Hello
Rebecca J. O’Brien is a multidisciplinary artist and the creator of RJ Arts Pottery & Lessons, where she produces handcrafted ceramics and provides personalized art instruction. Drawing on her background in design and education, she brings clarity, intention, and care to every piece she makes and every student she mentors.
My Story
From her earliest memories, clay has been both a material and a companion for RJ O’Brien. She still treasures the small hand-formed pieces she created with her mother, a ceramics teacher at the Girls Club of Worcester. These first experiences sparked a fascination with clay’s tactility and expressive potential—one that has shaped her life and career.
O’Brien’s formal study of clay deepened at the University of Wisconsin–Platteville, where she audited a wheel-throwing course and discovered a profound connection to the medium. After earning a bachelor’s degree in psychology, she moved to Philadelphia to volunteer with Mercy Corps, balancing social service work with evenings spent exploring clay in local studios. Her dedication to ceramics led her to a Master of Arts in Education with a concentration in ceramics at Arcadia University. During this time, she apprenticed with two professional Philadelphia potters and served as a graduate assistant under esteemed ceramic artist Paula Winokur, refining her craft and deepening her understanding of clay as both material and metaphor.
O’Brien’s teaching journey spans two continents, with student-teaching placements at Waldron Mercy Academy in Pennsylvania and Notre Dame Academy in London, England. After completing her degree, she returned to Massachusetts to teach elementary art while developing her own sculptural voice. In 2005, following the birth of her second child, she founded RJ Arts, inspired by her own initials and those of her grandmother. What began as a personal studio has grown into a multifaceted creative space for pottery, instruction, workshops, commissions, and community events.
Beyond her studio, O’Brien brings her artistic sensibility into healthcare environments through L’Attitude Art Environments, managing art installations, collaborating with artists, and curating supportive visual experiences. Her professional experience spans art instruction, consulting, curriculum development, and design—reflecting her lifelong commitment to creativity and education.
Her residency at the Watershed Center for the Ceramic Arts in Maine further expanded her practice, allowing her to explore wood and salt firing alongside international ceramic artists.
Today, O’Brien’s work focuses on sculptural ceramics that echo botanical forms, topographic lines, and the quiet rhythms of the natural world. Her carved and glazed surfaces reveal clay’s memory, movement, and transformative potential. Through teaching, creating, and curating, she continues to cultivate spaces where creativity feels both grounded and expansive—places where clay becomes a bridge between hand, material, and human connection.