Bonnie Claxton (Chickasaw) holds a Juris Doctorate from William Mitchell College of Law and a Bachelor of Arts in English from University of Georgia. For the past four years, she has been studying pottery. Using traditional techniques (hand building with pinch pots, slabs, and coils) and contemporary techniques (wheel throwing), Claxton fires in electric kilns, gas kilns, and with pit-firing. Initially inspired by her son’s interest in pottery, Claxton finds the medium freeing–giving her permission to be an artist with few restrictions. She also found that pottery was something both peaceful and grounding that she and her son could do together. Claxton continued to learn new techniques and skills through classes at Southwestern Community College’s Heritage Arts Center, and from master ceramicist, Tara McCoy. McCoy taught her traditional Cherokee techniques, how to process clay, and how to pit-fire her work.
Additionally, Claxton has also learned how to make functional glazed ware. She credits Tara, her classmates, and the incredible community of Cherokee potters with continuing to inspire and inform her work. The natural world, Chickasaw culture, and the people she loves shine through in her pottery—blending the playful nature of clay work with a genuine passion the process demands. Claxton currently resides in the Sylva Community.
