FEATURE ARTIST (S)
SEPTEMBER 2022
JOHN SHAUER
It was the magic of throwing that first seduced John twenty-five years
ago. To be able to make pleasing shapes from a spinning hunk of clay
was irresistible, and he delved in and explored all the wonderful shapes.
His not so perfect pieces were found to be useful when starting his journey into glaze mixing and testing. He tried layering multiple glazes on non-functional pots to see what would be the effective, and his confidence grew.Then crystalline glaze grabbed him! Crystalline is one of his enduring passions and to this day he is still experimenting with glazes and firing schedules.
Meanwhile John noticed that he was becoming dissatisfied with the finished overall shape of his pots, so he started refining the rims, feet and
proportions. These small changes resulted in a pot more pleasing to the
eye.
Just recently John has enjoyed making more functional pieces. Knowing
that the item will be handled and used frequently makes an intimate and
rewarding process. The knowledge and techniques learned whilst
making mainly non-functional pieces are now being employed in this
way.
John's journey continues, and he is enjoying it all!