Extra Credit

EMMA BRINKLEY, a senior at the University of North Carolina Wilmington, recently opened A Little Twisted Pottery, a pottery shop that offers classes such as book building and glass fusion as well as special events for holidays and birthday parties.

Along with her mom and co-owner, LORI, Brinkley discovered her love for art and all things creative at a young age.

“I was born and raised in Wilmington, and I grew up doing a little bit of everything from arts and crafts to any and all sports,” she says.

After several broken bones in the competitive sports arena, Emma Brinkley decided to focus on pottery.

“Although pottery is much easier on your body, I still found pain in creating,” she says. “I was diagnosed with arthritis when I was nineteen; the physical pain that comes along with the diagnosis forces me to think about pottery in new ways. I had to try new techniques, alter how I did things and change the way I create all together.

“Pottery is the most rewarding thing I have ever experienced, and I love sharing that feeling with others,” Emma Brinkley adds.

While working towards graduation, she has found great support in her school family.

“While getting my degree at UNCW, we were required to take art classes from other mediums in order to be more diverse artists,” she says. “I am not as confident in other art forms, but I love how although it is all art, they challenge you in different ways. You have to understand the material and respect how they work before you can push the limits of them and find your own style.”

She pointed to her friends and professors at school as influences as well.

“My professor, Heather, has taught me everything – from how to finish and decorate pottery, the chemistry in clay and glaze, to the structures behind pottery,” she says. “Another one of my professors, Aaron, has taught me how to get out of my head to just let go and create, as well as the ergonomics of pottery to reduce my pain. In the classroom, I am constantly being pushed to do better.”

That drive to create and improve with every new day translates into her work at A Little Twisted Pottery, 4410 Wrightsville Avenue, and her determination to continue to offer even more to the art world.

“We have art classes in the front of the studio, (and my mom) helps with everything around the studio, from preparing clay, coming up with themes for classes, throwing the best birthday parties, loading the kiln, cleaning and staying at the studio while the kiln is on, even if it means sleeping on the floor,” Emma Brinkley says. “You name it, she’s there to help. The balance between being a full-time student and owning a brand-new business is hard, but it is so rewarding, and I wouldn’t change a thing.”

As far as classes are concerned, her goal is to continue to improve the glass fusion offerings. The bookbinding classes are also one of her favorites.

“Bookbinding is something I love to do,” Emma Brinkley says. “For one of our art classes, we had to make our own sketchbook, and I loved it! Since pottery has such a long turnaround time from the day you make it to the day you can take it home, we were trying to introduce something you can take with you the day you come in, and bookmaking is the perfect shorter craft.”

Pottery is a medium with endless possibilities, Emma Brinkley says.

“I love the temporary impermanence of clay,” she says. “Clay is a unique material. You are able to make something, change it, recreate it, and alter it indefinitely. If you make something you aren’t satisfied with, you have the ability to put it into water and create fresh clay again.

“Pottery is not permanent until it has been fired in a kiln for the first time, and you get to bring your creation to life,” she adds. “I love preserving the moment of time in which an artist decides to remove the impermanence and create a forever work of art.”

To view more of photographer Logan Burke’s work, go to LoganBurkePhoto.com

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