At Joerling Studio in Bakersville, Nick and Lisa Joerling have come together to showcase their unique styles and personalities. The two met at an auction at Penland School of Craft. They both worked in clay and, after a courtship through the mail, they brought their lives and work together.
Combined, Nick and Lisa have 70 years’ experience working in clay, but they approach the material in very different ways. Nick throws and alters functional, high-fired pottery. He has taught workshops nationally and internationally and feels lucky to wake up each morning excited to get into the studio after a decades-long career at the wheel. Lisa has worked in both clay and metals for 30 years. Laughter and whimsy inspire and guide her work, and every day in the studio comes with endless fascination. Lisa makes whimsical animals and anthropomorphic sculptures in earthenware. She works toward and for laughter as the audience response. Lisa is at her best, she says, when she finds her muse amusing.
Visitors to Joerling Studio can see first-hand the couple’s distinctive styles and approaches. Nick is upstairs, Lisa downstairs. Nick’s work tends toward functional, with an array of plates, mugs, and vessels. Lisa’s work tends toward decorative, a collection of whimsical sculptures and ornaments. When the two work together, their voices merge to create new and unique collaborations.
Hours: Daily 12-5 pm, or by appointment.
