Potluckpots: Janelle Call Davis

Pots For Amazing People

2012-01-10T12:48:00.000-08:00

"Her Memory Lane"
This piece was made for a compassionate woman that longs for the old sunflower covered path of her youth. Despite the fact that such old country roads are becoming more and more extinct, she holds the simplicity and bliss of it in her heart. This poem frequently came to my mind as I worked the clay and I thought about this loving lady and her quiet lane in Idaho.

Robert Frost (1874–1963).

The Road Not Taken


TWO roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth;

Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim,
Because it was grassy and wanted wear;
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same,

And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
I doubted if I should ever come back.

I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.

I prefer the one less traveled by too... It does make all the difference...

"Not Afraid To Get Dirty"
This pot was made for a rad girlie that is always up for an adventure whether it is on her bike or at the top of a ski slope.

"Tree Of Life"
This pot was made for an incredible family that seeks out the good, happy, and pure things in life.

"Reflecting On The Color Purple"

2011-12-04T13:29:00.000-08:00

Books tend to creep into my imagination and fill me with beautiful imagery. Alice Walker's description of admiration has always inspired me to look for God's beauty and appreciate it, even if it resides in the color purple of a field. I love the visual image of different colored fields coming together like a patchwork quilt- Golden wheat field patches growing next to various shades of lavender fields offers such peace. Whether in acres of eye-catching bliss or small hidden revelations, I will always seek for and admire His divine creations.

Recent Pots

2011-11-19T14:16:00.000-08:00

"Flowing Through Simplicity"
"Dragonfly and Chive"
"Glazed Vineyard"

"Joyful Koi"

"Natural Life"

2011-11-10T12:17:00.000-08:00

Every morning and evening hundreds of geese fly near our home by the reservoir. I typically live on a quiet road, but for those few moments of flight, nature's voice makes me stop and listen . This piece is for a family of five (the five geese represent each person). These individuals are the kind of people who stop and listen to what nature has to say.

Beautiful Weeds

2011-10-29T13:37:00.000-07:00

"Simple Beauty"
"Beautiful Weed In Plum"

I am known for my sunflowers. They are happy and bright and remind me of one of my most favorite persons, my grandmother. I will never forget the epic argument that took place on a hillside in Bear Lake, Utah. While gardening, my grandmother began to protest that her wild sunflowers that had crept into her garden were being pulled out of the grounds by her busy-bodied husband. His retort was that, "they are weeds that would take over the yard". Her comment was simple but has forever changed the name of these plants for me. She said, "they are beautiful weeds". After that, these beautiful weeds did take over the yard as if she had given them permission to live happily and flourish.

Silhouette In the Sun

2011-09-16T21:11:00.000-07:00

I think I will always have images of Africa in my head. I think that is what happens when you step into a dream and fulfill a life desire. No longer is Africa a place I have listed as an aspiration, but it is part of my life.

Commission: "Gifting Yourself"

2011-09-16T21:04:00.000-07:00

This piece is for a woman who spends an awful lot of time giving to others. I loved it when she said, "I need to give myself something." We need to remember to do that periodically.

Commission: "Tuscan Vineyard"

2011-09-16T20:57:00.000-07:00

This piece was a commission and gift. Inspired by a Tuscan kitchen. I love the variation of each grape's shade as the light hits them individually- it makes me want to walk through a vineyard at dusk.

Affordable Art: Little Things Count

2011-09-16T20:22:00.000-07:00

"Stepping Into Africa" $20

"Summer Hum" $20

"Brightness and Branches" $40

"Beautiful Weed" $30

"Cycle" $20

"Peacock In the Gardens" $30

"Flight" $30

I love spending hours upon hours telling stories on my large and detailed pieces of art, but I recognize that not every person can afford my most extravagant work. I sincerely believe that I price my art within reason, but I also put extensive hours into my art and need to be compensated accordingly. Some of my larger works of art have taken me over 60 hours to create. These lil' pots are playful and have become relatively quick for me to produce. While each of these little clay creations are still hand-built and uniquely designed, they are affordable to all. They may be small, but they still convey my stories.

