Melissa Getty
Melissa Getty is an artist here in Denton. She grew up in Fort Worth, TX, and was very fortunate to live in a city full of educational activities. Her parents were, and continue to be, very nurturing people. They made sure she was able to spend a lot of her free time playing outside or going to the zoo just a few blocks away. They frequented the DFW museums, and her Grandmother sparked an interest in oil painting and painting bisqued ceramics when Melissa was very young. She also enjoyed AP art in High school as well as a great oil painting course offered through TCU. Melissa loved the experience but then realized she preferred creating 3D art.
Melissa earned her Bachelor of Fine Arts in Metalsmithing & Jewelry in 2011 from the University of North Texas. She enjoyed her time at UNT so much that she returned in Fall of 2018 as a Post Baccalaureate student in the Ceramics program. She likes to say that her first love will always be metalsmithing, but her end goal is to incorporate metals into her ceramic work. She is fascinated with the plasticity of clay, and the complexity and science behind glazing and kiln use. Melissa is fortunate to have experience working with such a hard and unyielding material as metal. It helps her to appreciate how delicate clay can be, and has helped her learn how to be gentle and patient with her work. She says “I’ve had to learn how to work with this new material and re-shape myself as an artist at the same time”.
Pause and look around, beauty is everywhere. A fallen tree has the most amazing things hidden away. From the decay of something that was once mighty and beautiful, you will discover an array of fascinating microorganisms, fungi, animals, and insects. Though small, they are a necessary and integral part of nature’s design.
Everything in nature is altered over time, from the largest mountains to the smallest flowers. Melissa’s work typically emulates nature’s designs, textures, and colors. She uses ceramics, metals, and other mixed media to stop time and capture some of these moments to be shared with others. Her desire is to keep them in an unchanging state to be considered by the viewer. Melissa loves to create functional art and prefers pieces that are aesthetically pleasing as well as utilitarian. Nothing brings her more joy that to have a person choose her work and to see them put it to use.
Melissa is currently creating a small body of work to test her skills in combining ceramics into sterling silver jewelry. She hopes these trials will be successful and will help her branch out into creating a larger body of work highlighting the microscopic world as adornment. She is also currently working on hand-painted kitchenware and home décor.
“I am fascinated with the plasticity of clay, and the complexity and science behind glazing and kiln use.”
- Melissa
Cat Bowl
Large bowl
Cone 6 Porcelain
Oxidation
Spring Flowers Mug
Drinking Vessel
Cone 6 Porcelain
Oxidation
Mint & Sunset Bowl
Ramen Bowl
Cone 6 Stoneware
Oxidation
Olive Oil Decanter & Garlic Dipping Dish
Cone 6 Stoneware
Oxidation
The Turnip
Vase
Cone 10 Porcelain
Oxidation
