Bea works in ceramics and basketry, primarily. We have solicited a few words from her on her approaches to her work in clay pottery and masks, and include a few images of her basketry in the gallery below.
“My Native American/ Mexican roots have emerged in my pottery. The joy I feel as my hands create with the clay must have connections to my ancestors. I am enamored with the piece as it unfolds and I rarely know how it will look until the final moment when it emerges from the kiln, the firepit or the raku kiln. It evolves as the clay and I create together.”
CLAY TECHNIQUES Beatrice has experimented with a variety of methods to finish her pottery masks and vessels, which are all hand built, using the slab and coil method. Spontaneity is inherent in all her creations because of the way she works, the material she uses and the process she employs. For Acosta experimenting with various techniques, burnishing, terra sigillata, sagger firings, raku, horsehair and smolder firings, is an organic experience. Combining the elements of fire and earth (the clay itself) appeals to Acosta’s Native American and Mexican heritage.
The influence is obvious in the finished products. Both her masks and her vases suggest the primal and spiritual qualities of indigenous people Bea has participated in many art shows and art events on the Mendonoma Coast in California receiving many awards among them ‘BEST OF SHOW’ at Gualala Arts – ART IN THE REDWOODS 2020 for a pine needle creation.