My Friend

2011-09-11T14:51:00.000-07:00

My clay sessions give me a lot of time alone. I don't typically surround myself with a lot of people, but I even have moments where I need to connect back into life. I recently acquired a creative companion. He loves to sit on my lap and watch me carve away at my clay. At some point he will be too big for my lap, but I will always enjoy his quiet friendship.

Happy Where I Am

2011-09-11T14:29:00.001-07:00

I am quite often told that I am living in the wrong place for creativity: "Live in New York" or "You would thrive in California". Cutting and pasting myself into different cities and scenarios can be playfully fun, but my reality knows where my roots are. My reality knows what a crowded city would do to my heart, my reality knows that living near loved ones who understand my joy and sorrow lifts me up, my reality knows that I need trees and mountains and lots of space. The title of this piece, "Happy Where I Am" came from a Cat Stevens song that reminds me of many beautiful places, especially my home.

"Walking Into Neverland"

2011-06-22T11:49:00.001-07:00

Now look just a little bit closer...

While I love to paint canvas, there is something to be said about clay's ability to retain texture and well defined visual boundaries. On canvas, I can spill colors together not allowing the eye to completely find a visual definition. With clay, I can offer this same blended illusion, but I can also carve deep into my imagery, creating a distinctive line. The only comparison that I can offer is when an individual is driving across the country. At some points of the journey there will only be an invisible boundary that indicates that you have ventured into a new state. Other borders between states have physical markers (a river, a canyon, a mountain...). These tangible markers tell us that we have arrived into a new part of the country.

My deep carving offers beauty to the eye, but also the hand. One of the best compliments that I ever received was from an adorable married couple. The husband had been carefully leading his blind wife by the hand as they wandered through various art booths. They walked by photography and some painted canvases, then finally made their way to my booth. He leaned into her ear and began whispering descriptions of my work. With a perplexed look on her face, she reached forward, touched one of my carved pots, and began to smile. My texture and carving had allowed her the chance to feel my art's story. With her hands still on the pot, she leaned into her husband and said, "I can see it"...

CHECK OUT MY ONLINE POTTERY SHOP

2011-06-19T12:05:00.000-07:00

CLICK ON THIS LINK TO VISIT MY ONLINE SHOP ON ETSY:
www.etsy.com/shop/potluckpots

Markets Where I Will Be Showing & Selling My Art

2011-06-12T13:42:00.000-07:00

You can find me at Salt Lake City's Saturday Farmer's Market:

July 9th
July16th
August 20th
September 10th
September 17th
From 8 AM to 1 PM at Salt Lake City's Pioneer Park (300 South & 400 West)
www.slcfarmersmarket.org
You can find me at the Park Silly Sunday Market:
July 17th
August 21st
September 11th
From 10 AM to 5 PM on Park City's Historic Main Street
www.parksillysundaymarket.com

Participating in Art Demonstrations: July 9th from 2 pm-4 pm @ the Bountiful Davis Art Center

2011-06-10T08:15:00.000-07:00

Bountiful Handcart Days Arts and Crafts exhibit will soon be here!

“Meet the Artists”. We envision this as an informal event in which the public may visit with the artists, ask questions, and gain increased appreciation for what artists do.

Following is a schedule of the Meet the Artists Events.

