Meet Liz Cohen

Today we’d like to introduce you to Liz Cohen.

Hi Liz, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
I’ve been artistically inclined as long as I can remember. In middle school and high school I got a decent amount of experience in 2D art and design. When I got to college at Georgia State University I knew I wanted to do something in the arts, so I chose an art history degreenwith the idea that I would maybe be a museum curator one day. HA! Not only is that field extremely competitive, I soon realized that I enjoyed making art way more than learning about it. Don’t get me wrong, I still love learning all the art things, but creating it is what gives me the most joy. I ended up switching my major to a Studio Art degree, which was kind of a weird degree that had no specific area of focus. I don’t think it’s even available at GSU anymore, which is probably a good thing since it doesn’t make much sense. Anyway, I decided to take hand building 1 as my first 3D art course. I loved it so much I decided to take a wheel throwing class the next semester. That’s when I really got hooked. I felt like it came so naturally to me, and from there on out I took as many ceramics courses as my degree would allow, and I immersed myself in learning as much as I could about the incredible material that is… dirt.

By the time, I graduated I knew I wanted to work with clay in some capacity as a career. Maye I could make a living selling my work! I didn’t really know what any of that would look like at the time. My significant other and I were really just waiting for me to finish school so we could get out of Georgia. So, after graduating we moved to Denver, CO. We had visited a few years before and really loved the climate, the culture, and the small (compared to Atlanta) city aspect. From there we were really just trying to figure out what we were doing with our lives. I set up little studios in whatever place we were renting at the time. I worked a lot of random jobs so I could afford to live and save money to maybe have my own legit studio one day. Fortunately in between those random jobs I was able to work some part-time jobs in my field. I was a studio tech and pottery teacher at a couple of rec centers in the area. I helped start a little clay program for adults and kids at a senior/rec center in Thornton, CO. Once my partner and I were finally able to afford a home of our own, that’s when my dream got a little more realistic for me. We had enough space on the property to build a studio.

So, after about a year and a half into owning the home, saving like a crazy person, and planning out every little detail, we built a 10’x20′ Tuff Shed in the back part of our property, which we jokingly call The Compound because of the multiple separate structures on it. We finished out the inside of the shed ourselves, and I finally felt like I could move forward and give this whole ceramic career dream a go. The studio provided me space where I could hone in on my own design aesthetic and find my “artistic voice”. Prior to having that studio I felt like I was all over the place with my work, trying so many different techniques, shapes, glazes and designs. Once I had a space that I knew I could grow a business in, I became clearer to me what I wanted to make. I started producing a more cohesive line of pots, I upped my social media game, and worked late into the nights making work that I was selling on my website and as wholesale to various retail shops. I was floored with how well my work was being received, and I eventually felt confident enough to take the leap and quit my day job! I am now only two months in to working for myself. I still have a ton to learn and am playing catch-up from all that I had going on before I quit my other job, but I’m confident that I will find my way and settle into a routine that I can live with. That is, until I’m ready for the next phase of growth!

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Absolutely not. Can anyone say their road is smooth? This question brings up a lot for me. I should start by saying a majority of my struggles are self-inflicted as a result of my brain chemistry or something. I think a lot of people deal with negativity, self-doubt, depression, people pleasing, perfectionism, self-sabotage, procrastination. It seems silly to say those things are struggles when it’s probably baseline for a lot of people, but they are valid struggles nonetheless, and they are things I am still working through daily. More tangible struggles include my body itself. I have pretty bad scoliosis that I was diagnosed with when I was about 13 or 14. It progressively got worse, and since health insurance in this country is garbage I neglected doing anything about it for years. The pain got worse and more constant so I finally got checked out, only to find out I needed to have a 12 vertebrae spinal fusion. So, I did that at age 27. I’m 30 now and still dealing with recovery from that. When you work a physical job like mine, or any job really, that becomes a limiting factor and source of constant frustration and struggle. Another hard time was on Dec. 26, 2019. My partner had a freak, unexplainable heart attack at age 32. It’s amazing he lived through it, but that hit both of us pretty hard and will always be something that affects the way we live our lives.

As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
The style of my work is inspired by retro and mid-century modern designs and color schemes, but that is just a jumping off point for me. I combine that with my love for geometry, contrasting shapes, colors, and a crisp, clean line to create pieces that are modern, colorful, vibrant, and hopefully a little cheerful. Much of what I currently make is functional pottery for the home using stoneware clay and glazes. Lately I’ve been making a lot of mugs and planters just because of the demand for those right now, but I also enjoy making other items you’d use in the home as well as functional and non-functional wall pieces. I’m most proud of my ever-evolving style. There are so many possibilities to explore within this style, and I’ve only just gotten started pushing it a little further. In the world of functional ceramics I feel as though it’s hard to stand out completely, especially with social media. You end up seeing a lot of similar work because we are all inspired by each other. There are so many people that enjoy making and selling pottery even if it’s just for a hobby. Even so, my work is truly unique because it is made and designed by me. What sets it apart is what my mind and eyes bring to the pieces. I’m the one making the decisions. I decide which colors look good together, how thick the rim of a planter should be, how big or small the shapes in my designs are, how my handles are attached to my mug bodies. Those are all my decisions and every decision I make on a piece that I intend to sell is intentional. That combined with the amount of attention I give to the details while maintaining a hand-made quality is what I think sets me apart and makes my work stand out.

Alright so before we go can you talk to us a bit about how people can work with you, collaborate with you or support you?
Sharing/tagging on social media is a great, free way to support me if you’re unable to purchase my work. If anyone wants to collaborate I am always open to discussion. I love building community and working with other artists and small businesses, as it inspires and invigorates me! Send me an email!

Contact Info:

• Email: lizcohenceramics@gmail.com
• Website: www.lizcohenceramics.com
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/lizcohenceramics
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lizcohenceramics

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