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Josh Copus received a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from the University of North Carolina in Asheville in 2007. He is the founder of Clayspace Co-op, a ceramics cooperative and gallery, which provides an environment that promotes the artistic growth and success of its members through cooperation and education. Josh is currently in the process of establishing his own studio and has recently built a workshop and three wood-burning kilns on his land in Marshall, North Carolina.
My work uses a centuries old technique called sgraffito to create very intricate patterns and designs. Each piece of hand thrown porcelain is coated with a black terra sigillata slip. I then use a very sharp knife to cut into the slip to expose the white porcelain underneath. This technique allows me to indulge in design and challenge my skills at the same time.
Over these last few years my work has become more personal. A refuge. An expression of beauty, love and grief all at the same time. I have always had a keen interest in ancient civilizations and the incredible art they produced. Those ancient worlds hold endless inspiration for me and always will. But I am now looking inside myself. Searching. Searching for what I have lost. In late April of 2014, Steve my husband, partner in clay and life passed away unexpectedly of an undiagnosed heart condition. This man that I spent over 26 years of my life with was everything to me. He was always my biggest fan but I now know he was also my biggest inspiration. A true artist. An amazing potter. Never have I worked in the studio without him by my side. The pots we made together were an expression of the love we had for each other and our work. I cannot help but reflect on what was. It has shaped my life to what it is. Moving forward is inevitable, but in looking back and remembering I am carrying along memories and ideas of all that we had together. Now I must look inside and find the courage and grace to continue what Steve and I started together so long ago. Steve will always be in every piece I make and every piece I decorate. How could it be any other way?
Barry Rhodes has been making pottery for over 40 years having started as an apprentice under Rick Berman and Glenn Dair in the late 70s at Callanwolde Fine Arts Center in Atlanta, GA. His work is in many collections including the Mint Museum in Charlotte, NC and Agnes Scott College in Decatur, GA. Barry has a PhD in Physics from Emory University and taught at Clark Atlanta University in the Department of Physics for ten years. He has retired from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as a Computer Scientist. Most of the time he is to be found at his farm house and studio in Sodom Laurel, Madison County, NC.
Joey Sheehan’s functional and decorative ceramics are meant to enhance any meal, table, or room. High fire stoneware pots are perfect for everyday use or hosting a special meal.
Tiles, multi-piece installations, and large hanging platters will bring color and dimension to every wall and room.
These wood and gas fired clay pieces encompass a range of surface, color, and texture and take the form of the smallest mug, bowl, or plate to the largest vases, jars, and sculptures.
More information about Joey at
www.meltingmountainpottery.com
Currently I am investigating a body of work that highlights the possibilities of deliberate surface decoration enhanced by the more serendipitous variables derived from wood firing. The implementation of ash glaze along with the chaos of the atmosphere inside a wood kiln allows me to give up a small bit of control over the final result, in turn leading to a level of liveliness and abstraction that I could never recreate on my own. I try to think of the wood kiln as a partner in a very collaborative relationship.
I want my work to have a sense of movement and energy. I find myself fascinated with the idea of capturing a moment during peak temperature when the glazes have slid down the profile of a pot, abstracting the surface imagery, and preserving the story of the firing and the passage of time.
I fire my work in a single sprung arch kiln with a bourry box (external firebox).
Beyond the aesthetic qualities that finishing my work in a wood kiln delivers, there are two other factors that make wood firing highly important to me. Firing with wood is not easy - it requires constant attention and consideration, but being with the work from the idea in your head all the way through to implementing the energy required to mature and vitrify the final work is wildly gratifying. The second notion about wood firing is a bit more romantic, but nevertheless true. Firing with wood today means being part of a tradition that goes back thousands of years, and to be a part of that lineage is both humbling and energizing.
As a studio potter, I make objects of enjoyment that strike a balance between uniquely functional forms and narrative design. Whether hand built using slabs, molds or thrown on a wheel, my porcelain vases, flower blocks, lidded jars, plates, teapots, serving pieces, and more are both playful and aesthetically complete. Nature imagery including flowers, birds, and repeating patterns accent most work. Using transparent glazes, these surface designs stand out clearly yet gently with my inlaid, gestural lines of black and blue slip. Some work also highlights carving patterns, lightly pooled glazes, or thoughtfully designed flares such as asymmetrical edges, decorative coils or clay “buttons,” and distinctive rectangular feet.
My work is inspired by landscapes of growing up on the coast of Eastern, NC, along with studies and travels in China, Europe, Mexico, Morocco, and Costa Rica, as well as studies of traditional studio pottery techniques. Together, these influences help me create a body of work that reflects memories, movement, and love of life. I am also enamored with architecture, repeated patterns in nature, and the simple power of an intuitively drawn, fluid line. With so many sources of inspiration, I find that my creativity expands in layers, always inviting me to dig deeper and push utility in new directions.
