Friday, January 21, 2011

Featured Artist - Bohemian Mushroom



I had the pleasure of being next door neighbors to Celeste Theodore at a local festival this past fall. Not only did I enjoy talking with her during some down time, but I completely fell in love with her beautiful ceramic pieces.



Celeste started out with an interest in taking a jewelry class at a local community college, but it was full. So, she decided to take a ceramics class. She fell in love with it, and never took the jewelry class. After learning all they had to offer during several semesters, she sought out a professional potter with whom to apprentice. She found one downtown in her hometown of Chicago, and learned and practiced throwing, hand building, glaze calculation and how to run a gallery. She apprenticed and learned the business there for two years, where her infatuation with the artwork turned into true love for working with clay.



Celeste believes the world is a unique combination of creators and collectors, and in God's infinite wisdom she fell into the former category. It started that day in class, when she first put her hands in the clay, and it was amazing. Creativity flows from her hands, and she doesn't know what she would do if she could not use her hands to make things. Celeste desires to master the techniques she uses or conjures up, though she can't put her finger on exactly what inspires her. You can look at her pottery and see the fruit of her inspiration.



She moved to Fort Myers in 2001, and built a studio in the back of her home. The commute to work is just a short walk from the coffee pot to the work table in her many-windowed studio, where she can enjoy the weather - whatever it is, generally sunny.
Celeste has generously offered this lovely polka dot blue tube vase to one of my readers. Just leave a brief comment about what inspires you. You can also check out her etsy shop. The dealine is this Friday January 28th.


47 comments:

jamfiescreations1 said...

Oh, I would love to win that vase.
Knowing there is a God inspires me.

Mary O
www.jamfiescreations1.blogspot.com

MYSAVIOR said...

WOW! WOW! Her work is just so beautiful and whimsical.

I am inspired by all of God's creations but love to work with paper and make mixed media collages.

♥♥♥
Sue

Jennifer {Studio JRU} said...

Her art is so fun! What a neat vase! I find inspiration anywhere and everywhere. :) I love to get inspiration from God's word... love the uplifting promises! :)

sammysgrammy said...

Thanks for sharing about your blog on the castteam thread. I would never have seen Michelle's work otherwise. It is so colorful, it almost doesn't look like clay - that humble, wet dirt - gets transformed into these gorgeous pieces.

Unknown said...

Lovely artist creations!!! I love beads & they seem to "speak" to me as I turn them into jewels from my heart. :)

pfd said...

I absolutely love her work! So fun and beautiful. Inspiration? When I write it is prayer with the Lord... when I paint, it is His creation.

Christie Cottage said...

That is a cool vase. I love creative pieces and her work certainly qualifies!

GOD inspires me. GOD gives me the imagination and all the ideas!

Have a blessed day!

<><

LindieLee said...

The reason I got into art a few years ago is because I wanted to draw out the visions that God gives me for people.

Anonymous said...

What a lovely feature! Her work is beautiful and I love the bright colors she uses in her work.

I'm always inspired by others...I love to see what people are making. Fabric also inspires me...I love the various colors and prints...I'm always thinking about what it could become...even when I'm shopping in a thrift store, looking at clothes...I imagine them as something other than clothing. =)

Lastly, God's creation inspires me. I figured I'd save the best for last. Where did color come from? God...I am always in awe, when my finite mind thinks about HIS creativity! He gives each of us a various aspect of it, at least that's what I think. =)

Vanessa Brantley Newton said...

Oh my goodness what deliciousness have we here??? Oh my goodness how wonderful. I love all that color! It's magnificent and so filled with happiness! Great works! I love them all. Bohemaian Mushroom rocks for sure.
V

jhitomi said...

what a pretty vase! I am inspired every day by little things in nature, from the birds that follow each other in flocks, to animal mothers that fight for their young, to the miracles of our human bodies and how they work.
jhbalvin at gmail dot com

Fanny said...

This is a magnificent vase :)

Anything or anyone I encounter has the potential to inspire me. 2pmishere(at)gmail(dot)com

Mary Lee said...

Beautiful vase! Nature, and my son inspire me!

maryleebythesea(at)gmail(dot)com

Lee said...

Beautiful work. Thanks and my children and nature inspire me.

Kashena said...

Literature often inspires me, and I work a lot with written word on paper, too. My Christmas tree this year had a paper chain created from an old book. (Yes, it did kind of pain me to cut it up).

Anonymous said...

Love love love the vase!
I am inspired by Mama Earth and all of her beautiful creations. The river and trees outside my window can always get my crafty wheels turning, even when it's snowy outside!
I am also inspired by the work of others. I am greatly indebted to all the great gals who share their diy projects with the world. They have made my life happier, my home prettier, and my craft room more organized!



mahgwi21 (at) yahoo

Anonymous said...

reading blogs like yours inspires me :)

angela_jeon {a t} ya ho o {do t} co m

mrsm said...

just gorgeous work!
mrs.massaro@gmail.com

J Dee said...