All events will be 2:00 - 4:00 at the Bountiful/Davis Art Center

July 2: Beth Ashdown (stone and metal creations),

Dallas Bradbury (pottery wheel demo),

Tatting demo,

Louise Shaw (Photographer)

July 9: Open House :

**Live music by Last Chance band**Treats**Children’s Activities **

Artists:

Paul Mann (illustrator)

Rachel Collins (photographer)

Bonneville Tatters (demo)

Louise Shaw (Photographer)

Janelle Call Davis (hand pottery demo)

Sherm Johansen (Wood Carving demo)

July 16:

Annie Leishman (youth photographer)

Wayne Brown (wood carving demo)

Barbara Dowdle (Painting demo)

Bonneville Tatters (demo)

July 23:

Roger Loveless (Painter/Illustrator)

Mary Ann Loveless (Polymer clay jewelry maker)

Scott Bradbury (Pottery wheel demo)

Bonneville Tatters (demo)

Dee Nielson and Gus Odekirk (Wood carving demo)

"Operation Beautiful Life"

2011-06-06T20:11:00.000-07:00

Her confident hands gave me a scrap of paper a few months ago. On this scrap of paper contained many one word descriptions like: love, reunited, eternity, peace…Her request was, “I need you to paint my story”. Several years ago, she married the love of her life. Soon after their life began together two significant events occurred: they became pregnant, and he tragically passed away. I still to this day cannot fathom the ache that must reside inside her. While tragedy brought her sorrow, time brought her an angelic infant and a perspective on continued life. Her child is older now and looking more and more like his daddy. Her heart is mending and she able each new day to laugh, independently face challenges, reflect on the past with love, and embrace all of life. This painting by no measure can capture or map out the beauty of this woman’s life. I am amazed by every part of her strong soul.

Hot and Fresh from the Kiln: "EA"

2011-05-17T14:32:00.000-07:00

"EA"
This is a view from our bedroom window. Our little eagle friend came to live with us for a couple of weeks this winter.

"EA"
Whether you believe me or not, it's Christmas morning in my heart right now. You may agree with me after watching the giant snowflakes fall from the sky today. Isn't it the middle of May? What I am about to describe is probably a common phenomenon for potters. I savor the few minutes I have as I walk to my kiln shed. In these moments, there is an anticipation for the final results and curiosity for what my creativity mixed with intense heat will formulate. I crack open my kiln lid, letting the hot air escape while I attempt to peek at the contents inside. Glaze firing is a mysterious process: You paint with liquid glass that is one particular color and then you heat it up and it changes to another hue. I am always delighted and surprised at the gifts that my kiln has to offer. I am reminded of my memories of Christmas as a child; knowing there is something wonderful waiting for me, but not knowing what. If ever given the chance, try being present at the moment a potter takes their work from a warm kiln. You may see a glimpse of their childhood Christmas in their eyes.

This pottery piece is still warm from the kiln and is entitled: "EA". Don't you hate it when artists make obscure names for their works of art? This commissioned piece is for a woman that very much intrigues me. She is a lover of words and nature. She has illuminated the minds of hundreds of children, as she is a devoted educator. She is a humorous woman who's laugh is quite contagious. She is supportive and compassionate. She is giving. She is a true liver of life. She is continuously seeking for peace in the world. She is my friend. She is the only person who will truly understand the title of this art piece...

Relics of a Hero

2011-05-05T20:03:00.000-07:00

I just finished this commissioned piece today. "Relics of a Hero" is to be an anniversary gift for a firefighter. Today as I painted this piece, I was humbled to hear radio reports of our president walking the grounds where the World Trade Center Fell on September 11th. While "Relics of a Hero" will be a celebration gift for a committed couple, this painted vessel will draw my mind to another anniversary. I appreciate the presidential request that we celebrate or morn with "unity and renewal". Upon any event in our lives, whether they be blissful or tragic, let us embrace and grow from our experiences.

Painting Up a Storm During a Storm

2011-04-17T15:08:00.000-07:00

"Bright Gerber"
"Orchids On Their Way"
"Sakura Blossoms"

I seem to remember spring being full of life and flowers. This past week there has just been rain and snow and dark skies. I am glad that when I need color in my life, I don't always have to wait on nature's fickle schedule, I can simply open up my paints...

Another Version of Ophelia

2011-04-01T10:21:00.001-07:00

"Ophelia's Final Peace" 2011

For a description and the meaning of this piece, please see the November 2010 blog archive: Ophelia Revisited.

