Potter's past involved a lab coat

By CAROLYN R. WILSON/Correspondent

The career of an Abingdon woman took on a whole new shape a few years ago when she left the corporate world to become a full-time potter.
Joan M. Beck, who worked as a biochemist in Michigan, hung up her lab coat for the chance to discover her creative spirit through one-of-a-kind pieces of clay artwork.
“There’s something invigorating about working with your hands,” said Beck, who traded her scientific paraphernalia for a pottery kiln that’s fired thousands of her clay pieces.
Beck’s passion for pottery is evident in the functional and decorative pieces that she sells at the Abingdon Farmers Market on Saturdays when she’s not attending art shows in the region. Her next show is July 16-18 at Hungry Mother Park in Marion, where she will bring as many as 200 pieces of her work for exhibit.
The artist believes the variety in her work sets her apart from other clay artists. One of her best sellers at the farmers market is an Ikebana vase, a Japanese-style vase that contains a pin frog for holding cut flowers. The vases are very functional, making them a popular item for shoppers, she said. Beck also uses the Ikebana vase to hold fresh herbs.
Another popular pottery item is her version of a garlic grater, a shallow dish containing a rough texture in the middle that grates the clove of garlic. The grater serves as a bread-dipping bowl once the grated garlic is combined with oil and herbs to make a dipping sauce. The grating process also works with ginger root combined with soy sauce and rice vinegar.
Beck uses her handcrafted berry bowls made of pottery to display fresh berries. A bowl contains holes in the bottom with a plate beneath to catch the rinse water.
She makes a variety of pottery items, including wine coasters, business card holders, soap dispensers and egg platters, which she has found to be a popular item in Southwest Virginia.
Beck admits it must be the scientist in her that likes to experiment with a pottery technique called horsehair to create an unpredictable design on pottery. Her horsehair vases are created by draping actual horsehairs onto pots after they have been being removed from a thousand-degree kiln. The extreme heat burns the hairs and leaves a black mark etched on the vases.
Beck’s interest in pottery began as something fun to do in her evening hours after work. Beck was looking for a stress reliever when a friend convinced her to enroll in a pottery course while she was working at the pharmaceutical company. The course was a jumpstart for Beck, who loved the freedom that clay offered and wanted to learn as much as she could about the art. In 2003, Beck started her own business, Earth & Fire Pottery, before she and her husband moved to Abingdon with their children.
The artist said the techniques she uses to make pottery can be both rewarding and challenging. She primarily uses a process called “throwing.” which helps her form a shape out of clay on a potter’s wheel. The clay is placed on a potter’s wheel and begins to take shape while the wheel turns. The hand-building method involves rolling out a slab of clay and using her hands and various molds to shape the clay. Beck also uses a device called a clay extruder to create forms and shapes.
Like a scientist, Beck enjoys the challenge of creating combinations of glazes for her work. She’s made hundreds of test tiles to arrive at a combination of glazes that appeal to her. More than one glaze can be applied to the pottery for a unique appearance. Beck uses all food-safe glazes for her artwork.
“It takes a long time to develop a new glaze color. I’m introducing turquoise this year,” she said.
“One of the great things about working with clay is I get to see my ideas come to life. I think of an idea, I create it and sell it to a customer for many years of enjoyment. I seldom saw those rewards in the drug-development field.”
Beck’s art show schedule includes July 24 through Aug. 8 at the Virginia Highlands Festival in Abingdon; Sept. 11 at Autumn Days Fine Arts and Music Fest at the Johnson City Seniors Center; Oct. 8-10 at Craftsmen’s Classic in Roanoke, Va.; Nov. 5-7 at Craftsmen’s Christmas Classic in Richmond; and Nov. 12-14 at YMCA Craft Fair at Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, Va.