For 24 years, celebrated local artist Karen Eberhardt has been crafting ceramic creations and bringing brilliant, artistic—and quite functional—triumphs to the homes of neighbors and customers worldwide. But it almost didn’t happen, she admits.
“Ceramics came to me in a roundabout way,” Eberhardt says.
After majoring in Fine Arts at University of Southern Indiana, Eberhardt found herself deciding instead to focus on family, which included the full-time needs of raising four children. It would be years before a friend talked her into attending a two-day ceramics workshop.
“I told her that college ceramics classes hadn’t been very appealing to me, but I relented and took the class,” she says.
The rest is history and, today, Eberhardt is a veteran of numerous prestigious shows, many of which require a judge panel’s approval to even participate.
Eberhardt attributes her success to the fact that her work is set apart by an ability to include something special in every piece created.
“I don’t consider them complete until I put a little extra something into them: extra carvings, painting, sculpting and feet on every piece,” she divulges.
It’s a creative step that many other potters don’t take the time to implement.
“I think some people are surprised when I explain how I make some of my hand-built pieces,” she says. “When developing a new shape or form, I just start cutting out random clay shapes and build and put them together without any form or template.”
Eberhardt grew up in southwestern Indiana; it was while living in Kentucky, however, that her interest in ceramics was kindled. She even taught a few beginner’s clay classes while developing and rediscovering her own creative voice.
“The classes were fun,” she says. “You always learn something new from your students.”
Then, in 2016, Karen and her family moved to their current home right here in Liberty Township.
“The neighborhood was perfect. We were able to enjoy early morning walks, and we have great neighbors,” she says.
There was also a great school system, allowing her son to graduate high school and obtain disability services necessary for him to thrive.
When she’s not busy crafting fresh ceramics from her home studio, Eberhardt and her family enjoy attending the Lakota YMCA, exploring Pyramid Hill sculpture park and taking walks in their neighborhood.
“We also use the Midpointe Library system all of the time,” she says.
Eberhardt’s story of rediscovering an overlooked passion is one that might resonate with others—and she’s eager to offer advice for anyone inspired by her own success.
“If you want to create something, find a little corner and dedicate it to your art,” she says. “You can revisit a piece that you created before, then critique it. There are so many ways now to learn a new technique, process and materials that I didn’t have in college. Acquiring new skills can be accomplished with a touch of a button on your computer.”
For Eberhardt, perseverance is most important.
“We learn from all of our mistakes,” she says. “Sometimes when we create something and aren’t happy with it, we (can be) our own worst critic. Put it away for a while. Sometimes it can be discouraging,” she adds, “but don’t stop making and creating, especially if you really enjoy the process.”
Find Karen Eberhardt’s nature-inspired ceramics at many local art and craft shows. In May, her work will appear at the Clay Alliance Spring Pottery Fair in East Walnut Hills. Learn more about upcoming shows and exhibits at her website. KarensCeramics.com