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

KIMBERLI, appreciate you joining us today. Can you talk to us about a project that’s meant a lot to you?

I love being a ceramic artist! My Mom was a fashion illustrator but I never had more than a high school art class until I was about 30-ish. Once I got my hands on clay, I never let go! I stay busy year round creating and fulfilling custom pottery for collectors, making a body of work for a few art shows every year and take the invitation; “A Call To Artists” very seriously. This is by far my most engaging part of being an artist and maker. There was an exhibition; REBELS! that called my name during the beginning of a global pandemic! George Floyd was killed and I was so sickened by it and lacking a way to help, I made a huge urn and spent a month covering it with thousands of people who reacted as I did (and do). As a survivor of a drunk driving car crash, I fight my chronic pain by telling stories. One show titled “Fractured Spaces” got me out of my comfort zone of keeping my chronic pain a secret for decades. I often wake up and write down a creative dream or a detailed idea for a design. With this show, I rolled out a slab of clay, made a life size kite, sliced the kite into pieces similar to large mosaics and told the story of my rich and happy childhood. When I glazed and fired it, I added a twisted vertabra tied up with kite ribbons. This piece won the Exec Director award! The meaning behind almost every piece I make is what keeps me coming back to clay. To tell a story in every shape and size of my tableware and decorative art. I feel more than grateful to have the opportunity to create and share everything to others. What a sweet life I live

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

I joined a theatre group when I was 8 years old. I wanted to be the 60’s version of Shirley Temple. That was  both my dream and goal for 40 years. I managed to book the lead in 30+ plays, moved to Los Angeles at age 21 to (struggle) as a TV actor. After 11 years, I booked 2 great roles in Orlando, Fl. I had 2 little kids in tow and decided to move back to my hometown of Tampa. Trying to remove myself from a bad marriage, I stumbled upon a pottery class in 1989. My world changed. I had been a successful hand model and never got my dainty little fingers dirty in my life. This was going to change everything. I share the ceramic stage today with that brilliant clay teacher! My initial goal of taking a 6 week clay class was to find a way out of my marriage, by focusing on creating something useful and beautiful. I have reached goals in my pottery career that I never got close to earning as an actor. I love the control I have over what I create, how many hours I work, how many art show’s I enter and which collectors I LOVE to make work for. I am most proud that I’ve done all of this with 24/7 chronic pain. After 2 car accidents, scoliosis, 2 failed back surgeries… I have found that my focus while painting eye lashes on a Tango Dancer and veins on a bumble bee, redirect my pain away from my brain. After all; I’m in pain every minute so why not make pretty pots?!

The greatest part of being a ceramic artist is agreeing to create a personalized piece for a collector. They give me photos, tell stories and I do my very best to put it all on a Vase, sangria Pitcher, tango dancer vase, large platter, babies first piggy bank…. That is where I become filled with joy. Making someone cry when they see it?
Yes, please !!!

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

By far, it is the people I have met and will meet that has changed my life. In my opinion, art lovers, collectors, artists, art clubs, gallery leaders and owners are like NO OTHER animal! We all will trip over each other while offering ourselves to help! I have been a gallery artist @Florida CraftArt Gallery in St Pete for a quarter of a century! Why? Because they love me, believe in me, support me and they know that I send every single person I meet to shop there. It’s a symbiotic relationship; “where each one of us helps the other one survive (thrive)”

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

The 2nd day after my first spinal surgeries 6 years ago, my husband rolled out a large slab of red clay, bought a true to size KITE home and I began working my mind and hands around this pain diversion by making a kite mosaic; FULL SIZE, on our outlet kitchen island. It tells the story of my 8 year old self, pain free, joyful, in love with life and friends, BARBIE, The Beatles, playing hopscotch with the neighborhood. I made the kite tail out of a true to life twisted vertebra. Title; Happy But Twisted. This piece won the Fl CraftArt Executive Directors Award in 2019
I will remain resilient!!! One day at a time

Contact Info:

• Website: WWW.KimberliPottery.com
• Instagram: Kimberli Pottery
• Facebook: KimberliPottery
• Youtube: Kimberli Pottery

Image Credits
Thank you! The gallery image includes my husband, son, daughter, myself and my son’s fiance. They all are thrilled to be included if chosen. They are my backbone in both my life and career.