Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Donna Lemongello. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Donna, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. We’d love to hear about a project that you’ve worked on that’s meant a lot to you.

The COVID Memorial in Davis CA. Commemorates locally and globally how we all lost so much. It consists of 4 portals and a reflecting wall that combine murals, tile and mosaic. Each portal represents a different phase of COVID, from 1) the shock and isolation in the initial phase, to 2) how we pulled together in our communities and had so much support from essential workers, to 3) The grief and loss we experienced, and finally to 4) Recovery and hope.

Donna, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

I have been working in clay since 1978, a true passion from day one. I can not imagine my life without having found it. I did not come from an art background, and I have never made anything close to a living on my ceramic art, I am terrible at marketing. I did make my living at what I did initially and throughout my career, Microbiology, in which I have my B.S., and in related disciplines in scientific research. But I will tell you, once I touched the stuff (clay), I never let go, and arranged my life around it really. I also love to teach. I have always made pottery and I have specialized in tile since the mid 90’s. I make almost exclusively functional work. A clay surface is a “canvas” that I consider, begs to be embellished. I provide a combination of function and compelling aesthetic surfaces in my work (I once called myself a texture junkie in an interview). The natural world is my inspiration, but nature will always be the best artist (in my opinion). My aesthetic is a focal point, my work is simple, and free of many images at once.

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?

Creating more beauty in the world.

Are there any books, videos or other content that you feel have meaningfully impacted your thinking?

Books on the Asian (Chinese, Japanese and Korean) aesthetic, method and brushwork. I would say I have also been highly influenced by the works of Bernard Leach, Peter Voulkos, and Daniel Rhodes.

Contact Info:

• Website: http://lemongelloceramics.weebly.com
• Facebook: Donna Lemongello

Image Credits

Donna Lemongello