Intermountain Catholic News Article: Sharing My Skills With My Students

2011-03-20T10:58:00.000-07:00

Friday, Mar. 18, 2011 Edition
- Parlez du Cafe
- Around the Dioces

Saint Olaf students ready artwork for school's annual auction

Friday, Mar. 18, 2011

BOUNTIFUL — As Saint Olaf Catholic School’s Annual Auction approaches, each grade is working to produce a class project which will be used as an auction item. Students enthusiastically participate to produce a unique and creative item that will achieve a high bid from the auction goers. This year, our Pre-K students are actively involved in the creation of a real work of art guided by their very talented teacher, Janelle Davis, who is an accomplished artist in the field of hand-built coil pottery. Mrs. Davis hand-fashioned a large pottery cylinder using coils of pottery clay and pinching techniques at which she is a master. Once the cylinder was completed, the students began to carefully carve their own designs into the clay. Mrs. Davis patiently instructed each child individually so that every part of the design is a creation of each little hand in the class. Once the carving and cleaning is complete, the cylinder will be fired to harden it. Each design will then be painted and decorated by the creator of that particular design. After the artistic work is completed, the cylinder will be fired once again and will result in a one-of-a kind piece of art that is sure to bring lots of large bids at the auction. Not only have our youngest students provided a remarkable project for our auction, they have learned the joy and satisfaction of learning to create something artistic and unique. Saint Olaf is very fortunate to have such a talented artist as a member of our staff who not only teaches and molds our youngest students each and every day at the beginning of their educational lives, but allows them to learn an artistic skill and to experience the gratification of creating a beautiful work of art.

Courtesy of Saint Olaf Catholic School

http://www.icatholic.org/article/saint-olaf-students-ready-artwork-for-schools-annual-108965

Commissions: Impressions of Others

2011-03-15T17:45:00.000-07:00

I am always honored when individuals love my art. I am especially honored when individuals want to share my art with their loved ones. I am always inspired when individuals tell me their love story and commission me to describe this love on clay... A dying husband wanting to impart a gift to the love of his life, his wife. A joyful friend celebrating a marriage. A daughter giving beauty back to a mother that has devoted her life to children and now grandchildren. A family holding on to childhood memories. A woman gifting her own life and battle with cancer. A couple wanting to capture the embrace of a tango. A collaboration of friends wanting to thank a neighbor for their kindness. Over the years there have been so many faces and so many stories. Each one bringing me a new perspective and creative challenge. During Lent, we are reminded that we are from the dust of the earth and from the dust we shall return. I like thinking that we make impressions before we leave this life. Impressions on the people we love, impressions on the love we convey, and sometimes even impressions on the clay of this earth.

Here are a few commission pieces that I have recently completed. Each clay vessel tells the story of a person's life and represents their love:

"Sakura Blossoms on the Tracks"

To a dad that surrounds his life with love, trains, and nature. Beauty is around you and can be seen in the distance.

"Shine"

To a brilliant family of five. Always stay connected and always shine. Happy Birthday Becky.

"Union with Daisies"

To a happy couple married at Union Station 2010. Though your wedding flowers have faded, vividly remember your bright love on that day.

"Red Rocks and Our Starry Night"
To a joyful couple that captures beauty as long as they are together. Happy Birthday Christa- March 31st 2011.

"Lemon's Grove"

May this piece remind you of those happy memories in the woods. Merry Christmas 2010.

"Tending to her Blossoms"

To a mother and grandmother that loves hummingbirds and her posterity. Each blossom is marked to remind you of those wonderful grandchildren that blossom in your care. You are loved by many.

Davis County Clipper - BDAC show full of beauty

2011-02-28T13:47:00.000-08:00

Davis County Clipper - BDAC show full of beauty

Check out this article, it gives a beautiful description of my pottery piece: "Gatsby In The Moonlight".

