Moni Blom

When I entered 6th grade, our family had just moved to Tripoli, Libya where my Dad was employed by Occidental Petroleum of Libya. It was in Libya, a small town called Garian, built from clay, that my fascination and love of clay began.  There, I watched a very thin shirtless potter "throw" a 5-foot-tall olive oil vessel and the power to drive the potter's wheel was generated by a donkey walking around in circles. I was hooked. 

When we moved back to Bakersfield, California, I studied wheel throwing with two well known ceramicists, Vic and Pat Bracke after school and that was the beginning of my formal clay study. I graduated from Mount Holyoke College (South Hadley, Mass.) with Studio Art and Education Bachelor degrees that lead to formative years of teaching ceramics and stone and wood carving at the Catalina Island School on Catalina Island, California. Post graduate ceramic classes including welding and bronze casting at San Diego State University launched me into the arena of being a full-time ceramic studio artist. 

Finding my footing in life gave way to doing a slew of other jobs while working in clay at night. Finally, I chose to do clay work on a full-time basis which I have been doing for over 42 years. I taught Intermediate and Advanced Clay Handbuilding classes at the San Diego Art Department on Ray Street for two years and at that same time I volunteered teaching clay to homeless kids ages 9-18 from the Monarch School at the Art Department. Currently I teach clay handbuilding workshops and demonstrations several times a year in San Diego. I show and sell my work at juried shows in California and Arizona.

Typically, I create all my pieces from clay slabs and fire between cones 03 to 08- so my work is considered to be low fired which explains all the very bright glazes. Adding glass, steel, and other non-clay objects adds clout to the work. The goal is to integrate opposing elements to create fun, seamless, and interesting work.  All my differing phases of work migrate from one focus to the next. So, from using the human figure to geometric forms, I seek to create movement and an emotional connection with the viewer. The resulting contemporary sculptures are playful, colorful, and joyous. 

I continue to broaden my creative scope with ongoing educational and cultural events. I have been inspired by workshop insights from Tip Toland, Ken Kensuke, and Adrian Arleo. Our local Eric Woods from San Diego’s Clay Associates is my favorite inspiration.

What has inspired my clay creations? Cirque de Soleil, illustrated fairy tales, Maxfield Parish, traveling and focused daydreaming. Creating my work involves so many different phases and with time I may see the need to correct and change my vision. The process winds up shifting along the way. I keep exploring and developing my work as I live — improving and failing. One informed phase after the other brings frustration and the fun. I am so thankful and happy that this is my path.