Vasilia Wees

The constant learning challenge drew me to pottery for sculpture. Chemistry for glazes, clay bodies for specified uses and experimentation with forms are an ever-evolving knowledge base.

Sculpture class always found its way into my schedule and my design presentations when I went to school. After I married and spent time with my father-in-law, Bentley LeBaron in his studio, a new love developed for clay. Bentley asked me if I’d like to apprentice. I immediately moved into his spare loft right next to the studio with my 4-year-old to study for 7 months. There was a window above the pottery wheel with a perfect view of the loft so I could get up at 5am to work and watch for when my little one woke up. 

My work consists of stylized human forms and animals of the pacific northwest as well as elegant lined functional ware with attention to the finished details down to the carefully trimmed base. They are stoneware and smoke fired pieces, many are show pieces for outdoors.

I went to an arts High School in NYC where my focus was music. My best friend was in the art department and I followed what she was learning and went to the MET, the Isamu Noguchi museum and others galleries then continued studying about art through college. Travel became a passion of mine, when I went to the Cotswolds I visited Barbara Hepworths studio. Through Europe I’d seek out pieces by Henry Moore, August Rodin, Vassily Kandinsky and in Italy ooh the Borghese, Uffizi, and Rodin sculpture galleries were hard to tear myself away from.

But my most awesome influence is my mentor Bentley LeBaron who I still work with weekly. Bentley and I take time to really dissect the pieces I make. I enjoy the critique part of the process so much. I love it when creations don’t go as planned, this often leads to a new development. I love surprises!

There is so much to make, I don’t think there is enough time to create it all!