Amapola Gallery

Playing in the mud has been a passionate pursuit for Sandy Lipka since childhood. She is masterful at extracting from the mud wonderful ceramic creations and fabulous fauna. Born in Indiana, raised in Michigan and educated at the Cincinnati Conservatory of Music, Sandy has made her home in New Mexico. She turned to pottery as a creative outlet during the many years she performed as a violist in the New Mexico Symphony Orchestra. Following several years of Adjunct Professor of Fine Arts at William Penn College in Iowa, she has returned to New Mexico devoting full time to her art. Combining the love of throwing pots and growing herbs, Sandy has produced an original line of stoneware entitled "from my garden." The clay constructions are impressed with herbs and flowers which, after firing, leave a fossil-like casting on the surface. Glazes highlight the impressions and provide a variety of colors. This technique is applied to an array of decorative and functional items. The glazes are lead-free and the ware is able to withstand both microwave and automatic dishwasher. In addition to her passion for pottery, Sandy also loves to garden, invent new recipes, walk her Wire-haired Fox Terrier, and newest member of the family a Lahso Apso, spoil her two granddaughters (and her husband, Ron).