Lakewood Ranch potter throws herself into her work

It's a ceramic bowl, for goodness sakes.

But, oh, what a special bowl.

Those visiting the Creative Arts Association annual Spring Art Show and Sale March 22 at the Lakewood Ranch Town Hall will come upon more than 50 pieces formed by Country Club's Nancy Opresnick.

As they gaze upon the smooth, symmetrical lines that make up each jar, bowl and teapot, they will have to wonder whether their purchase will sit on a shelf for display only, or will be added to their regular kitchen routine.

For the 71-year-old Opresnick, it doesn't matter, but she is quick to state, "I am a functional potter creating handcrafted pieces with porcelain and stoneware clay."

It would seem that the logical explanation for her statement is that she makes ceramics for everyday use, without major regard to aesthetics.

Nothing could be further from the truth.

Photo by Jay Heater

Opresnick is one of the Creative Arts Association's newest members, and while she might not have aspirations to be a Grayson Perry, one of the genre's most famous artists whose creations each carry fascinating storylines, her work certainly elicits admiration.

Whether or not each work belongs in a museum, one thing is certain. The exquisitely formed and glazed result is a product of intricate craftsmanship.

"I absolutely believe that throwing pots on a wheel, there is definitely an art to it," Opresnick said. "You are making a beautiful shape, and when you are talking about jars and teapots, there is more to it. You are creating a piece of art.

"But I can throw a lot of pots quickly. I want to make my work affordable so people have access to it."

That doesn't mean she is shoving out product in assembly-line style. She has taken a hammer to many pieces over the years that haven't met her expectations.

"I destroy a lot of pots," she said.

Photo by Jay Heater

She also has a strong preference for handmade ceramic items over machine-made products.

"Those are cookie cutter," she said of the machine-made products. "It is better to have imperfections ... to put a little personality into it. There is a creative process and it is not just a mold. It comes from the heart."

Her heart has been with art since she was a young girl growing up in East Hanover, New Jersey. Her mom, Grace Duva, was artistically inclined, even though she wasn't a professional artist. She would spread art supplies out on a table in their home to encourage her daughter to paint.

Nancy started taking art classes in eighth grade and learned about clay and fiber arts in high school. She said high school field trips to various art venues in New York City built her appreciation of the arts and, as a senior, she was voted the best artist in her class.

She attended Dean Junior College in Franklin, Massachusetts and earned her associate of arts degree. It appeared she was headed toward a career in the arts, and she thought of being a graphics designer.

But she decided to take some time off from school.

At 22, she had an opportunity to go to Norway so she left the U.S. with the hope of attending the Keramik Verksted ceramics studio. She had saved "a ton of money" so she could concentrate on learning and not worry about steady employment.

She became entrenched in the arts scene in Oslo, Norway, but eventually decided if she wanted to earn any real money, it was time to go back to school. She came back to the U.S. and attended the Rochester Institute of Technology, earning a degree in ceramics in 1979. The university still displays examples of her ceramics work.

But a move to Portland, Maine didn’t work out and she eventually followed her desire to pursue work in Boston. She ended up applying for a job at art supplier Charrette, actually interviewing with her future husband, Michael DeCrescenzo. She put her art career on the back burner and became a retail store manager for Charrette in Cambridge, eventually working her way to being a company vice president.

“I missed clay, but I loved business, too,” she said. “I knew I couldn’t make money as a potter.”

Photo by Jay Heater

Michael and Nancy bought a vacation home in Lakewood Ranch in 2002, being one of the first ones to buy a home in the new community of Country Club. Six years ago, at 65, she retired from the working world, moved to Lakewood Ranch full-time, and started pursuing her love of the arts again.

She took a job as a beginner and intermediate throwing teacher at ArtCenter Manatee. 

“For me to sit down on the wheel is instant gratification,” she said. “My love is clay. You can bring this form out of nothing ... a lump of clay.”

Although she is a “functional potter” she has decided to pursue a ceramic workshop in New Mexico in September with a friend, Laura Towle. Perhaps some non-functional artwork is coming soon. At 71, she said she is a much better potter than she was at a young age. 

For now, her artwork will continue to be whatever the buyer wants it to be. She looks forward to seeing how those at the Lakewood Ranch Town Hall respond to her work.

“I’m excited,” she said.