Brittany Hart Schwartzwald | Ceramics — subtle-arts

“Pottery is essentially a breathing mediation.”

We love the makers. Artists who make beautiful things for people to hold and treasure. There really isn’t anything better than drinking out of a handmade ceramic coffee mug and Brittany Hart Schwartzwald, ATL-based potter, shares the most beautiful “mugshots.” We love the simplicity of her usable designs and the cozy way she photographs her pieces with flowers, bread and family - the stuff of life, really.

Please enjoy learning more about Brittany and her work!

Hello, I am an Atlanta native, making pottery in a basement hallway in my home. I live in Candler Park in Atlanta with my husband, two kids, a pug, a rescue mutt and we used to have one Sunfish that was pulled out of Lake Allatoona. When I am not making pottery, I am researching forgotten passwords, cooking dinner, deciding who to vote for, camping and arranging flowers. The best place to find my work is on my instagram @B_Hart_Art.

S-A: What type of art do you create?

BHS: Pottery. I throw with function in mind. I want to make something both simple and ergonomic. The more the pieces suit their function, the more someone will reach for it and use it and love it. I want people to reach for my pottery like their favorite pair of blue jeans - they like the way it feels (in their hand) and they like the way it makes them feel (in their heart). If you hold a machine-made mug in your hand, and then you hold a handmade mug in your hand, you can feel the difference. I think that's the energy transfer - a little human connectivity. I think a little spirit of the maker is transferred through each piece.

S-A: How did you come to this as a practice? How did you come to this as a profession?

BHS: I always loved pottery. I was a lawyer. Then a stay at home mom. And worked a series of part-time jobs. A few years ago it occurred to me instead of working for someone else, I should give my art a chance.

S-A: What is unique about your style? What would you love people to say about your art?

BHS: I think my pieces feel peaceful and comfortable and simple but well made. Again, like a pair of your favorite blue jeans.

S-A: Can you describe some of the meditative aspects of your pottery practice?

BHS: My whole practice is an unconscious work towards a flow state. Pottery is essentially a breathing mediation. It is really breath to movement. Throw the clay down - breathe, center the clay - hold breath, re-wet my hands - breathe, pull up the walls - hold breath, etc. When I am working, I am in flow, like that nice peaceful space where my hands are working and I can recognize my thoughts but I am not actively thinking. I usually work in small batches because it helps me drop into that space. If I am really looking for Zen, I'm likely to throw tiny dishes because each can be made in a breath or two. If I have more energy, I can love the challenge and all encompassing state of throwing a large bowl.

S-A: What other techniques or media have you practiced / do you enjoy?

BHS: Pottery is my number 1. Photography is my number 2. I took a few classes in college, and I love composing a shot, but I never liked dragging around a heavy camera, so my iPhone/Instagram have brought me back to photography. Sewing/knitting/macramé were all fun. I also bake a lot of bread. I like things with texture - gross motor over fine motor skills kind of crafts. I’ve done a little wood working, but I find it too noisy.

S-A: What would you like to try, but haven’t?

BHS: Oooh. Good question. I haven’t done resin work yet.

S-A: What do you wish you’d known sooner?

BHS: That you can make real money selling your work and that that would be deeply satisfying.

S-A: What is a negative core belief (lie) that you told yourself along the way in your artistic career? How did you break that lie?

BHS: I told myself that selling my work would mean I was working for others, not myself. It’s just not true. I broke that lie when I started making so much stuff that I had to sell it to make more room.

S-A: What understanding do you wish you could share with the world?

BHS: I see myself as a happiness maximizer. I value my time. Throwing pottery is my favorite, so I try to maximize that and minimize computer work (see me only having Instagram, not a website).

S-A: How do you self heal?

BHS: Spending time getting into flow - that’s throwing pottery, or working out, listening to a meditation before bed. My mind whirls, so I find the activities that I’m drawn to help relax me. Also, when I think of something, I do it - I can’t stand feeling guilty.

S-A: When do you feel most authentically yourself?

BHS: Pretty much all the time. Both my Sun and my moon are in Leo. Ever since I was little, I’ve always liked art, social justice and overalls.

S-A: Who are the poets and artists that inspire you?

BHS: There are lots and lots of artists I respect. My favorite are my artistic friends, Jenn Diaz and Joel Silverman. Inspiration comes from anywhere and everywhere, but mostly nature and the way I feel when I’m in nature.

S-A: What is a personal mantra of yours? When do you bring it to mind?

BHS: Good enough. I’m not a perfectionist, I don’t need that stress. Good enough applies to: art, cleaning, parenting, bathing, you name it.

S-A: Can you describe the “season of life” you currently find yourself in?

BHS: I’m in the middle of my book. I’m forty. I’ve been with my husband for over twenty years, I have two kids aged 12 and 10. I love my life. It’s full of family and love and travel. I still can’t believe that I make art for a living. I started only a few months before the pandemic. I’m thrilled this season of art is lasting.

S-A: Who has helped you along the way?

BHS: Everyone. My husband. My parents. My kids. My friends. My neighbors. I have spent my whole life putting roots down and making relationships and I feel so thankful to everyone.

S-A: How do you most like to connect with others?

BHS: I like talking to people. Like I get out of my car, I’m never waiting in the carpool line. And likewise, I don’t have a website - you want to buy something, we’ve got to talk. To me, it makes it more fun and personal.

SPEED ROUND

What are you listening to right now? I love my down south classics featuring Master P and Outkast. Also love Taylor Swift, Lizzo, Beyoncé, Dolly Parton and Garth Brooks.

What are you reading? The Liars Dictionary

What are some of your favorite songs? Time after Time (cover), I’m on Fire by Bruce Springsteen, Lover by Taylor Swift, Lemonade by Beyoncé.

Do you have a favorite piece of art? The faceted mirror by Anish Kapoor at The High Museum in Atlanta

What is your favorite way to connect with nature? Hike, camp, paddleboard, night swim in any lake, float down a river. Just went real rock climbing, loved it.

Where do you feel most alive? On a lake.

What is your favorite smell? My kids sleeping.

What are your favorite self-care rituals? I wake up and work out pretty much every morning.

Do you have a mentor or guru? My high school art teacher Andy Cunningham.

Scroll through some B Hart Art Eye Candy below…