My name is Gabel and I’m a potter and ceramic artist based in Philmont, New York. My journey with clay started a few years ago when I took a ceramics class in college and quickly fell in love with the medium and the ability to create unique patterns and textures on three dimensional forms. As I finished my degree in Community Development and Planning from Clark University, I began an internship in the ceramics department at the Worcester Center for Crafts and with more resources and inspirations, my own practice took off. Later that year in fall of 2023, I moved to central Massachusetts to apprentice with the wonderful Christy Knox, and over many months learned more deeply about the many complex processes of clay. In the beginning, my main inspiration for creation was making mugs, and while this personal tradition has certainly carried on and developed, I’ve also become quite drawn to playing with other forms, sometimes functional, sometimes less so.
During my apprenticeship, I had the privilege of taking part in a wood-firing with Sam Taylor of Dogbar Pottery, and this intimate method of firing stole my heart. This October, I began an Artist Residency at Free Columbia, an arts and education organization in Columbia County where I continue to grow my ceramic practice, nurture my creative impulse, and explore the artistic visions and projects that emerge.