ON OCT. 18 and 19, Bell Buckle welcomed thousands of visitors to the annual Webb School Art & Craft Show. The salty-sweet aroma of kettle corn, funnel cakes dusted with powdered sugar, and sizzling fruit pies dripping with opaque glaze delighted our senses. Food trucks boasted menus from around the globe, and hundreds of vendor booths overflowed with carefully curated items. Live music captivated us.
For nearly 50 years, The Webb School has used this event to celebrate handcrafted items and those who make them. One hundred artisans sold their one-of-a-kind creations on the Sawney lot, and like she has been for the last 16 years, Anna Whitworth, who “collaborates with Mother Nature” through From Earth to Art, was among them. Her Navajo-inspired creations have earned her recognition for Best Booth, the Award of Excellence, and Best of Show.
Whitworth hand forms each of her pieces from clay, adding something unexpected — horse hair. Because of the uniqueness of her craft and the origin of the technique, she sells her items in three different markets: the art world, Native American powwows, and at equine shows
“I’ve been around horses almost all of my life, and I was born an artist, so incorporating the two seemed like the seamless and perfect combination. I loved the idea of merging both of my passions. I put each piece into a primitive fire. This gives them a third dimension of coloring because of the way the heat and wood interact and contribute to their aesthetics.”
She is a huge fan of textures. Her pottery also includes turquoise, leather braids, and feathers. “The technique itself is very visually busy, so when I embellish a piece I have to be careful that it isn’t too much for the eye to take in.”
Always refining her skills, Whitworth experiments with snakeskin and other types of animal hair and enjoys forming custom pieces.
“For the last 27 years, I have been creating memorial pieces of art honoring horses that have passed. Setting up at equine shows and expos has helped me build a strong clientele memorializing horses that were special to those who loved them,” Whitworth said. GN
Instagram @ fromearthtoartpottery
Website: Fromearthtoart.org
Facebook: From Earth to Art Chapel Hill
