Meet Diahn Ott | Artist & Potter

We had the good fortune of connecting with Diahn Ott and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Diahn, what do you think makes you most happy? Why?
I think it is difficult to define exactly what makes me happy. There’s not one thing or situation that creates happiness, instead, it’s a state of being and a mindset that allows me to find happiness regardless of the circumstances. I am as happy walking alone on a mountain trail as in a crowded room full of people I love. I’m happy being in the home I share with my partner and in a tent in the woods. When I realized that my happiness wasn’t dependent upon another person or on the purchase of some fancy new must-have item, it freed me to find happiness in the smallest of things – the wag of my dog’s tail, the sunlight glinting off the surface of a river, the feel of my hands shaping something from clay. Those simple things that surround me every day are the sparks of joy that lead me to a state of happiness.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
While I make functional pottery, I paint each pot as if it were a canvas so that it becomes a unique piece of art. Right now, I’m experimenting with organic floral paintings, contrasted with geometric repeating patterns on one pot, typically with bright reds and gold florals on a white background butted up to a field of blue that has geometric patterns that bring to mind a damask-type fabric.

I started as a two-dimensional artist – painting using acrylic, watercolor, and gouache. After my father passed, I lost all interest in painting – I had a very difficult time getting through the grief and back to my creative practice. A friend urged me to take a pottery class with her, just to get out of my house and start to live again. I was completely mesmerized after my first lesson and never looked back. At first, I concentrated on building my skill set and didn’t put much effort into the glazing stage but somewhere along the way, I picked up a paintbrush again and started making each pot my canvas. Through the years, my style has become more decorative and painterly and the process has led me back to two-dimensional surfaces again.

I learned that sometimes the best way out of a dark place is to completely change the direction you think you’re supposed to be heading. It reminds me of when I decided to become an artist in the first place. I was in a Ph.D. program in geology and was just going through the motions of writing my dissertation – I had lost the drive I’d once had and couldn’t find the way through. I pivoted completely – dropping out of school and focusing on learning new skills. Everyone has pivot points and I think we should learn to trust our inner voices when they tell us it’s time for a change.

Becoming a potter has changed me in so many ways – it led me back to a place of joyful creating and introduced me to so many wonderful makers in my community. I’m constantly grateful and I hope that shows in the work I make.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
The first thing I would tell my friend would be to come on the first Friday of the month to get started. Downtown Knoxville comes alive for the First Friday Art Walk. We’d grab a beer at Knox Brew Hub and head to as many galleries as we could fit in on Gay Street and in The Old City. Then we could grab a burger at Smash City to wrap up the evening.

We would definitely have to take in a OneKnoxville soccer match – one of the most fun activities in Knoxville. I’d take them to Ijams to explore some of the Urban Wilderness areas and then pop into Mood Ring Vintage in south Knoxville.

If we were feeling fancy, we’d have to go for dinner at JCHoldway in downtown Knoxville or to Elkmont Station in Farragut.

And, of course, we’d spend a couple of days on the trails in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I would not be able to do what I do without the support, love, and encouragement of my husband, Ronald.

Website: diahnottstudio.com

Instagram: instagram.com/diahn

Facebook: facebook.com/diahnottstudio

Image Credits
Headshot by Joshua Ott All other photographs by Diahn Ott