Peggy Cope
Your name and what is your medium and website?

I’m Peggy Cope, a potter and fiber artist operating as CopeAesthetic Clay & Fiber. 
I don’t have a website yet, since I’m still fairly new to selling my work and the virus 
has thrown all kinds of things out of joint.

Is your studio at home or outside, and if at home, is it a dedicated 
room or are you having to share it with other family members?

I used to take classes and create pottery four days a week at ESP Pottery
 in Stafford Springs, but last year I set up my own clay studio in the basement
 of my home, with a kiln, wheel, slab roller and boatloads of glaze and tools. 
It’s my own space, with south-facing doors onto the garden. As the weather warms
 (and my studio becomes less frigid!) I will throw open the doors, roll up my sleeves and dive back into the mud. The studio in Stafford Springs has been closed for months, and it’s been a lonely time without my fellow potters to share ideas and life with.

                                                                         Are you finding it difficult to work now? Or has this become a time of                                                                             great creativity?

                                                                           I’m finding it nearly impossible to work on pottery right  now, as my                                                                               home studio is not heated, but the fiber  side has taken off 
                                                                            since the holidays. I’ve been knitting prolifically,and since the virus                                                                              got me into sewing face masks, I have revived an old interest in                                                                                   creating my own clothes. In addition, I’m planning to take a lot of                                                                                   greenware I made at home to the studio in Stafford Springs to be                                                                                bisque fired, hoping to get that part of my creative fire restarted.                          








What is it you are working on now? Does it relate in any way to current events, or are you letting this be a time of releasing all that while the ideas flow?

I have made some face masks for myself, my husband, and his coworkers in a wine shop in Manchester. Because I have friends who are still looking for them, I have ordered some remnants of quilting cotton so I can keep going. I’m having fun with that, using pretty or entertaining fabrics and fine tuning the design to fit better. This led directly to more purchases of wonderful fabrics and patterns so I can explore an interest in Japanese and Scandinavian fashion for my own wardrobe.

Do you think this experience will permanently alter the way you create, or do you think you will go back to your way of creating art before, and if it will change you, in what way and why?

I think that sheltering in place has been a bit of a crucible for many creative people. For me, it has sent my creativity galloping off in unexpected directions, while other areas have slowed a bit. I think as we progress toward managing the virus and its impact on everyone better, my artsy endeavors will keep evolving. I’m not sure if there’s a direct correlation or not. It could just be that emotional responses are emerging and being channeled into new and different expressions, for distraction and healing.