Lisa throws and hand builds her pottery and often integrates both methods to create her functional pottery, sculpture and clay wall art. She emphasizes the malleable qualities of clay by stretching, altering and texturing her work while it is still wet. She welcomes and encourages the happy accidents that take place in the making and in the firing process. Lisa’s grandfather, Nick Guarnaschelli, was an artist and a tailor. Lisa often uses scraps of fabric saved from her grandfather’s shop to imprint texture and designs onto her work in clay. She also uses various found objects including rocks, shells, vintage jewelry and more to add to her clay wall pieces. This connection to her past is a major source of inspiration for Lisa. Texture and form as a means of communicating a point of view is critical to her work in clay. Currently her work explores and emphasizes the contrast between raw, earthy, stretched and textured slabs of clay and smooth and polished wheel thrown and altered glazed forms. Her work is made from white stoneware clay and is fired to at least 2300 degrees Fahrenheit. To highlight spontaneity in her work, she often experiments with various types of firing including wood, soda, salt, pit and electric firing. Her functional work is microwave and dishwasher safe and the fact that people can use and enjoy her work in their everyday lives is very important to her.