Pottery that Speaks

As a graduate from the University of Dayton in Ohio, I have based my career on educating adults and children through local art centers and museums. I find inspiration through the excitement shared with my students. Given the opportunity and a few key tools, anyone may tap into the beauty that clay holds and share it with the world. I believe as an artist it is my duty to teach others about the process of creating with the hands and perhaps transpiring the appreciation for handmade objects to create artful surroundings in their own home. Either in my classroom or through the functional use of my pottery, each person is being taught the power of either creating or possessing the handmade object and celebrating this discovery every day.

Inspiration in my work comes from the learned appreciation through the potters I have studied with: Bruce Grimes, Pattie Boone, George Armstrong, Kim Megginson, and Regina Jenson. From each I have found the enthusiasm of educating others of my love for clay and tapped into their love of using something handmade. Each brought to the table a secret passion for clay and shared this through the fondling of a favorite cup or mug, or a tool passed down from their own teachers. Clay has a voice that needs to be expressed and it is up to a potter’s hands to set it free and share with the world this talent.

In my own life I love to talk with other potters about their obsession with clay and the history that goes with each. I believe that conversation on a face to face level is an important aspect of being human. I transcribe my own thoughts or feelings on the bottom of each pot in the hope that someone will take notice of the hidden message and share the discovery with another.

My pottery is based on functional form and overlapping glaze. The form is what comfortable to my hands and comforting for the owner to use. The overlapping glaze combinations come from my love and curiosity of the chemistry involved in producing color. There is an underlying inspiration of old quilts my grandmother once made – functional, beautiful and resourceful; and the melted colors of antique flower pots from generations past. My home and personal style is eclectic, and I want pottery collectors and users to own a piece that represents my joys and lifestyle.

It is my goal as an artist to create affordable, beautiful pottery for people of all walks of life to enjoy. The ability I am blessed with is a love that I share with all ages. All work is crafted in my home studio in Marshall, Texas.

Photos courteous of Jeffery Eames

Visitors since January 2007