A former “beginner”student — and still friend, — of mine, Audrey Derose-Wilson, is now represented by Charlie Cummings Gallery (CCG), based in Gainesville, Fl. CCG, is one of the most active and well-respected clay galleries in the country, representing scores of established and emerging clay artists.  An inaugural show of Audrey’s work includes 51 bird-themed mugs, tumblers and bowls. The gallery introduced Audrey as follows.

Audrey DeRose-Wilson’s splendid illustrated pots are a love letter to birds and the ecosystems of plants and creatures they inhabit. Rendered in bold sgraffito with keen attention to every detail, her birds come alive on her lovely wheel-thrown porcelain. Her compositions and mark making are inspired by woodcut prints. In black-and-white with modest color as punctuation marks, her illustrations and her vessel forms interplay and accentuate one another. These are practical pots made for everyday use, their feathered subjects a source of inspiration and contemplation as watching the birds with whom we share the landscape can be. This collection of fifty vessels, each showcasing a different bird species, features mostly birds found in Audrey’s home state of Florida, with a few species from outside the state’s borders included. All gorgeous, all fascinating, all essential to the ecosystems they inhabit, Audrey’s birds are sure to light up the table. Birds provide Audrey an endless font of inspiration, and they will bring it to your home too, because, after all, there are so many good birds!

In addition to making outstanding illustrated pottery, Audrey DeRose-Wilson serves as Audubon Florida’s Director of Bird Conservation. She earned MS in Fish and Wildlife Conservation from Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, VA and a BS in Zoology of Michigan State University in East Lansing, MI. She is an avid creator of gorgeous pottery featuring avian subjects, seamlessly merging her interests in art and science. Audrey is a local potter here in Alachua County, FL, home of Charlie Cummings Gallery.