Born and raised in Gatlinburg, Tennessee, Ticia Valentine has a background richly steeped in Appalachian history. Her childhood was spent helping her grandfather in the garden and hiking with her family in the mountains.  Her great-grandmother’s childhood log cabin is one of the original cabins preserved in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.  The leftover treasures in the mountains such as the cabins, farming implements and everyday objects that speak of a time long ago are perhaps what kindled Ticia’s interest in pottery.  “Pottery is an art that is often all that remains to tell the story of  past generations and entire civilizations.”

A graduate of the University of Tennessee with a B.S. in Art Education, Ticia began her study of clay in college and continued in various art classes at Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts in Gatlinburg, Tennessee and Pocosin Arts of Columbia North, Carolina.  After being hired to teach art in Dare County, North Carolina, Ticia set up her own studio and has been making pottery for the past 2 decades.

Also a painter, collage artist, cycling enthusiast and yoga instructor, Ticia’s pottery is as eclectic as her range of interests.  Her work is influenced by texture and line. These two elements are what create a common thread throughout her body of work. She draws inspiration from simple imagery and symbolic expression.  A piece of pottery by Ticia is fun and whimsical yet sturdy enough for everyday use.