View Jil Franke's gallery

Jil Franke

Jil’s handbuilt stoneware pieces evoke the familiar forms of her childhood. “I grew up on a farm in Minnesota and am influenced by oil cans, funnels, grain bins, farm implements and objects found in this rural environment,” says the artist. Her wood-firing process is akin to farmwork. “ I like chopping wood, wadding the pots, bricking up the door and stoking the fire.” Although Jil applies slip decoration in definite patterns and designs using wax resist, she looks forward to the impact of the kiln. “Wood firing can be full of surprises. I enjoy unpredictability and the unexpected when firing my work in a wood fired kiln.”

The St. Paul potter has been teaching art at Breck School in Minneapolis since 1984. Her work is shown in galleries across the country and has been included in exhibitions in Taipei, Taiwan and New South Wales. Australia. She is a regular guest artist at Linda Christianson’s studio during the annual St. Croix Valley Pottery Tour.