Susan Luster
Susan G. Luster creates botanically-themed clay art in her Cary studio. Her inspiration for decorating the tiles comes from the plant world. Each piece has leaves pressed into the soft clay, which are then removed, leaving an impression that is hand painted with glaze or underglaze, making them appear to be alive in the clay after they are fired. The wood frames are made by her architect husband Mike.
Her pottery business is a second career which follows 20 years of environmental and solar energy educational work. Their passive solar home is also partially powered by a solar electric/photovoltaic system.
“I capture these fragments of nature as a reminder of how fragile today’s environment is. The image in clay may last decades after a plant species may have vanished due to climate change, drought or over-development. I cherish the plants today.”