Bambi Freeman

After receiving a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Interior Design at Fort Hays State University I followed my passion and pursued a career in Ceramics and art in general.I was born in Great Bend, Kansas and raised in the country outside the small town of Ellinwood, Kansas.  Growing up, I had a very playful and fun filled childhood. Living in the country with few neighbors forces a child to tap into their imagination and make the most of their surroundings. I was often caught up in whimsical fairy tale type play in simple mundane Kansas prairie surroundings.
I have since moved back to this area of Kansas and own the property right next to where I grew up. This sparked a sense of nostalgia that allowed me to again tap into that creative side of my childhood. The theme of my ceramic work often revolves around using the ideas from my own personal sketchbook. I enjoy finding something that speaks to me and then quickly sketching it in pencil through rough, gestural simple sketch lines. I then use these sketches that I feel captured my feeling at the moment as the subject matter for the surface treatment on various hand built or wheel thrown forms. I can bring color to my work using Speedball Underglazes whereas the sketchbook is simply pencil. Each line is created by me, vibrant and eye catching, bringing out the playful side of humanity reminiscent of my childhood coloring book days. I loved that feeling of honest expression without a care in the world. That, in essence, is what I am attempting to capture and convey in my work.