Johnny Depp inspires me, mostly by the way that he's both a true entertainer and family man.

tarheelgalwv32 @ hotmail dot com

Rachel Levine said...

what inspires me? Oh just finding my belly dancing skirt has inspired me to go to belly dancing class. yay me

petmyrhino at hotmail dot com
www.etsy.com/shop/bigdoglittledog

yellow hall studio. said...

Wow! Amazing work!

yellowhallstudio dot blogspot dot com

Yellowhallstudio at gmail dot com

wizardewu said...

Nature is a source of inspiration as well as other people's work.
eugeniewu at gmail dot com

Basia Marie said...

How cute and lively!
I am inspired by the American River canyons. I am lucky enough to visit at least once a week, where I can sit in solitude, meditate, hike, picnic, write, swim, and relaxxxx. I carry that feeling with me wherever I go, which leads to better writing, work, and relationships.

-Basia :)

bozthefreak@hotmail.com

Unknown said...

Celeste is so talented! I love the bright cheerful colours she uses and the unique designs!!

Jocelyn
www.newcreationz.etsy.com

Jen said...

That Vase is uber cool!

Life inspires me!

productsoftheday at gmail dot com

Angie said...

I love how bright and happy the piece is. All of her peices just make you smile!! Vintage things inspire me...knowing they had a past purpose:)

rennieangie at gmail dot com

Brooke said...

I want it! lol

God inspires me. :)

whitsend@live.com

Brooke said...

Color inspires me. Makes my mind wander and drift.
shutterboo at gmail dot com

skipthelaundry said...

My children inspire me! Lovely vase.
skipthelaundry at gmail dot com

Anna said...

My sweet children and wonderful husband inspire me---cliche maybe... but true!

abh2786 at yahoo dot com

Dionne said...

These are phemomenal! How awesome

TopHat said...

Trees inspire me. They are so beautiful.

hrfarley at gmail dot com

katie hanson said...

the wonder that my cats bring to every moment of their lives inspires me to look beyond the obvious. what i see as trash, they see as treasure. gives me perspective :)

xo, katie
kateandoli{at}gmail{dot}com

Liza767 said...

oh wow wonderful vase

i am inspired by my kids all 6 of them

Liza767[at]roadrunner[dot]com

Living Hip Today said...

What a fantastic artist!!!
Emotion inspires me. Pure, undiluted emotion. <3
mommytrenches at gmail dot com

Anonymous said...

My husband inspires me every day :)

lindsayfields at live dot com

Alexandra said...

That vase is amazingly beautiful!
My surroundings inspire me!

Alexandra DiGiorgio

alexandra_digiorgio@comcast.net

ArtsyCraftsy said...

What a lovely vase! And the mushrooms in your shop are gorgeous as well- I love your whimsy items & the use of bold colors.

What inspires me? I'm a pisces, so anything with water, the beach, a nice ocean breeze, and sunny days inspire me. My randomness of creativity also inspires me- when I get that sense of creating, I immediately have to be creating something with my hands!

jess> jessence22@yahoo.com

Salleefur/Jesselyn/Jesster said...

Celeste is a perfect name for this inspired and inspiring artist/designer with such a whimsical sense of wonder! (And the prize, tall, slender vase is very captivating.

I think it the cycles of life, of the seasons, of birth, death, and rebirth that we see everywhere and constantly renews our sense of wonder, awe, imagination and creativity...

jessterlyn(at)aol(dot)com

jennys said...

What inspires me is seeing people live by their dreams. It is so wonderful to know people out there are happy and doing what they love most in life. Gives hope that it is possible for everyone when I see someone doing it.

Lily said...

What inspires me is the happiness and joy people recieve when they accomplish somthing by their own means.



wizardnita@gmail.com

Anonymous said...

Shops like this on etsy always inspire me - I love to see what other people create with their own hands and imaginations!
june_spirit2628 at hotmail dot com

Cerena-Leigh said...

Florence and the Machine's music inspires me. It gives me chills every time I hear one of their songs.

Luckycldh(at)aol(dot)com
Cerena Leigh

Kristin said...

What an awesome vase! What inspires me is the people around me. I love to go to the park and people watch.
Kristin15172004 AT yahoo DOT com

Marli said...

I think I'm inspired by moments of silence -- but clearly, her inspirations are gregarious and joyful and so unlike mine. Which is why I find them so beautiful, I think.

marli.wang (at) gmail

Anonymous said...

My children and their innocense inspires me.

Shannon
rsp2001@att.net

Megan said...

Energetic places and noise inspire me. rosiebud63 at hotmail dot com