"I have always been fascinated by ancient cultures and the graceful forms of their ceramic vessels."

Jessica L. Phillips is a Ceramic Artist and owner of Battenkill River Pottery in Arlington, Vermont. Her work is inspired by ancient art, she follows the belief that the best foundation an artist can have is to know what came before them.

To create a vessel, Jessica starts by making a series of sketches to get the basic shape with slight variations of a particular ceramic form. Then, with an image in her mind, she begins the process from raw clay to finished form. Pieces are created through a combination of hand building and the use of a potter's wheel. Taking inspiration from the natural world, she makes both sculptural and functional forms.

Jessica is involved in each step of the ceramic process and this is a vital part of who she is as an artist and is reflected in her work. She formulates and makes her own clay and glazes from raw materials; and fires the kilns on site.

Her current work is inspired by ancient Greek ware that incorporates traditional shapes with her innovative carving style. The designs are based on her original botanical drawings and carved free hand onto the slip covered ceramic forms. After the first firing, a thin layer of glaze is applied using a spray technique, then fired again to complete the piece. Each work of art is one of a kind and requires weeks to create.