Gertrude Graham Smith, nicknamed Gay, is a studio potter and teaching artist who singles fires her porcelain ware in a soda kiln near Penland, NC.

Potter Gay Smith stands behind two turquoise vases, hugging them with her hands and smiling.
Artist and potter Gertrude Graham Smith peers inside a flaming hot kiln with sunglasses on, her side facing the camera.

About

A stack of four handmade porcelain bowls made by potter Gay Smith are stacked four high next to one that sits to their side.

Shop

A pink, white and black chalice shaped hand made porcelain bowl against a gradient background.

Portfolio

Artist Gay Smith holds up a freshly made porcelain clay teapot. Behind her are a group of her smiling students in a ceramic studio.

Events

Follow @gertrudegrahamsmith on Instagram

Heroes and SHeroes Continued! Pam Brewer @pambrewercreates and her dog Simka (on her right) have been looking after my mischievous dog Roo (on her left) for more than a month! It was and still is too hazardous for Roo to stay here with me. This is tr
Another SHeroe! Big thanks to my friend, Heather Dawes, for slogging through and cleaning up yet more MUD out of the kiln room! This happened a while ago! So much to do everyday that IG gets away from me. Thank you, Heather! #toeriverartist
My heroes and sheroes continued! Frank Vickery, @frankvickerypottery Sarah, and Joey Sheehan @joeymakespots came from afar: Highlands and Walnut, with all the equipment, skill, and enthusiasm needed to clear the mud out of my studio! We moved everyth
More heroes and sheroes! Big-time help from: Marianne Cicala, @cicala_marianne and Jim Cooper, @cricketsforge and Colleen Connolly @flattoadfarm and Frank Connolly, and Andrea Connolly @noveltea4649 These amazing folks came on a miserably damp, cold
My heroes and sheroes! These folks came from afar, intrepidly traipsed across my damaged bridge and crossed the ravine via a couple of planks to help! They chainsawed, cleared debris, freed still standing trees from enormous tangles, and cheerfully m
My heroes and sheroes! My amazing neighbors who cut me a path across my debris laden bridge, fed me, fed my dog, gave me a small generator, filled it with gas, checked on me every day to make sure I was OK. What a blessing! Such deep gratitude! We ar
Very limited internet. But here’s an after of my kiln room floor. Will tag of these wonderful people as many as I can in next posts. Thank you to 9 wonderful friends who helped me tremendously and boosted my spirits by doing yucky mud slinging
The site where the propane tank used to be. Plus a pic of my crooked bridge. So, no soda firing my pots until bridge and driveway are repaired/replaced. Luckily!!! Through creekbank restoration folks, I contacted a lovely young man, a bridge builder,