Mary Halsey Claps

About Mary

Mary is a ceramic artist currently residing in Upstate New York.  As a child her imagination was inspired by her father’s passion for archeology. Her and he father spent hours searching fields for flint or pottery shards. It was always an adventure looking for ancient artifacts in the northeast and southwest. When she found a pottery shard from an ancient pot she would feel and imagine the hands that had shaped the ancient vessels. It would fill her with awe and wonder.

Her ceramic pieces reflect her diverse interests, her love of nature, history, fashion, and everything British. She is intrigued by renaissance fashion, thus her Royal Rabbit series. Her background is unconventional. Her career path was as a Registered Nurse, but she has  been a lover of the arts for as long as she can remember. Her primary focus in her early years was photography. She was fascinated with interplay of light and the natural world. Her creative passion expanded when she walked into Clayscapes Pottery Studio. From that point on a  spell was cast, and she has been enchanted ever since. She immersed herself in the creative community and developed her unique sculptural voice and style. Recently she established her home studio in the country. It is a place of serenity for her, buzzing with nature, a pond, birds and croaking frogs. 

  Mary’s pieces have found their way to the Everson Museum in Syracuse NY, and have been in various juried art shows. She derives great joy in making my pieces and hope to share that joy with others