Emma Stergoulis Design
- May 23, 2012
- 2 min read

Out of the Chicken Coop – Lisa Neimeth

Lisa Neimeth – source http://www.lneimeth.com

In a converted chicken coop in the heart of San Francisco, Lisa Neimeth, together with her desire to create a useable piece of artwork, creates beautiful one of a kind hand made table ware.

The above bowl is a green cereal bowl… but I have to say that I think this is a little too special to put my cornflakes in!!

A Little Background……..

After a career change from social work and urban planning, and a couple of children along the way, Lisa followed her passion for clay, studying ceramics in college, as well as studying with Native American Potters. Lisa also uses her knowledge through her community development roots to absorb influences from a wide variety of her home land cultures and neighbourhoods.

“Everything inspires me. I am constantly taking note of colors in nature, food, in magazines, newspapers, fashion, street art and graffiti and love seeing colors put together unexpectedly. Traveling has been a big influence on my work as it heightens your observation skills and offers opportunities to experience things in a new way. I have traveled extensively to Mexico, Central and South America-infusing my vision with the collecting of folk art, perusing ancient indigenous sites and wonderful age old traditions of pottery.”

You just have to have a look at Lisa’s blog to see that these influences and shapes come through from everything and anywhere.

“I get to travel a little bit each day to new neighborhoods with new people, sights, smells and images. I bank these images which often wind up on a plate. I have always been a collector- flea markets, the beach, the woods, the street , second hand shops, the desert–basically I am always on alert to pick up an object anywhere. The vintage objects I use a lot include broken off pieces from old tourist toys that one may have purchased early in the 20th century in Mexico- an old plaster bird or just an arm from a doll. I love to use old figurines-known as Charlottes who were used as good luck charms baked into cakes-whoever got the slice had a year of good luck! I also use a lot of found natural objects-textured branches, pods, berries, bones..I’ll press anything into a piece of clay and see how it looks!”

Anthropologie

Lisa now has a new rang at Anthropologie which are available online. Anthropologie, in an effort to show case more American artists into their constantly changing array of offerings, commissioned Lisa to do several different tableware pieces for select stores. With each of the nearly 600 pieces being made by hand Lisa classed herself as a “one woman plate making machine!!” This means that although the designs are the same their unique handmade status means there are truly no two pieces that are a like, they are truly one of a kind.