While growing up, I spent a lot of time with my grandma and great grandma. I remember, my great grandma Margaret, glazing figurines that were slip casted. I believe that was my first exposure to ceramics. I painted a lot as a child, but wasn't very good. I was a one trick pony and all I could paint were mediocre sunsets. While working towards my associate's degree at Alvin Community College in 2008, I took a sculpture class and finished my assigned projects with time left in the semester. My instructor, Dennis LaValley, asked one of his continuing education students to help me throw a bowl. With an enormous amount of help, I experienced wheel throwing for the first time and that was that. I went on to university to major in education, taught abroad, and returned to start my career as a classroom teacher. That first experience never left me so in 2018, I decided that it was time to look into taking a class. 

 

I've now been addicted to pottery for almost a decade and clay never fails to amaze me. I became obsessed with pushing clay as far as I could and became hyper fixated on trying to throw the perfect cylinder. I was fascinated with learning how clay moves and how temperamental it can be while also being forgiving. I think I've finally found my art medium. There is no place I'd rather be than throwing at the wheel trying to continuously grow as a potter. I'm a student of Amy Lancaster and have had the privilege of helping out off and on at her studio, Oak Knoll Pottery. A few years ago, I learned that my great grandma Margaret threw pottery in her younger years. 

 

I tend to make pieces that are a mix of rustic, clean, and sometimes silly. I love recklessly carving and find inspiration in my heritage and nature, specifically trees, leaves, and water. When I traveled with my grandma to visit family, I would be reintroduced and identified to distant family members as "Jeanette, la de Geno." My grandma was named Genoveva and her nickname was Geno. "Jeanette, la de Geno" translates to "Jeanette, the one from Geno" or "Jeanette, Geno's girl". 

 

I am known as J. Tellez Ceramics la de Geno. I'm honored to continue their legacy and to be able to create functional pieces that capture my love of clay.