The exploration of decorated surfaces is a unifying element in my work over the years. My fascination with fabric, which goes back as far as I can remember, has provided me continual inspiration for the placement of pattern and color combinations on clay. I create ornate surface decoration by layering and revealing colored and textured surfaces, primarily using underglazes. Dividing the overall form into multiple decoration approaches adds to a sense of movement and creates an illusion of depth. I often create a vine decoration using sgraffito that weaves under and over a design, in order to connect and dissect space. I hand-paint wax resist patterns on clay in as many as five layers in order to play with ideas of camouflage, reveal, veil, display, drape, and the like.
Adero Willard is a studio potter in Western Massachusetts and professor of ceramics at Holyoke Community College. Adero received a Bachelors in Fine Art at Alfred University in 1995 and Masters of Fine Arts at Nova Scotia College of Art and Design in 2006. She completed a Salad Days residency from 2007- 2008 at Watershed Center for Ceramic Arts. She has shown in a number of galleries nationally, and her work is featured in a number of publications and books on ceramics. Adero’s interest in surface decoration is lifelong, and is fueled by a passion for textile design, painting, and collage.