in the process. There is beauty that comes from within. The hope that viewers on their own life journey might feel this expression."
"The thinly carved pieces are transparent, which is kinda cool :-)"
