“I came to clay as a college freshman, intent on studying graphic design and was won over by the prospect of combining illustration with three-dimensional objects. My pots employ mythic animal imagery, crisp design and riotous color to bring playfulness, character and storytelling to daily kitchen ritual and special occasions.”

Sue Tirrell was born and raised in Red Lodge, Montana; a small ranching and tourist community on the doorstep of Yellowstone National Park. She received an AA from Cottey College in Nevada, MO in 1995 and a BFA from the New York State College of Ceramics at Alfred University in 1997.  Her functional and sculptural work draws inspiration from her life-long experiences in Montana and the West, her fascination with animals and interest in folk art, vintage kitsch, western art and culture.  Her work has been exhibited widely in the United States, as well as Canada and Australia.  She has been a resident artist at the Archie Bray Foundation in Helena, MT; California State University, Chico; and the Custer County Art & Heritage Center in Miles City, MT.  She has logged hundreds of hours teaching ceramics and multi-media workshops across the US and Canada in community art centers, college classrooms, retirement homes and one-room schoolhouses.  Sue makes her home and studio on the banks of the Yellowstone River in Montana’s Paradise Valley.