Today we’d like to introduce you to Caitlin Allen.
Hi Caitlin, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
I am an educator, painter, and ceramic artist. I work from my studio in Maplewood, where I live with my husband, Joel. My early love for drawing and painting earned me a BFA in Illustration from the Rhode Island School of Design. After graduating, I worked as a freelance illustrator before I decided to pursue my passion for education. I taught Visual Art at Principia Upper School for eight years. I earned an MA in Art Education from Boston University during that time. I attended summer ceramics workshops to build my skills and learn new techniques to introduce in my classes. Learning from world-class teaching artists at Anderson Ranch in Colorado and Haystack Mountain School of Crafts in Maine was eye-opening. Through working to grow as a teacher, I became more committed to finding my voice as a ceramic artist. I discovered how much I love the versatility of clay and the opportunities to incorporate color and imagery into my work. I also pour a lot of creative energy into our garden, and I hope my love for nature shines through in my artwork.
We all face challenges, but would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
I left my full-time teaching position in 2021 to focus on my creative practice. Finding the confidence to go full-time with my artwork wasn’t easy. I am learning so much about what it takes to be a creative professional and am still adjusting to a very different rhythm of work and life.
Thanks for sharing that. Can you tell us more about your work next?
All of my ceramics are hand built from white earthenware clay that I color with mason stains. Working with stained clay and slips allows me to utilize my painterly sensibility in a 3D medium. After applying slips with multi-layered stencils cut from original drawings onto flat slabs, I construct the “printed” clay into mugs, pitchers, vases, and more. I love the vibrant color and bold graphic quality I can achieve through this process. I’m delighted to have my work available at several locally owned shops in St. Louis. Even as I grow as a ceramic artist, I continue to draw and paint in watercolor and oil. I’ve commissioned work ranging from family portraits to custom wedding invitations and landscapes in oil. For the past year, I’ve taught various media workshops at the Studio at Bowood Farms in the Central West End. It is a beautiful setting for students to nurture their creative spirit.
Can you tell us more about what you were like growing up?
I’ve always been a reflective and imaginative person. I was fortunate to grow up in a family that encouraged and celebrated my love of art. My grandmother was an artist and would paint and draw with me from an early age. Even though finances were tight, my parents found a way to send me to art classes and camps outside of school. My family lived in Topanga Canyon, California, before relocating to St. Louis when I was in middle school. My childhood memories are filled with hikes and adventures in the canyon, trips to the beach, and quiet afternoons reading books and drawing. Our next-door neighbor was a children’s book author and illustrator with a great sense of humor and creative presence, so the idea of becoming an artist when I grew up always seemed like a wonderful possibility.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.caitlinallenstudio.com
- Instagram: @caitlinallenstudio
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/CaitlinAllenStudio/
Image Credits
Photos taken by Caitlin Allen
