Potter’s hanging planters combine imagination and pragmatism
Photo by Rachel Pressley.
In her final semester at Florida State University, where she would get her BFA in Studio Art in 2011, Samantha Carter developed an affinity for the medium that would guide her next step. “I was getting into ceramics my last semester and thinking of what I would do and where I would go when I graduated,” she recalls. “A professor I spoke to described Asheville as kind of a ceramics/pottery Mecca.”
With a compass pointed north, she and friends went on an exploratory road trip to several Southern cities, but in Asheville, she sensed she had found her place. “I loved the landscape, the nature, the local culture, and the arts culture. It was kind of an easy decision to settle in here.”
She initially shared a small attic studio in Asheville’s River Arts District with two other artists; then, when she was able to purchase a kiln, she set up shop in a series of home studios. “One was in a shed, one in a sunroom, and now it’s in my basement where I can make a mess and no one sees it.”
Out of that mess, Carter launched a business that allowed her to become a full-time working artist and care for her young daughter. “Making a living as an artist is challenging,” she admits.
Carter notes that she loves many forms of artmaking, “but I saw ceramics as a good outlet to build a career on. … I’ve always been interested in interior design and how art objects can find their way into our living spaces. I wanted to make pieces I would want in my own home.”
Photo by Rachel Pressley.
She began crafting hand-pinched hanging planters, and set up an online store to market them. “A lot of the mediums I’m interested in, like carving, drawing, and illustrating, find their way into my pottery work. Some of the patterns and designs are doodles I’ve been doing for years, but it’s all very intuitive — I just riff on what’s in my head.”
Unbeknownst to Carter, her best friend reached out to some design blogs they followed, which resulted in national press. “The planters ended up resonating with people, and I started getting lots of orders,” she says. “It was a little overwhelming at first.” She adjusted her process to accommodate the demand. “I realized hand-pinching was not sustainable for my wrists and hands, so I created a mold, and lay slabs of clay over that. It’s easier on my hands, and they are all still hand built.”
Photo by Rachel Pressley.
She enjoys seeing how her clients use multiple planters to create indoor gardens. “I love how plants bring nature inside and brighten up indoor spaces. I do patterns that easily mix and match and complement different décor styles. Clients arrange them in very creative ways and then send me photos. It’s very inspiring.”
Samantha Carter, Half Light Honey, Arden. Carter’s work can be found online (halflighthoney.com). She sells some pieces at Horse + Hero (14 Patton Ave., Asheville, 828-505-2133) and at Chifferobe Home and Garden (132 Cherry St., Black Mountain, 828-669-2743, chifferobehomeandgarden.com).