A Visit with Terry



Terry holding one of her beautiful leaf platters!

Terry Askey-Cole is one of the fine ceramic artists at Gallery 54.  A visit to Terry in her studio really illustrates the layers of creativity and talent that are part of her life.  Terry’s  artistic endeavors began with painting the walls of her bedroom as a child.  She later studied architecture for 2 years at Kent State University in Ohio.  Terry worked as a draftswoman in a firm and as a technical illustrator while finishing her degree in graphic design and illustration. 

Today, Terry runs her own business, Askey Design and Illustration, www.askeydesign.com.   Terry designs printed material for several companies and individuals in addition to being an accomplished ceramicist and painter.  She attributes her love of ceramics to the appreciation for 3-D work that she developed through architecture.  This combined with her love of nature is reflected in all of her work.  Her first ceramics class was with Lauren Ritchie, also a Gallery 54 artist!

Terry’s leaves are one of her most popular designs.  She started making them as a way to test glazes and they have evolved to include details, spirals, and many beautiful combinations of color. She uses redbud, oak, maple, and hosta leaves as models to imprint her work, all of which she picks in her garden.  

Terry at work on a mosaic, plus a close up of a one of her finished pieces!                            

In the future Terry looks forward to further developing her mosaics and sees this as a means to translate her painting into her pottery.  She enjoys telling a story through her work.  Her mosaics can take an afternoon or many days, even months to complete.  She uses shards from broken pieces, but will also sometimes make a piece specifically to use in a mosaic.  She incorporates broken pieces from other potters as well, which add variety to her work.  She will frequently have multiple pieces going at a time.

Terry loves being part of a gallery in order to have a home and audience for her work.   Because she runs her design business full-time, she appreciates that the gallery enables her to show her work without having to do shows.  You’re invited to meet her and visit her work at Gallery 54!