Carol Bell

Carol Bell decided to try her own hand at pottery after watching actress Demi Moore throw a pot on the wheel in the movie, “Ghost.” The scene completely fascinated her, as the song, “Unchained Melody,” plays in the background.

“When I saw her hands slowly breathe life into the clay, centering, then pulling and stretching the clay into a beautiful pot, I thought to myself, ‘I’m going to try that someday,’” Carol says.

A few months after leaving a corporate job, she took a pottery class and she’s been breathing life into her own clay since 1997.

Her mugs, dishes, vases and pots are decorative in style, but she focuses on making them functional, largely due to her childhood.

“We used our things and we enjoyed them, they were part of our daily lives and memories,” she says. “I enjoy creating work that people want to own and use and which enhances their daily lives.”

Her designs are her own. Carol looks for tools in hardware stores, flea markets and antique stores that will add unique designs and patterns to her work. She uses a variety of slips, glazes and resists to breathe life into the clay during the final glaze firing. Customers describe her work as pottery art with “a rustic elegance.”

“I infuse elements of nature into my work where possible to delight the senses, creating functional, utilitarian work that is well crafted and designed to sustain everyday use,” Carol says. “Food-bearing ware is light when empty with strong rims and handles that feel good to the hand while in use.”

As an Indiana Artisan, “I am deeply honored to have my work selected as part of such an exclusive and prestigious group of work from craftsmen all over Indiana,” she says.