ABOUT MARIANNE TOLOSA
Hello! I’m Marianne. I’m so glad you stopped by.
I am a potter living and working in Northern Virginia.
I live with my husband, two very snuggly cats, and our big, goofy mastiff, who is my best studio companion.
She doesn’t climb on my pots like the cats do.
My Inspiration
My work begins in the garden, where God’s beautiful creation inspires me to dream in color, texture, pattern, and form.
Virginia and Japan have been my two homes in life, but setting aside time for regular travel with my husband is an absolute must for me. The places I visit all inform my ceramics, but none quite as deeply as France. The texture, pattern, gardens, and color of old world Paris, Giverny, and Versailles are all echoed in the whimsical florals and intricate details found in my work. Something I'm drawn to and spurred on by is the over-the-top texture and whimsy that surrounded me there combined with the atmosphere of simplicity and joy that fill the air. Trips abroad give me the mental clarity and freedom to push forward with the same lavish detail and opulence that you might find at Versailles.
I desire to create pieces that you'll find both useful and beautiful. I aspire to mimic my Creator, and take my aesthetic cues from places I've visited as I attempt to mingle beauty with grace and simplicity. The more places I see, the more my work grows, as I absorb the world around me, turn it over it in my soul, and put it back out as my own creative expression.
MY PROCESS
Each piece of pottery I create is lovingly crafted by hand, one at a time.
A part of what I love about ceramics is connecting with the clay in its raw state, as it molds around my fingers and then takes on a personality of its own.
Once my environment has triggered ideas and inspiration, the life of each piece begins on my wedging table, as I measure out various colorants, weigh lumps of clay, and then stain my porcelain. Next in the process is the potter's wheel, where each mug is thrown into a unique shape. Finally, as the vessels begin to dry on my work table, I wedge more clay to pull into handles before they are attached to my mugs.
Finally, each piece is bisque fired, and then high-fired to 2200*F.
As a last step, many of my pieces are accented with 22k gold luster or pearl luster and then fired a third time.