JEFF HARRIS
COLOR IN CLAY
COLOR IN CLAY————————————JEFF HARRIS———————————————————
—————————————————————Bio——————————————————————
My entire body of work is composed of wheel-thrown and hand-built stoneware and porcelain both functional and non-functional. All forms are vessel inspired and are either high-fired in a reducing atmosphere or are fired using raku and/or raku inspired techniques. The clays and glazes that I use are manufactured to produce desired effect and physical maturity, that is: they are designed for color, texture, durability and compatibility with Raku and or high temperature firing. The clays and glazes that I use are manufactured to produce desired effect and physical maturity, that is: they are designed for color, texture, durability and compatibility with Raku and high temperature firing. Although I do use some commercial clays and standard glaze recipes the main body of my work is produced using custom clay and glaze formulas. Although trees have become prominent theme in my glaze decoration, I still explore other figurative design work as seen in the sea turtle, skeleton, owl and dancing figure motifs. The raw texture and color of the clay is also prominent in surface design especially in larger vessel forms.
June 1991: M.F.A., Ceramics, University of Oregon.
Dec. 1988: BA, Eastern Washington University.
Sept. 1976 June 1977: University of Puget Sound, emphasis Art.
Sept. 1973 June 1975: Whitman College, premed.
Even now I’m always finding new ways to use this wonderful medium and it is only my desire to produce functional pottery that keeps me focused well that and a love for the wheel. My experience as a student and instructor at various institutions has given me the studio space and time to experiment with the clay medium for decades, I guess that would be about 4 now that I think of it. I worked as the resident potter at the YWCA from 1981 to 1987 at which time I quit and went graduate school at the U of O. I think I first joined the Pottery Place in 1985 and quit to go to school rejoining in 1992 and have been there ever since. I taught Ceramics at Whitworth College from 1992 to 2007 and it wasn’t until 2008 that I really focused on building my own studio and producing the type of work that I now display at the Pottery Place Plus.
JEFF HARRIS
COLOR IN CLAY
<keramosjh@gmail.com>
509-979-3971