When I first met Laurie Pollpeter Eskenazi (pictured on the left), at the Atlanta Market, her work mesmerized me. It was funky, fun and one-of-a-kind. Her highest selling item is her Hearts collection. This is ironic because Laurie did not like her Heart pieces from the beginning, and never really wanted to do them. After years of customers begging, she caved and made one for a dear friend stating, “don’t tell anyone.” However as fate would have it, her friend had a visitor see the heart and immediately recognized it as Laurie’s work. The word was out, and Laurie started creating the Hearts again, and they have been her biggest seller ever since. What truly makes this a heart collection is not just the look of the pieces, but where the wood that is used to build them comes from. Laurie’s grandfather plucks and saves the twigs from the Mississippi River near Davenport, Iowa, giving each piece a little piece of love. In Iowa, the only places you will find Laurie’s works of art are Des Moines, Decorah, and Edgewood. I hope you fall in love with Laurie’s work, and find it just as funky and fun as I do. – Rhonda Kendrick
Laurie Pollpeter Eskenazi has worked with clay for over 25 years. As a little girl, she was fascinated with the items found on and in her Grandmother’s dresser. It was filled with old button boxes, crazy quilts, and hand tatted lace. Laurie is a graduate of the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. Her pottery is inspired by the traditional needle crafts made by women in the 19th and early 20th century. Using a combination of wheel throwing, coil, and slab techniques she transforms vintage designs into contemporary stoneware. The work is somewhat spontaneous. She strives for a non-manicured organic look, by layering impressions taken from vintage lace, buttons, and hand made stamps. Influenced by the colors and textures found in her travels throughout France, Italy, Spain and the rural Midwest, her pallet is lush and vibrant. Laurie Pollpeter Eskenazi is perhaps most notably collected for her mastery of glaze patterning and critical attention to detail. Her work possesses a feminine, playful touch that speaks to contemporary sensibilities with bits of nostalgia woven into each piece.
Laurie’s pieces come in a variety of colors and we would be happy to order a special color or piece just for you!