“I’m ever grateful to my dear friend, Richard Morley, for suggesting I explore the ceramics studio classes here at the Donkey Mill. The challenging classes offered me the satisfaction of molding an amorphous solid into a fixed form by using clay, water, glass, and fire. I experiment making functional everyday pieces, or fun pieces to ponder.
A lifetime of curiosity with clay began while playing horseshoes in upstate New York with my father where I plunged my hands into the cool, damp clay surrounding the stake, mesmerized I could form it into various objects. During my B.A. in Industrial Arts metal classes, casting and pouring aluminum and brass intrigued my fascination of manipulating liquids to solids.
My career as a General Contractor, with painting as my specialty, I learned to blend colors to create beauty, as well as crafting materials for function. Shino glazing keeps me guessing as it runs during firing inspiring my curiosity even further. Each of these opportunities has brought me to the appreciation and challenges of my ventures here at the Donkey Mill.
The Mill provides a safe, creative space for all. I enjoy the camaraderie and look forward to networking with various artists and ceramics connections the Mill offers in the future. For now, I’m working on repeatable patterns for a set of dishes which nest, a long road from my humble beginnings at the Mill where I became known as the toothpick holder maker.” -Joe Gantley
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