ALLENSPARK — At The Old Gallery, visitors find an array of art by many local creatives, including ceramic artist Julie Neri.
Neri creates her hand-built ceramics in her Longmont home studio. Her work is based on texture, inspired by nature, and infused with a touch of whimsy.
She considers herself a fabricator with a background in marketing. Growing up on the seashore in Connecticut, she moved to the desert and mountains of Colorado in her 30s. In picking up the art of clay, she was drawn to structure as the challenge and texture as her paintbrush.
“I love to design pieces to fulfill a stated need that doesn't already exist. Many of my designs originate from what I have learned about marketing, from efficiency to the challenge of pushing clay past the expected limits. Sometimes I create something just because I expect it to bring someone joy,” shares Neri.
Neri is also a business manager who makes a living from “playing with clay,” stating, “Sometimes life can be as simple as that, and I suppose I am living that dream. I crave the satisfaction of creation and use clay to fulfill that need.”
She claims her work speaks to many people, those who choose to collect her trees and fill their lives with happy flowers and simple, lined vases. A large part of her work as an artist includes volunteering for management-level positions within arts organizations.
Aside from being the Sales Treasurer for the Boulder Potters' Guild for 10 years, Neri, after five years as an active member, is now also the Co-Chair of The Old Gallery Artists group. She is putting her business and marketing degrees to work by helping organize the groups she’s engaged in.
At The Old Gallery, visitors will find a selection of Neri’s ceramic trees and seasonal toppers, as well as her garden flowers, vases, earrings, small dishes, and trays.
To view Julie Neri’s art, visit The Old Gallery at 14863 Highway 7, Allenspark. You can call her at 720-362-0203 or learn more by visiting julieneripottery.com. You can find her on Facebook at facebook.com/julieneripottery.
