Get to Know... Hope Bailey

One of a Kind:  Tell us about your work.

Hope:  I make porcelain table ware that is useful in the home, from plates to bowls, cups, and butter dishes.  I also make hand built lighting.  I use a Korean technique called mishima to draw images and patterns into the surface of my pieces.  All pieces are made by hand either by hand-sculpting or a kick-wheel in my home-studio. 

With clay, like my house and paintings, the form is of its essence ordinary, but with features that depict the simplicity and beauty of real life. Each piece is handmade, and no two pieces are alike. They are sculptural, one-of-a-kinds – but most importantly, useful. My hope is that I create work that brings beauty and delight into everyday function and experiences.

One of a Kind:  How did you get started?

Hope:  As a student at the University of Colorado I fell in love with both painting and ceramics while getting my certification in education to teach art. Both offer ways for me to explore beauty in simplicity, function and the human experience.  After raising my children, I briefly got back into teaching, at an inner city middle school.  It was during that experience, because of the joy of seeing these new, young artists experiment successfully with a wide variety of media, that I decided to devote my time to making art rather than teaching it.

One of a Kind:  What makes you happy?

Hope:  Running in the woods, traveling, and spending time with my family...especially when on vacation!

One of a Kind:  What makes you mad?

Hope:  Injustice.

One of a Kind:  And finally, who is Mary?

Hope:  My mother is Mary. She died in 2011. She was, and still is, my most cherished creative partner.