Q. Who makes this stuff?
A. It’s all made by me, completely by hand. No two pieces are alike. The Footed Dishes are a collaboration with my wife, Esther. She created the tops and glazed them with her own specially formulated glazes.
Q. How long did that take to make?
A. A large piece takes forty plus hours to construct. It dries for two weeks. During this drying period, the piece is checked on periodically and touched up as faults tend to reveal themselves in the drying process. I fire it slowly the first time. Glazing takes another couple of hours before it is fired a second time to maturity.
Q. I’m afraid to pick it up. Isn’t it fragile?
A. If you drop it on the ground it might chip or break but this work is made to be explored by both touch and sight.
Q. With all the texture these works must be a nightmare to clean?!
A. Actually, they can be easily dusted with an artist brush or a vacuum cleaner with a brush wand attachment. I don’t recommend getting them wet if you’re trying to clean one of my works. It’s not necessary and will probably lead to more work on your end.
Q. Do you use an extruder to make your coils?
A. No. Each coil is hand rolled, one-at-a-time.
Q. Are the works in your portfolio section for sale?
A. Yes. Many of them are. Please contact me if interested or if you are a gallery interested in representing my work.
Q. I saw a strange looking object while I was on the trail in Santa Fe. It looked like maybe you made it. Did you?
A. That is entirely possible!
Q. Your process looks so meditative. Is it?
A. If, by meditative you mean solitary, frustrating, somewhat exhausting but, ultimately rewarding—YES!
Q. Do all ceramic artists have self esteem issues?
A. Not all, but many of the good ones do. After all, we do sign the bottoms of our work which can be demoralizing at first, but leads to humility. I believe that, ultimately, if we are doing this right, we are secondary to the process and become ok with not having our names associated with the work—the work stands on its own and transcends the identity of the maker.
Q. What do you consider mastery?
A. For me, mastery is being comfortable enough with my process to share it freely with the world. We all have our own way. None better inherently than the next. A masterful work could consist of a single brushstroke or 100 years of laying stone. Don’t believe what anyone tells you of mastery. Watch the movie, “The Last Dragon” for further insight.
Q. “Sho Nuff!”
A. That’s an exclamation, not a question!