Linda Garratt

Life in the Northwest for me has always included the expanse of wilderness and the animals that exist there.

I grew up on the edge of the Spokane city limits.  I looked across the valley at Mt. Spokane and Mica Peak everyday growing up. Our family took trips each year from the Pacific Ocean to the Rocky Mountains where we saw bear, moose and herds of elk.  As a teenager, I worked and finally managed to get a horse, which took me farther out into the countryside.

During my art training at Eastern Washington University, I studied pottery with Bill Sage. After graduating from Eastern with a major in Art and a minor in Biology, I worked for the Forest Service for three years. During my work for the Forest Service I took trails into the back country where I saw even more wildlife: deer, bear and mountain goats.

Now, in my pottery, I create images of Northwest wildlife and running horses.  By using a layering effect, I create depth, as seen in twilight or mist. More than just silhouettes, they are not just a moment in time, but also the movement of life.

Each stoneware piece is hand crafted, thrown on a potter's wheel, individually glazed and fired to over 2300 degree F. I joined The Pottery Place in August of 1979.