We were lucky to catch up with Patricia Yockey recently and have shared our conversation below.

Patricia, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. How did you learn to do what you do? Knowing what you know now, what could you have done to speed up your learning process? What skills do you think were most essential? What obstacles stood in the way of learning more?

From the time I was in Kindergarten I knew Art would be my path both professionally and personally. I drew a lot of pictures that were both recognizable and relatable. I remember drawing people walking into Church.- praying hands and all. My teacher told my Mom and Dad to encourage art training. And that’s how it began. In 9th grade, I turned a corner, A new art teacher came into my life and with it – the whole world of art opened up to me. Mrs. Rowe changed my life. She helped me figure a path forward. When I started University, I was lucky enough to get into a Ceramics class at Central Michigan University. I ended up with a teaching credential majoring in Ceramics. I started teaching high school Ceramics as soon as I graduated. Teaching it everyday helped me to hone my skills. I started my Masters Degree soon after. The skills I find most essential are an intuitive sense of design. And a willingness to fail, and start over again. An artistic resiliency. I’ve taken Ceramics classes, and other art classes around the world and have had the time of my life. If I had known that another passion would be glass art in addition to ceramics, I would have pursued glass as a medium earlier. But I didn’t know Glass was even a medium!

Patricia, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

I was born in Detroit, Michigan. My Dad was in City Government and my Mother was a teacher. I had an older brother and have a younger brother and sister. My Mom would say “I would just have gotten all the kids dressed, and Patty would be dirty again.” I’m still that way – always moving. always active in my hands and materials. And that’s the way I approach my art. It’s very organic. I let my spirit move me and colors call to me. Whether ceramics, glass, jewelry, drawing or painting, I have an original idea for a piece but I allow inspiration to guide me.

I create functional ceramics and glass including dinnerware, sculpture, totems for garden art and glass abstract hanging chains, vases and bowls. I also draw and paint – and create jewelry.

I taught Ceramics at UCSD and Mesa College for 30 years, and I am very proud that I helped introduce art and beauty into the lives of thousands of students and their families.

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

The ability to create beauty out of raw material never ceases to cause me wonder. I consider myself to be a creator of functional beauty. I want people to be able to use objects of beauty in their own lives. Being able to eat off of ceramic plates that I created – and drink from glasses and goblets I blew – brings me great joy. I want to share that joy with others.

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

The event that started my journey into advanced glass work was the death of my Mother. It was 1998, and I was a Ceramics and Glass Instructor at the UCSD Craft Center. When my Mother passed, I was devastated. The Director of the Center helped me to channel my grief into Art. He pushed me to take a two-week, very intensive Venetian Goblet Making (a fine skill) class at The Corning School of Glass in New York. It took every ounce of my emotional and intellectual energy to learn those skills. I learned to blow three-piece stemware with sculptural elements. I ended the class feeling renewed and ready to move forward.

Contact Info: 

• Email: pgyockey@gmail.com