Earthgirl’s whimsy: appropriate for any season

By FRITZ MAYER

CALLICOON CENTER, NY — Cookie jars in the shapes of fantastical cats, wildly smiling snow people or overfed chickens. Cups and glasses adorned with three-dimensional flowers and ladybugs. Colorful teapots that look as if they’ve jumped out from the pages of a children’s book. Potter Jill Wiener is known for the whimsical items that she produces at her studio in Callicoon Center. She notes, however, that while they’re whimsical, they’re also functional: the cups, teapots and cookie jars are all meant to be used.

Asked if her style of work is more in demand in the holiday season, she said people who respond to her work do so at any time of the year, and the season doesn’t really change that. She does make certain items that are targeted toward the holidays, such as ornaments. But as for work in general, the creative process goes on year-round and is informed more by her life experiences than the approach of the holidays.

Wiener, who has been a presence in the Upper Delaware Valley for about 10 years, grew up in Great Neck on Long Island, a place that is almost synonymous with suburbia and all that implies. Wiener said, “I didn’t understand it at all. For instance, I didn’t understand why the style of clothes I wore was so important.” That attitude led to the study of psychology at Ithaca University, and later a life in pottery.

Before moving upstate, Wiener lived in New York City and learned to make pots at a little place called Mud, Sweat and Tears on Tenth Avenue in Manhattan, which was owned by a former boyfriend. She also taught classes there.

In 1997, Wiener decided she’d had enough of city life, and she and her boyfriend bought a house in Callicoon Center. Two years later, they broke up. She stayed in the country alone but never thought about moving back to the city. Asked if, at the time, she was fearful that she’d bitten off more than she could chew, she said, “No, I knew that I was doing alright. Although people who knew me, like friends and relatives, were concerned; they’d show up just to see if I was doing all right, but I didn’t have any doubts.”

Still, the life of an artist isn’t always the easiest path to walk, especially if you’re living in a rural area, such as Sullivan County. Asked if she has any advice for young people who may be considering a similar career, Wiener said, laughing, “You should have a big bank account.” She followed that with the advice that comes from many people who’ve decided to follow their dreams, “As long as you do what you love, you’ll land on your feet,” she said.

While most of her work comes from her own imagination, she also does custom work, which involves a kind of collaboration with the client. She said she enjoys that process because it often leads her to discover a new way to work with her materials.

Wiener’s life also includes a deep involvement in the community. She recently helped arrange a two-day event designed to promote the work of local artists and artisans called “Handmade for the Holidays,” and she is an active board member of the Sullivan County Visitors Association.

Wiener’s pear, featured on the cover of the Celebrations section, will be on display as part of the silent auction at Narrowsburg Roasters on Main Street in Narrowsburg, NY, with the other artworks appearing in the weeks before the end of the year.

Wiener will donate all proceeds from the sale of her piece to Catskill Mountainkeeper, a non-profit organization dedicated to preserving and protecting the environment of the Catskill region.

For more information on Wiener go to http://www.earthgirlpottery.com.