Jim Whalen
Horse Shoe, NC | Exhibiting Since 2010
My pots are wheel thrown, burnished, coated with terra sigillata and then bisque fired. The patterns are applied with wax resist. The pots go through a two stage firing process: a salt followed by a sawdust firing. The wax resist separates the effects caused by each process in to distinct areas giving definition to the patterns without losing the vitality of chaos. The patterns come from the subconscious. The pots represent my desire to unite the forces of nature with the forms of the subconscious, exploring and expressing the connection between the two. Salt, sawdust and the iron in the clay produce the variety of earth tones on the smooth surface of the pots. The surface of the pot is reminiscent of polished wood or stone. The simple rounded form combined with the dynamic surface elements result in a work of art that is universal and timeless.