Sarah Day

I have always been creative, but it wasn't until I became a mother in 2014 that I realized I need to create things to feel like my best self. In the last several years I have re-committed myself to my art, making something - whether it be a quick doodle or a full-fledged art piece - every day. I am a prolific maker, creating modern joyful art from my small town Iowa home.

My functional pottery incorporates whimsical imagery, pattern, and color to amuse and delight the user. I incorporate flowing lines, candy colors, and texture elements into my ceramic service ware, encouraging exploration through use. The characters that star in my work dwell within fanciful floral landscapes, which activate the form and provide a sense of movement and place.

Only through using the piece - holding and exploring it - can the whole image or pattern be seen. When someone laughs at a character I’ve drawn, spills their drink because they were investigating the bottom of a cup, or finds joy in eating their cereal out of a bowl that smiles back at them, I know the pots are successful. 

This same imagery can be found in my illustration work. Whether in two dimensions or three, I strive to create work that sparks joy.  I enjoy whimsy and color, beauty and functionality, and above all, I want the work I make to make me, and those around me, happy. I look at the making of my work as a sort of therapy. I hope that the viewing of it brings you a bit of the same peace.