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These ceramic vessels are created first on the potter’s wheel and then altered by hand. A variety of tools are used to further alter and refine the forms. On these sculptural pieces, the artist may spend up to 8 hours on a single piece.
For the last several years, the artist has pursued a variety of approaches to clay. He believes the ceramic vessel, with its long, rich tradition as both a useful and decorative part of people's lives, retains its vitality as an art form. Although some of the pieces may appear to be raku-fired, all are fired using a technique known as vapor glazing. Vapor-glazing is a relatively new and seldom used approach to ceramic surfaces.
After the initial bisque firing, glaze is applied to the pieces and they are fired again, to approximately 1940 degrres F. Once the glaze is fired to maturity, chemicals are introduced into the kiln as it cools to about 800 degrees F. The vaporized chemicals bond with the glaze to produce an exquisite and unpredictable iridescent surface. The artist uses both matt and glossy glazes, but the chemical vapor glazing process is much the same for both of these surface treatments.
The wall pieces are slab-built and may also incorporate several glazes as well as gold and other lusters.
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