Paige Eaves ’26, from Bedford, New York, has been a ceramics student for four years and is currently enrolled in Honors Advanced Ceramics 3D Design Portfolio. Eaves is also co-captain of JV Girls Field Hockey and a member of JV Girls Hockey and JV Girls Lacrosse.

Eaves’s work for her AP Art Portfolio is on display in the exhibition cabinet on the ground floor outside the school store.

How did you discover ceramics?

I started ceramics during my Prep year. I was terrible at first. But I stuck with it and eventually I began to enjoy the process. Once I allowed myself to be more creative and experiment, I figured out what I was good at and what I enjoyed doing. That was when I really started to love ceramics.

What do you enjoy most about ceramics?

I love that ceramics is a creative outlet where I can express myself in so many ways. Working with my hands and being able to see the results in front of me is really rewarding and relaxing. I can go into the studio, focus on a project, and listen to an audiobook or music. It feels like a way to take a breath.

Is there a project that is especially meaningful to you?

For my AP portfolio last year, I made a series of ceramic pieces in the form of books, which was a playful nod to my name, Paige. Each book incorporated flowers and connected to my theme of childhood nostalgia and imagination. I was inspired by memories of building fairy houses as a kid and running among the trees in my aunt’s backyard, pretending it was a magical portal. Incorporating those childhood memories into my work made the project really special to me.

How has the school’s program helped you grow as an artist?

I would not be doing ceramics if I hadn’t taken the class here. My teacher, Ms. Christine Owen, has been a huge influence—whether through direct teaching, sharing artists for inspiration, or helping me talk through my ideas. Her perspective has been invaluable in helping me figure out the direction of my work.

What advice would you give to current ceramics students?

Keep going, even when you are not happy with your work. A lot of times, there are parts of a piece I don’t like, but if I keep working, it improves.

I also got much better once I started spending extra time in the studio outside of class. For me, ceramics is also a social experience. It is my friends and I in a room, working with clay and sharing stories. That makes the process even more enjoyable.