Gwinnett Daily Post

SUWANEE -- For this potter from Suwanee, it's been a publicity-filled summer.

Mark Knott, a 14-year resident of the city, is featured in the July issue of Southern Living magazine, and is on the cover of the magazine Ceramics Monthly's summer issue.

"Southern Living targets a market that most studio artists don't have access to," Knott said. "People look at Southern Living and take it seriously. It's pretty humbling."

Since his work was published in the magazines, Knott has seen an uptick in business and phone calls about his pottery.

In Ceramics Monthly, he was spotlighted in the issue that focused on studio artists.

About 12 years ago, Knott stepped away from jobs as a mental health technician and social worker to pursue art full time. He had also been a painter for about 15 years.

"Working regular jobs and trying to make art is a challenge for most people," he said.

Knott said it's nice to have a job where you do what you want to do, but the hours can be demanding. He's currently working on pieces for two upcoming art shows, so his studio is a bit busier than normal.

"Like everybody else, I have to pay a mortgage," he said.

The magazine publicity also came at a time when he was recently offered a position at the Pace Academy in Buckhead, a college preparatory independent day school, where he'll start teaching this fall.

The recent spike in interest in his work has reminded Knott that "it's pretty nice that people will pay a premium price to have your art in their home to look at everyday."

While Knott's work has been published in Southern Living before, in association with a gallery that displays the pieces, being on the cover of a respected trade publication like Ceramics Monthly is gratifying, he said.

"It does legitimize what you're doing," he said. "Being put on the cover is a humbling experience."