This month, we are featuring artist Noelle VanHendrick who, along with her husband, Eric, is the creator of ZPOTS.
How would you describe your work?
Our work at ZPOTS is about reflecting the world we see, feel and live in. It’s also about projecting the world as we wish it to be. The work captures us simply being present…here.
Which other artists inspire you?
Before I share the artists who inspire me, I’d like to share that I am inspired by my children, my husband and the folks that work with me here at ZPOTS. We kid around about having our own private podcast called “Wheel Talk.” We are constantly churning our thoughts and feelings of the world we live in while we make the pottery. Sometimes the conversations go very deep, sometimes they are funny, sometimes very sad, sometimes profane! It reminds me of when I was studying in China and we were visiting a monastery. There, I saw a group of monks who, in rhythmic fashion, posed questions and answers to each other in a very prayerful and playful way. The monks would clap after they were finished asking their question or giving an answer. It was musical. Pottery, too, has a rhythm – especially when you make thousands of similar things, it gets very rhythmic on a soul level. So, as the wheels are turning, the marks are being made, the pots dunking in buckets of slip and glaze, the paintbrushes swooshing – it’s music…and our talks remind me of those of the monks.
As a painter, impressionism brings me to my knees; I clench my heart when I feel the marks, and my mind is released within the movement of color.
As a potter, Hamada.
As a singer, Stevie Nicks.
As a dancer, West African dance.
As a poet, Rumi.
Where else do you find inspiration?
Inside myself. I describe it as a river that is constantly flowing. An idea is like a fish that jumps out of the river. Sometimes I am present enough to catch many; sometimes I am so busy that they are fleeting, and I just can’t get a moment to reel them in. I aspire to expand my time to receive the inspiration and follow through with the work to make them all a reality.
What is the greatest compliment you’ve received about your work?
We get folks telling us how ZPOTS have changed and saved their lives which is both amazing and awesome to hear! We feel so lucky that so many have returned to share their stories of healing and how our pottery was like medicine for them. What we do is hard work, and knowing how helpful our creations are gives us energy to keep going.
What are you working on now that you are excited about?
I do have a new spring bubbling with some alternate channels of work. I’d like to develop something for the masses by taking a deep dive into my paintings and poetry. There is a band (Steep Way) that I sing in and that is just pure fun for me. I’d also like to find more time to dance!
What is some advice you would give a new artist starting out?
I would tell any creatives who seek to make a living off of their art to seek opportunities to learn about marketing and business strategies to support their venture. Hiring a photographer early on to establish a library of images of your work is also something I’d recommend.
You can learn more about Noelle and ZPOTS by visiting her at ZPOTS.com,
NoelleVanhendrick.com or Vnoelle.com. Stop by Juelerye at 112 S. Main Street in Mooresville to explore creations by ZPOTS Studio in person.
