I was recently invited by Ceramics Monthly magazine editor Katie Reaver to be featured in "Spotlight", which is a full-page article of an artist and answers to two interview questions. It is running in the December 2024 issue, page 72; this is an image of the article:
It is an honor to have been invited to participate in a biennial exhibition of tea bowls from around the world. The "Philadelphia International Tea Bowl Exhibition" will be showcased from February 1st, 2025 though March 8th, 2025 at the Community Arts Center, 414 Plush Mill Road, Wallingford, PA. I will have the following tea bowls in this show:
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| Chinese Blue Summer Chawan |
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| Oribe Chawan |
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| Wood-fired Chawan |
Its a pleasure to have my sake cup exhibited in Cups of Contemplation (see below) receive an Award of Excellence by jurors Tom and Elaine Coleman.
In my quest to come up with a glaze recipe that is as close to the old Chinese Blue used by the Jugtown Pottery era of the Busbees, and Ben Owen Pottery, I have made, and fired, several tests. Despite having a chemical analysis of the original from the 1980's, its been a challenge even using glaze calculation software. And what I have found is that the test I had formulated back when I was working for Ben, III shows the most promise. There is still the need to tweak the recipe, for various reasons, but I feel that I am close to something that will be satisfactory. Here is a cup that I just got out of my wood/gas conversion kiln. The one thing I have noticed in doing these various tests is the importance that wood firing plays in achieving the color of Chinese Blue.
This wood-fired kurinuki sake sake cup will be exhibited in "Cups of Contemplation, being held in the Gallery of Art and Design, University of Southern Mississippi. The dates of this exhibition are October 14th through November 7th, 2024.
This sculptural piece, Fragment, will be exhibited in "Wood Soda Salt", an exhibition of atmospheric fired ceramics, being held at the University of Wyoming Art Museum. This exhibition runs September 3rd through November 29th, 2024. The art museum is located in the Centennial Complex, 2111 E. Willett Drive, Laramie, Wyoming.
The inaugural firing of my small down-draft kiln is now history. Overall it went very well and I was pleased how even it fired from top to bottom, front to back. It required less wood than I had anticipated. Here are some images depicting various stages.
FINITO!!! The stoke hole doors are now in place; the kiln is now ready to fire! The doors are designed to open and then swing so that the hotface is away from the person stoking the wood.
This kurinuki sake cup, glazed in oribe, was selected for exhibition in "In Hand", juried by Bruce Dehnert. The show will be held at The Art School at Old Church's Mikhail Zakin Gallery from May 10th - June 14th, 2024. There will be an opening reception on May 11th, 6-9 pm. The address is 561 Piermont Road, Demarest, NJ.
A peek at the kiln doors being fabricated for the small down-draft. Excellent work by Jesse Ryan of Florence Welding.
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.
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
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 piece by Ben Owen, Sr. from the time period that he was operating his own shop.
I bought this Chinese Blue vase from Ben Owen Pottery in 1984 when Wade Owen was operating the pottery.
