About the artist

The process of creating a Yardly Art bowl.	The terra cotta clay is wedged, or kneaded to push out air bubbles and completely mix the clay.	After thorough wedging the clay is rolled into a slab.	The slab is then pushed and formed into a bisqued clay shape that I made.
The kiln has reached temperature & cooled. The new bowl is done!				Once formed to the mold, the extra clay is trimmed away.
The new bowl & others are loaded into the kiln for the glaze firing.				The edges of the new bowl are smoothed with fingers.

Glaze is brushed onto the bowl by hand. This glaze will be turquoise after its next firing.	A native of Minnesota, Sharon Miller-Thompson lives in St. Paul with her husband, Steve. They share their century old house with their two dogs, Henry and Charlie, who together oversee all Yardly Art operations. Sharon received a BA in Fine Arts from Macalester College and has designed and created unique hand-painted clothing and upholstered furniture. Her artwork has been featured in Twin Cities and New York galleries and at the Whitney Museum's Store Next Door in NYC. While working as a high school art teacher, Sharon fell in love with clay. Sharon was "drawn to all of the versatility that clay has to offer; its fluidity and drape; its wood-like capabilities for carving and its everlasting beauty and richness of color when finished." A long time avid gardener, Sharon is inspired by the beauty found in nature, many times bringing rocks and leaves into the studio for study and to be interpreted in the design of each new art piece. Now, as a full time artist, Sharon's newest love is welding. She works on new designs for trellises, benches, sculptures and the like. "I am always evolving as an artist, always growing toward 'what if I take this and...'".			A variety of decorations can be impressed into the clay at this point.
The kiln takes 24 hours to complete a firing. When it cools down, bowls can be removed.				The new bowl, still on its form, is set aside to firm up to the leatherhard stage.
	When completely dry, many bowls are loaded into the kiln for the first or bisque firing.	The new bowl is then set back onto the shelves to dry thoroughly.	Once leatherhard, the new bowl can be removed from its mold and signed.