People can’t help but smile when they spot one of Kathleen Bartl’s whimsical clay “kritters”—be it a mouse with oversized ears, a dog with a large snout, or a zebra wearing a vest. And for Bartl, a smile is the greatest compliment she could receive. “I know I’ve done my job when someone tells me, ‘They just make me smile,’” she says.

Based in Lincoln, Bartl (kathleenbartlclay.com) has always been an artist. As a child, she was encouraged to draw what she saw, such as seals at the ocean or squirrels climbing in the redwoods. “My brain had the ability to see, remember, and guide my hand to draw exactly what I saw,” she recalls. So, for 45 years, Bartl created drawings that she describes as “precise, exacting, and void of color.”

However, a serious brain injury left her without the inherent connection from her eyes to her hand—and without a way to express herself artistically. After a years-long quest to find a new medium, she discovered clay—and the joy of spontaneity and imagination.  

“Building clay by hand allowed me to create my animals my own way and not nature’s way anymore,” she explains. “The medium allowed me to create instead of copy. Finally, my interpretation became very fun and colorful.”

How did you get your start as an artist?

I come from a family of artists. My brother and I never knew a home without marking pens, [art] paper, and every medium or tool waiting for us to create. Through school, science projects and [book] reports were always a reason to go all out with art as the subject, and science or history as the footnote.

I’m Cold

What do you enjoy about working with clay?

Clay can be stretched, flattened, and rounded to my heart’s content. The shape and character of each animal is unlimited because clay allows me to join, cut, and build in so many different ways. There are endless techniques in hand building with clay.

What is it about animals that captures your heart?

Animals are so innocent. They are who they are based on how they have lived. I see all animals as creatures who deserve a loving home guarded by someone who cares about them—and that someone should be me, even if they live in the forest or ocean. I see their softness, their devotion, and their feelings about everything. They have so much to say and do. My sadness is they have no words or opposable thumbs. This inability always makes me feel they need me. In turn, they fill my heart.

Elephant

Goat

Tell us about your process. How do you approach each piece?

I grab a hunk of clay and go to work. I never go into my studio with any preconceived ideas. I start by rolling a slab, pinching a roundish ball, and building a basic body shape with no height. Then I’m ready to add pieces of clay to the head shape. As their face begins to emerge, I start to see an animal evolving. With the addition of arms, legs, and facial bone shapes, I start to know who my animal is. A few days of this and a rabbit, goat, or other animal almost always evolves. I’ve never created an animal without developing a narrative along the way. I love to create eyes that show fear or joy, head tilts that display curiosity or shyness, and a body position that defines strength or vulnerability.

Giraffe Mom

You often exaggerate a particular feature. Why?

Who my animal becomes is always based on how their most important feature is shaped. As their narrative grows within me, this feature—very tall or bended ears for a rabbit, big horns on a goat, or large feet on a duck—highlights their personality. Their unusual features help tell their story. A rabbit with eyes looking down and small ears bent sideways might be sad or just shy. A goat with sweet eyes but very large horns can be a tough goat with a heart of gold. Each exaggerated feature defines my animal.

Harbor Seal

What do you hope viewers experience through your art?

All I ever want is for them to stand, look, and walk away feeling full of emotion. I’ve met my goal when a viewer leaves knowing they have seen an inanimate ceramic animal tell them something—who they are and how they feel right then—whether it’s joy, sadness, or concern. 

Zebra

Where can people see your work?

In addition to my website and Instagram (@kathleen.bartl), I show regularly at Blue Line Arts in Roseville, Sacramento Fine Arts Center, Elk Grove Fine Arts Center, Art League of Lincoln, and other Sacramento-area galleries. 

by Jennifer Maragoni
Photos by Jyo Bhamidipati ©stylereadersmedia. Artwork images courtesy of Kathleen Bartl