Julie Cloutier
Julie Cloutier
Artist
After receiving two degrees in architecture, Julie Cloutier spent over a decade working for small residential architectural firms in San Francisco. Yet, she had a tactile itch that architectural practice couldn’t quite scratch.
Disenchanted by long days at the computer, Cloutier decided to enroll in evening ceramics classes–a decision that has now completely transformed both her life and her work.
Her ceramics—the design of which is heavily influenced by her architectural background—are hailed for their cult following. We first stumbled across Coutier’s indelible art via her Mixing Palette ceramics collab with Case for Making. Her minimalist, earthy wares have become a PLOW personal necessity and a common staple found in our spaces.
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“Stoneware is an incredible material transformed by heat and I want the physicality of the process to show through every single piece of pottery I make.”
Cloutier’s ceramics are hand-thrown and high-fired in a gas kiln to embody an earthen texture with rough and raw exteriors and speckled interior glazing. She’s also a jack of many artistic trades. Her diverse portfolio ranges from, for example, letterpress prints, logo design, art books, photography, and rock portraiture.
While working with clay is a full-time endeavor, today she finds time to share her craft with others through her watercolor painting and pottery classes. Cloutier currently offers functional wares, handheld domestic sculptures, and prints for sale on her website.
We sat down with Julie and asked her ten questions about her process and what creativity means to her. Here’s what we learned.
Why is design or creativity important to you?
Design permeates every aspect of life. Good design is about intention and intentionality is crucial to my well-being. Being thoughtful with how we spend our time and money, what we make, how we eat, what we do—it’s everything.
What was your turning point as a creative person?
I’ve been creative my whole life but how that translated into being a working artist took quite some time. Signing up for my first evening ceramics class while working at an architectural office changed my life. At the time, I was just looking to make something with my hands after spending 8 hours a day on a computer. Little did I know that over time this hobby would turn into a business. It took years to get to that point, but signing up for that first class was monumental in finding my own path of self-employment and running a small creative business.
Which values most inform your work?
playfulness, simplicity, & tactility
Playfulness is a necessary value in my process and work and it’s part of who I am. Without play, there is no creativity. It’s important to not take oneself too seriously and to bring out the childness in myself. It makes everything better.
Simplicity carries through my work. That word may be overused, but it’s a major aspect of my ceramic offerings. Simple design, concise shapes, offering a small collection of pieces that last a lifetime.
Tactility is why I work with clay. My work is made by my two hands, but it’s also made to be held. I’m in love with high-fired raw stoneware and it’s too beautiful to cover up, hence the unglazed exterior of all my work. No two cups are the same with subtleties from firing showing through on each piece. Stoneware is an incredible material transformed by heat and I want the physicality of the process to show through every single piece of pottery I make.
“Rituals play an important role in both my functional and sculptural work. A cup can simply be a drinking vessel, but it can also be the time we spend with it.”
Describe a place that has had a profound impact on you.
I think about the ground a lot, metaphorically but also physically. Dirt, mud, gravel, sidewalks, stone, clay. It’s all related and it’s always on my mind. Not only the material I work with daily, but it’s what we walk on, it’s what we build on, it’s what we extract. I’m hyper-aware of the earth and all of the resources it offers.
Where do you find inspiration?
My background and education are in architecture and I’m highly influenced from my years studying buildings. I was always drawn to the buildings that weren’t architectural, if that makes sense? Spatial awareness and built structures that question how we operate and use them is what makes my brain sing.
Gordon Matta-Clark’s art of upending the meaning of what a building can be was incredibly powerful to me. Rachel Whiteread’s spatial inversions influence so much how I view and make things. As someone who is typically drawn to straight lines, the Chapel of Ronchamp by Le Corbusier blew me away and threw what I had assumed out the window. The utilities becoming the façade of The Centre Pompidou by Rogers/Piano is a beautiful thing. The drawings of Situation Normal by Lewis Tsuramaki Lewis made me rethink programming. The playfulness and work ethic of Ray Eames continues to inspire me.
How do you nurture creativity?
Allowing myself time to explore, fail and play is my medicine and I’ve only recently come to realize that creativity is my self-care. Without it, I easily get run down by the day-to-day stuff. Although working with clay may seem creative, it’s not every day.
Production and repetition can take the intuition and life out of the work out so I incorporate play days into my schedule. Painting plays a big role in letting my mind wander imaginatively. Exploring with color on paper gives me great joy and can truly zone out from the demands of life when the focus turns to composition, shape, scale, hue & amp; tone.
What does being productive look like for you?
During the early months of the pandemic I became so inefficient with my time that I didn’t know how to fix it. It somehow felt like I was always working and never working at all and I really burned out. After years of thinking about reducing my work hours, I finally made the switch to working 4 days a week. I started this in February of this year, and it’s one of the best decisions I’ve made in a long time. I’ve been fighting the urge to do this for so long, and I’m so happy I finally let go of the fear.
Anything related to clay is now accomplished in four days per week. A typical week might include 2 days on the potter’s wheel, 1 trimming day, loading a kiln, website updates and packing/shipping orders. The rest of the week is not clay related but involves painting, reading, resting, seeing art, research, exploring on paper, gardening, seeing friends,
house projects, etc. It all just seems a bit more manageable. So, to answer your question, being productive means working less, but working smart. It’s only been a couple months but I have to say so far, I’m hitting my weekly production goals with less time in the studio. This structural reset was exactly what I needed.
What are your three favorite objects and why?
What first comes to mind is our +50 year old pear tree. It’s not quite an object per se, but ever since we moved here in 2018 and discovered this old fruiting tree, I’ve been obsessed with it. I go check on it every day. Seeing and feeling the seasons through plants has been incredibly important to me and my work.
Secondly, I have an ongoing strawflower garland in the works and it’s a favorite object of mine. Over the course of several years, I pick the flowers in summer, dry them through the fall and every winter I string them together. It’s become a tradition and I love that the colors don’t fade with age.
And thirdly, my watercolor painting palette from Case for Making brings me so much happiness. Having the luscious colors on my desk makes me so delighted, even when I’m not painting
What’s your hidden superpower?
I’m really good at planning vacations! Haha! Many friends have told me I should become a travel agent. I love doing research on places, flights, itineraries and my personality lends itself to thoroughness. But don’t get me wrong, my vacations are not planned to a tee. Once I’m on vacation, I can relax and not think too much because I’ve spent so much time researching and have options laid out. It allows me to be more spontaneous while traveling instead of constantly googling what to do/what to eat/where to stay. Not being on a computer or phone while on vacation is a priority so I have everything written down in a sketchbook. I’ve shared many itineraries in my lifetime.
How are you leveraging design or creativity to create change?
My work promotes slowness, and intentionality and encourages play with pause. I hope my handmade pieces bring connection to material, ritual and the beauty of everydayness. Good design is timeless and the goal of my stoneware collections are made to last a lifetime.
Rituals play an important role in both my functional and sculptural work. A cup can simply be a drinking vessel, but it can also be the time we spend with it. My slow mornings are directly tied to my teacup. I love my water cup so much that I actually take more breaks
throughout the day to hydrate because of it. I use certain pieces for specific uses and it truly elevates what I’m doing, bringing tiny joys into my day and I hope that intention translates to its functionality in its future home.