Wiesenmeyer, Hilda

Artist Statement
I have always made things with my hands as long as I can remember. Being an only child and growing up on a farm, I was always given something to do with my hands to keep me busy. I worked with plaster, paint, weaving, needlework and other crafts.
While finishing my degree as a returning adult, I began to explore the tactile properties of clay. I learned about hand-building and throwing. There is something special about wheel throwing. Right before your eyes is this formless lump of clay plopped down on a wheel head. With the turning of the wheel and the maneuvering of your steady hands in just the right way, you can change that shapeless mass into an elegant form. It’s like magic every time I make a vessel and I never get tired of watching this transformation take place.
I love texture and decorative design. It is also important to me to have the rich, natural colors of the clay to be my background “canvas” for my colorful design work. The goal for my work is to have designs that are visually pleasing and enjoyable to the touch.
My designs are influenced by my experiences and surroundings, especially in nature. I have various styles of work which include: Basket Pottery, Blackberry, Organic Botanics, and Ever-so-Green series. Since my move to Oregon in May of 2009, my work has changed with the tremendous variety of Oregon’s landscapes.

About Artist Hilda Wiesenmeyer
Hilda Wiesenmeyer has been creating her own special style of decorative pottery for about 20 years. She lived in Illinois all of her life and graduated from Millikin University with a BFA, majoring in ceramics. Clay is a part of who she is. She has her own style, one of which is called “Basket Pottery” which incorporates pottery and various colors of dyed reed that are woven through the top to give a part basket appearance. In May of 2009, she loaded up her Honda Element with her pottery and drove to Oregon where she now resides. She brings a mid-western influence but quickly admits that Oregon has made a big impact on her work. Her studio is located in her home. You can see Hilda’s pottery at various art fairs and galleries in Oregon.