Collection: Karen Barnes

Karen was born in Washington DC, but her mother had grown up on a farm in west Texas. So Karen was raised with folk skills which was present in her daily life, from food to clothing. Karen came to North Carolina expecting to be a fiber artist but married a potter. She found herself working in their studio and loving it. “My face jugs started as s teaching tool, and they rapidly grew on me….I was drawn to the expression and humor I could put into them. I also love the wood-fueled salt kiln they are fired in… all day chopping and stoking… this felt like a wonderful traditional technique. A day with 4-H kids at a Mountain State Fair inspired my critter jugs, which all start as bottles.