Celeste Prussia
Multi-media Artist
I was raised and educated in southern New England, but I did not start out as an intentional artist. There was little time to devote to art while working toward a BS in Environmental Biology with a minor in chemistry and then a MS in Botany. I made Missouri home to lead the development and operation of the Litzsinger Road Ecology Cener of the Missouri Botanical Garden for 10 years then jumping to Missouri State University (MSU) Biology Department to manage the Bull Shoals Field Station.
I started working with clay in the ceramics lab at MSU in 2011 and enjoyed the community aspect of the creative process among students and faculty until my retirement from the University. I especially enjoyed working in high-fire ceramics and applying my background in chemistry to make sense of the interplay of ingredients in different clay bodies and glazes.
My work at Living Lands Studio is representative of my ceramic sculptures. I also work in fiber art and am a juried artist with Best of Missouri Hands in that medium for my antler baskets and other woven forms. Some of my favorite works are represented by forms that combine fiber and ceramic arts. These pieces are usually large platters or trays of clay into which I have woven a rim or other feature that is composed of fiber. The contrast between rigid clay and flexible fiber presents many opportunities for problem solving and design expressions that I enjoy.
Like most artists who work and live outdoors, nature is my muse. Guidance comes from the varied shapes, colors, textures and vibes that touch my senses while my brain interprets or integrates these inputs with my moods to produce my designs.
Having the time and energy to express my voice in art is a privilege that I hold dear. As I enter my senior years, it is a joy to use my hands and mind to make tangible items that others may enjoy seeing and holding.