BDAC show full of beauty

by Jenniffer Wardell

Feb 27, 2011 | 561 views | 0 | | 4 | |

Play | Stop | << Previous | Next >>

Image 1 of 3

Lucia Heffernan’s “Lunch”

BOUNTIFUL — With all this colorful, lively, wonderful art squeezed into one place, your only wish will be that there had been a few more square feet they could have thrown open.

The Bountiful/Davis Art Center had a record number of entries at this year’s Statewide Art Competition, which assured that only the best, brightest, and most appealing made it into the companion exhibit running now through April 1 at the art center.

Every corner of the building, from the spaces behind desks to the children’s room off the north gallery, is full of lively, interesting art that will make you want to explore every inch.

Classic flower paintings have never looked better, richly delicate or bursting with color. Cliff Bergera’s collection of blossoms are like miniature slices of the rainbow, glowing with an internal light, while James Forbush’s “Blossoms” is a fragile tangle of green and coral that makes you want to run your fingers through it.

Sherrie Southwick added a gentle touch of the abstract with her “Amaryllis Waltz,” using what looks like weaving to break down the petals into individual blocks of bold, rich red in sunshine yellow.

For those with more traditional tastes there are also several lovely takes on the classic landscape, including Alana Winegar’s corridor of trees that she calls simply “Light.” Elsewhere in the exhibit, Winegar celebrates the beauty of an open, clear sky in her “Haight Creek Trail.”

Fans of three-dimensional work will have plenty to cheer about as well. Eru “Ed” Napia contributed some of his well-known pots, graceful and subtly textured, and Marv Poulson finds the waves inside chunks of stone.

Janelle Call Davis’s “Gatsby in the Moonlight” embraces the color of some of the two dimensional works, though you don’t need to know a thing about the book to imagine a thousand stories for the woman standing in the beautiful garden.

Exhibiting at Bountiful Davis Art Center

2011-02-26T12:52:00.000-08:00

Statewide Competition
One of the longest-running juried visual arts exhibitions in Utah.
February 25 – April 1
Opening reception: Friday, February 25, 7-9 pm
www.bdac.org

Address:

Bountiful/Davis Art Center
745 South Main Street
Bountiful. UT 84010

Phone: (801) 292-0367

Gatsby In the Moonlight

2010-12-13T15:28:00.000-08:00

Front
Back

Here's an era of time that I think I would have enjoyed. Too often Tim and I comment that we are old souls, meant for another time.

Ophelia Revisited

2010-11-29T13:27:00.000-08:00

I find myself playing with reality quite often, particularly when I feel anxious. I survived my school years using this technique. Rather than being surrounded by a crowd of junior high school students, I was surrounded by tall yellow grass. Rather than feeling the cold beads of anxiety on my body, I would submerse myself in the peaceful currents of a quiet lake. I spent a lot of time in this imagery, mostly because it was my coping strategy, but also because I found it beautiful. As a grown woman, I still climb into these beautiful dreams from time to time. I'm sure it sounds silly- but don't we all need a beautiful escape? John Lennon sang, "You may say I'm a dreamer, but I'm not the only one..." I'm not the only one... Shakespeare and Lord Tennyson both created amazing imagery of beautiful women surrounded by water. I relate to these dreams... I spend my days engaged with children who playfully turn reality into worlds of imaginations. I might not relate to their youthful dreams, but I relate to their desire to step away from the reality they are given. I love that children and poets so easily can share these dreams, it encourages me to keep dreaming and creating and sharing.

Playing on Canvas

2010-11-21T10:25:00.000-08:00

Living in a house with many walls has forced me to leave my clay and venture into experimenting with canvas. This first canvas is orchids surrounded by the "golden ratio". Living with a physicist has had an influence... At one point I would have called them " beautiful swirls", but now they have a name and a mathematical meaning. This second canvas is a Masai woman standing against the sun. When I was in Kenya a beautiful Masai woman came up to me and touched my ear and then smiled at me. This was a surreal moment for me... I had dreamed of walking through the grasses of Africa since I was little and once my feet stepped onto that deep red soil of the Mara, I felt as if I was dreaming. This Masai woman seemed to have sensed my lucid state and touched me as if to wake me into the reality of Africa. I continually have her image in my mind. Feeling playful with this painting, I took liberty to try some of Jackson Pollock's paint tricks.

