Roses May Become Your Favorite Flower:
Mary Rose creates wonderfully quirky pottery pieces, often adorned with, what else, Roses! Painted roses, gold roses, three dimensional roses.
If a sense of whimsy, a love of vivid colors and a bit of quirkiness appeals to you, Mary Rose Young Pottery absolutely fits the bill.
Mary Rose Young's Background:
Although Young studied ceramics at art college, she came by her creativity naturally as both her mom and grandmother loved crafts and were artistic. Mary Rose said they were both a strong influence on her creative side in the growing up years. Her first love was sculptural pottery and after leaving school started doing more work on the pottery wheel.
Bristol to Barney's in New York:
Young started selling her ceramic pieces in 1985 in Bristol, with her early designs including the roses and the frantic chicken. But it was her showing at the Chelsea Crafts Fair that was the turning point in her artistic life. She sold all her art, but also received orders from America and Europe.
The first pieces sold in the US were to Barney's in 1987. She was told that her life would soon be taken over when the orders started flooding in and "they" were right.
No One Can Call Her Art Serious:
Mary Rose Young says her market is stronger in the United States than it is in England. At home in the UK, she feels many think art has to be solemn and serious to have any value. But that's not always the case in the United States where exuberance is more appreciated, customers and collectors enjoy the humor and whimsey.
No can call her art serious.
Although she is known for her signature three-dimensional roses, her works also include lots of hearts, jewels, and crown motifs on brightly colored candlesticks, mugs, plates, vases and teapots.
Visit Her Gallery:
Mary Rose Young's studio and gallery at Oak House in the Forest of Dean region of England and is open from Monday - Friday to the public. Perhaps you'll be lucky enough to meet up with this fun artist who lives with, and wears, the amazing colors of her art everyday.
Shop and Collect:
Mary Rose Young's ceramic art can be purchased at select stores in the US and online via the web site.
Store Signing Event:
I recently had a chance to meet the artist at her first-ever store event at On a Whim in Oklahoma City. The activities included the typical "meet the artist", but what I loved was the work day that was scheduled. Mary Rose brought a large selection of bisque mugs, a rainbow of glazes and brushes.
Customers were invited to design and paint a mug in a their choice of colors, with a little help from Mary Rose as she buzzed around to each and every person.
While sitting and painting (no, I won't be selling my wares anytime soon), it was interesting to listen to the enthusiastic chatter of many long-time collectors about what they had and how long they've been collecting. Some had collected entire dinnerware sets, setting their tables with Young's designs, many were buying gifts for others and others trying to decide what vase would be the next perfect purchase.
Yes, they were definitely passionate collectors.
