About Our Teaching Artist:

Jeanette is someone who is almost always covered in mud—specifically soil and clay! A lifelong gardener, her journey with clay began when she took a ceramics class with her daughter. That experience sparked a passion first for wheel-throwing, and soon after, for hand-building.

Whether working at Ventura College, the Santa Paula Art Museum’s Cole Creative Center, or her home studio in Camarillo, California, Jeanette thrives in the hands-on process of making. She is fascinated by how different clay bodies behave on the wheel and delights in developing unique methods to create both artistic and functional ceramics. When she isn't in the studio, she can often be found out in nature, hunting for raw materials or studying plant life.

At the heart of Jeanette's work is the translation of energy and movement into a solid, enduring object. Her goal is to craft pieces that tell the story of their own creation—capturing fluidity, grace, and potential within a still form. She explores these concepts through the contrast of positive and negative space, playing with silhouette, color, and texture.

Connecting her twin passions, Jeanette loves creating pottery specifically for plants, currently focusing on vessels for succulents and kokedama. For her, bringing clay and soil together—and sharing her creations as living plants grow inside them—is a source of endless joy.