Poppies in the Sunlight

2010-11-21T10:20:00.001-08:00

New Art Pieces

2010-11-04T15:18:00.000-07:00

Silhouette On a Branch, Blossoms in Deep Red

2010-11-04T15:15:00.000-07:00

2010-11-04T15:11:00.000-07:00

Beautiful Weeds with Rusted Leaves, Flowing Through Air, Blossoming Life

2010-11-04T15:09:00.000-07:00

Citrus Wings

2010-11-04T15:07:00.000-07:00

Segmented Growth

2010-11-04T15:05:00.000-07:00

Swirls and Klimt Robes

2010-11-04T15:03:00.000-07:00

Swimming in Twilight

Upcoming Events

2010-10-16T19:58:00.000-07:00

Currently exhibiting work at the Springville Museum of Art, Utah
October 30th to December 28th 2010

Before Christmas Boutique

The school where I teach is having a fundraiser to support both the school and a local women's group. I wanted to help out, so I will be selling my pottery at this event. Come check it out- I have been working on some unique smaller pieces that would make great gifts.

Early Bird
Holiday Boutique

Location:

McNamara Center
1793 South Orchard Dr
Bountiful UT, 84010
Saint Olaf Catholic School

Dates and Time
Friday November 5th: 9 AM - 9 PM
Saturday November 6th: 9 AM - 9 PM
Sunday November 7th: 9 AM - 5 PM

Join us at a fundraiser boutique for Saint Olaf
Catholic School and finish your Holiday shopping early! Suggested admission is $1 or a new pair of tube socks, a hat or pair of gloves to support the Saint Olaf Women’s group annual stocking stuffer for those in need.

Check out my work in these galleries:

2010-07-14T08:57:00.000-07:00

Charley Hafen Gallery
www.charleyhafen.com
14th South 9th East
Salt Lake City, Utah

Utah Artist Hands Gallery
www.utahands.com
61 West 100 South
Salt Lake City, UT

Wings In Green

2010-07-08T14:18:00.000-07:00

Koi Pond

2010-07-08T14:16:00.000-07:00

Grace

2010-07-08T14:14:00.000-07:00

Dew On An Orchid

2010-07-08T14:13:00.000-07:00

Antique Bleeding Hearts

2010-07-08T14:11:00.000-07:00

Scented Lily

2010-07-08T14:09:00.000-07:00

A Place To Create.

2010-07-06T21:36:00.000-07:00

There is nothing more tedious than having the creative flow, but no outlet to express such ideas. My artistic situation has been that literal... I have had the sketches, imagination, clay, paint, tools, brushes, glaze, but no outlet. The outlet which I reference isn't one of creativity; rather an electrical outlet to fire up my kiln. After moving, relocating my kiln, fighting insurance companies, knocking out walls, digging trenches, and pulling wire, I am glad to say that I do have an outlet to complete my artistic visions!!! Special thanks to my electrician, you have captured my creative heart. New pieces are on their way. In the mean time, all I can offer is my older work. Looking through my portfolio... I can't believe how much clay I have worked and how much progression has happened.

Jacob's Ladder

Summer

I am Loved

Tree in a Starry Night

Union

Iris and Cone Flowers

The Reincarnation of Maude

Billie Holiday's Vision

Watching Life

Valera

Cyclical Life

Flowing Dogwood

My Family

Japanese Blossoms

Highway 89-Contrasting Yellows

A Tree Full of Creative Life

Comet Fish

2008-08-07T21:27:00.000-07:00

Rejoice

2008-08-07T21:22:00.000-07:00

Iris in Yellow

2008-08-07T21:18:00.000-07:00

Between Night and Day

2008-08-07T21:15:00.000-07:00

Union Station Full Exhibition

2008-07-20T22:18:00.000-07:00

I just finished my June exhibition at the Union Station Gallery in Ogden, Utah. My art can currently be seen every Saturday at the Farmer's Market in Salt Lake City, Utah (Location: Pioneer Park 400 South 400 West). This market will run from 8 AM to 1 Pm until mid October. You may also view my work at the Charlie Hafen Gallery (Location: 1411 South 900 East Salt Lake City, Utah).

