Suzanne Hill is both an artist and a craftsperson. Her pottery transcends pure function to become a thing of beauty, though, the functional shape serves as the basis for the decorative piece.
"I see myself as both an artist and a craftsperson. What separates fine craft from an ordinary object is that it goes beyond pure function and becomes a thing of beauty as well. Even my decorative work is based on functional shapes. As a potter, I am always working with the relationship of form to decoration. There are so many variables when decorating a piece that one must learn to set up the conditions and then to work with the glazing and firing process. It is a combination of some control as well as being guided by the process. As in nature, no two pieces are exactly the same. There is room for infinite variety. In my recent work I have been exploring the relationship between classical shapes and forms found in nature. In the most recent series, the pieces are inspired by my trips to the landscapes of coastal New England and the American southwest. The colors of the landscape and the rock formations combine with the classical vessel shapes to create unique works of art. The driftwood handles on some of the pieces are inspired by the scrub trees found in those windswept and beautiful landscapes.”