Thursday, March 7, 2024

San Angelo National

This oribe tray will be on exhibit in the 25th San Angelo National Ceramic Competition. The show will be on view from Friday, April 19th through Sunday, June 23rd, 2024. The San Angelo Museum of Fine Arts is located at 1 Love Street, San Angelo, TX.



Saturday, February 17, 2024

Tea

It is a please to have been selected to participate in "Tea: An Exhibition of Clay Forms", being held at Artspace Gallery located in Richmond, VA. Juried by Mitch Iburg, this show is in conjunction with NCECA's (National Council on Education for the Ceramic Arts) annual conference being held in Richmond this year. TEA will be on exhibition and open to the public from March 20th - April 20th, 2024. The gallery's address is 2833-A Hathaway Road, Richmond, VA 23225.                 www.artspacegallery.org

 

This woodfired kurinuki tea caddy was selected for the exhibition.


Chinese Blue

When I was living in the Seagrove, NC area, I had the opportunity to work part-time for Ben Owen, III, at Ben Owen Pottery, right after he graduated from ECU in 1993. I didn’t do any of the pottery production, but I was there to help with glazing, clay processing, load and fire the groundhog kiln, work in the sales shop, etc. It was wonderful to be in that environment and become knowledgeable of many of the aspects that Ben Owen Pottery was known for. 

Getting to become familiar with the traditional glazes, such as Frogskin, Chinese Red, Chinese Blue, Dogwood White, etc. was one of the most noteworthy experiences of my tenure there. The glaze that intrigued me most was Chinese Blue. Its history began at Jugtown Pottery and was developed by its owner Jacques Busbee. Ben Owen, Sr., who started working at Jugtown as a potter in 1923, was also involved with this particular glaze. After the death of Mr. Busbee in 1947, the glaze's use was discontinued at the request of Mrs. Busbee in memoriam to her husband. Upon Ben Owen, Sr.'s departure from Jugtown and the subsequent opening of his own establishment (Old Plank Road Pottery) in 1959, he revived the Chinese Blue glaze based on his knowledge gained while at Jugtown Pottery.  After Ben Owen, Sr. retired from making pots in 1972, the shop closed until Ben “Wade” Owen, Jr. reopened it in 1981. During Wade’s time running the pottery, the use of Chinese Blue was, once again, revived. When Ben Own, III took over the pottery, he continued the Chinese Blue legacy.

During my time there I became interested in formulating a glaze that would replicate, as close as I could, the Chinese Blue. I had no idea what the Ben Owen Pottery Chinese Blue glaze consisted of, but pulling from my Ceramics education received in college, I set about experimenting and putting tests in a few of the firings. I had one test come out which a collector of early Jugtown Chinese Blue told me it was very reminiscent of the old glaze. After helping Ben, III for four or so years, I stopped working there and, subsequently, abandoned further pursuit of the glaze.

Fast forward twenty five years. With the completion of my small down-draft wood kiln, I aim to pick back up with testing my own formulations.  Having been fortunate to see how the glaze was applied and how it was fired in the groundhog kiln, I feel this kiln will provide a good setting for further experimentation. I have always thought it to be a beautiful glaze, and it is one with such a rich North Carolina pottery history.

Stay tuned!


The images below show Chinese Blue through the years. It has slightly changed in appearance over time.

 

This is a Jugtown Pottery piece that depicts what the Chinese Blue glaze looked back in the early period when Ben Owen, Sr. was making pots there.

 
 

I bought this Chinese Blue vase from Ben Owen Pottery in 1984 when Wade Owen was operating the pottery.

 

A piece made by Ben Owen, III, glazed in Chinese Blue during my time working at Ben Owen Pottery. This shows what the glaze looked like in the mid 1990s.

 
 
This is one of my Chinese Blue tests that I was working on while at the pottery.


This is a current piece by Ben Owen, III that shows the contemporary Chinese Blue glaze.

Monday, November 13, 2023

Glaze: Timeless Appeal

 "Glaze: Timeless Appeal" will open at Schaller Gallery on November 21st, 2023. The show will open online that day at 2:00 pm EST. Here is a selection of oribe small plates/trays, sake flasks, etc. that I will have available for purchasing.






Wednesday, November 8, 2023

Kiln Update

The small down-draft wood kiln is nearly complete. The back and front walls are now in place. Next is to insulate the top of the arch with refractory fiber blanket and insulating soft brick. Doors for the stoke holes are being designed and constructed.


Saturday, November 4, 2023

Interior Design

 It was an honor to have Dell Mitchell, founder of Dell Mitchell Architects (Boston, MA) select a grouping of my guinomi and yunomi for a client's winter home in Palm Beach, Florida. This is an image depicting how those pieces are displayed in the interior.



Monday, October 2, 2023

Kiln Update


 After a couple of tries and not being successful with getting the arch on the small downdraft kiln to hold, I sought out the help of Ben Eberle to get this in place. Third time was a charm! Now all that is left is to continue the front and back walls up to the top of the arch, and get the chimney dampers in place.