Salt Lake Tribune 2003 Article:

THE SALT LAKE TRIBUNE

Young potter gaining recognition in art world

Author(s): Kristen Moulton The Salt Lake Tribune Date: July 6, 2003 Page: B3 Section: Utah

WOODS CROSS -- Molding, carving, glazing and painting one-of-a-kind clay pots are easy for Janelle Roberta Call, a 21-year-old who is beginning to turn heads in Utah art circles. Being brave enough to market herself is another thing altogether. Call, a University of Utah student studying early-childhood education, has spent two years selling pots at arts and crafts festivals and is now showing them at Juniper Sky Fine Art Gallery near Ivins in southwest Utah. Last year, her work was on display at Union Station Gallery in Ogden. She is poised, says Juniper Sky director Ginny Northcott, to draw some serious attention from art buyers. Since Call's pots arrived in early June, Northcott has sold three and has another on order. "People will discover her," Northcott predicts. But if opportunity is knocking, Call is in no hurry to answer. She has not yet developed a taste for the business details of selling her art, and she fears what high demand would mean for her ability to give each pot its own story, its own due time. But most of all, she does not want to force it -- the art or success. "I always want this to be my passion, not something I have to do," says Call, who works as a preschool teacher in the mornings. "I don't want to burn out and not like it anymore. This is my reward at the end of the day." It is for that same reason that she is not studying art at the U., and instead preparing to become a kindergarten teacher. Call discovered her love for making pots in a ceramics class at Bountiful High. She always had been a loner, puttering away in a corner on some art project. Anxiety made it difficult for her to make friends. When her ceramics teacher, Jim Arbon, saw that she could not manage to throw pots on the wheel, he allowed her to make her pots by coiling, pinching and hand-molding them. "When someone has their own style, you don't want to change them," Arbon says. Call discovered that she could carve, paint and glaze her pots to turn each into a piece of art. At a statewide high school art competition, she was offered $1,000 for her large, colorful Picasso on Pot pot. She turned the offer down, Arbon recalls. Call's other Bountiful High art teacher, Scott Bradbury, is not surprised to see Call selling pots in art galleries. "She was head and shoulders above the others as far as her vision and making things happen that were completely different than what anyone else was doing," Bradbury says. But Bradbury is surprised that Call can summon the courage to show her work. "She was so shy and backward. It shocked me a little bit that she's putting out the confidence it takes to display her work." Call says selling her pots at festivals has done wonders for her ability to talk to strangers. In fact, she no longer takes her mother or sister along to each festival for moral support. Each of her pots is inspired by an experience, a book, a song or nature. Africa -- which she visited with her father after high school graduation -- is a big inspiration. Dragonflies, flowers and Van Gogh-like swirls and suns cover her pots. Call makes her pots at the Woods Cross home she shares with her mother. She molds a pot over several days and then lets it dry for several weeks before glazing and firing it in her basement kiln. She paints some pots with acrylic paint. They sell for $30 to $500, depending on the intricacy and size. Northcott, at Juniper Sky Gallery in the Coyote Gulch Art Village outside St. George, was struck by Call's gutsiness. "I've seen so much pottery that's beautifully done, but they don't take chances," Northcott says. Call does, crafting big, heavy pots with bold images and colors that are bright but not garish. Some people display them empty, others add flowers. "I've never seen anything like them," Northcott says. "They each have their own little story. I'm glad we found her." kmoulton@sltrib.com