Red Lodge Clay – Center Short-Term Resident 2015, 2020
Originally from Falmouth, MA., Candice Methe is a studio artist and educator. She has been working in clay for twenty-five years and is a resident at the Roswell Artist in Residence Foundation in Roswell, NM. She received her BFA in Ceramics and Art History from Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, AZ. and her MFA from the University of Minnesota, Minneapolis. Inspired by historical objects, she has traveled to Japan, Ghana, Nicaragua among other places to study the traditional practices of artisans working in clay. She has also been a resident at the Archie Bray Foundation for the Ceramic Arts, Red Lodge Clay Center and Santa Fe Clay.
The work I make is my soliloquy of simpler times.
I turn the soil.
I plant the seeds.
I grow the wheat.
I harvest the grain.
I grind the flour.
I trade for the salt.
I collect the water.
I knead the dough.
I coax the fire.
I bake the bread.
Nourishment comes in many forms-labor, vulnerability, connectedness, desire. The vessels of clay I make are for sustenance. They are a document of my intent and a signifier of my connection to this life, both past and present. Having the hand present in my work is critical. It is through the element of touch I am able to honor honesty, vibrancy, energy, and humility.