Molly Heizer

Sculpture

About the Artist

Molly Heizer was fascinated with clay as a young girl. By nine years old she was the proud owner of a potter's wheel. After graduating from the University of Utah, Molly moved to Aspen, Colorado. While working in Group Sales and as a ski patroller for the Aspen Skiing Corporation, Molly continued to play with clay and began to teach ceramics at Colorado Mountain College, Anderson Ranch, and in Switzerland.

Molly has explored the high desert country of the Southwest, researching the ancient civilizations who lived there, their rock art, and that of their descendants the Pueblo Indians. Her love of nature and animals helps her to understand many of the Indian's beliefs.

She creates animals decorated with Southwestern designs, and her own interpretation of Kachinas, which she makes into Totem Poles, that can be from three to ten feet tall. Each figure on the Totem tells a story, and Molly includes hand written stories for each figure on the Totem.

Her studio is located in her home, a geodesic dome, nestled in the aspen trees at 10,000' on the back side of Aspen Mountain Ski Area. There she hand builds the sculptures using earthenware clay, incorporating slab and hand coiled construction. Decoration is carved into the clay, as well as hand painted with colored slips called terrasigulata, underglazes, and glaze. Then Molly fires each piece to 2100 degrees in her studio kiln with a cooling process that takes 20 hours.

"The fun comes not only in creating the one-of-a-kind sculptures, but also in learning about the animals and Kachinas. I hope my pieces put a smile on your face like they do mine". - Molly

Molly Heizer was born in Illinois and was fortunate to have a grandmother who was an artist. Under her influence, Heizer began working with clay while she was still a young girl. She continued to develop her skills in this medium, took classes all through college as well, and still takes summer workshops every year.

Each of Molly's pieces is shaped by hand from low fire terra cotta clay, using both slab and coil methods in their structure. She adds colored slips, called terra sigulata, that she makes herself. The pieces are fired twice at temperatures that may reach 2,100 degrees, and the cooling process takes 20 hours.