Handmade pottery by Michael

Handmade ceramic bowls Hi gang! Those of you that also read my daily eats may recognize one of those bowls over there, specifically the one on the left.  That’s my oatmeal bowl that I use often!

My good friend, T, whom I’ve mentioned on the blog before, has a son who creates handmade pottery.  I fell in love with this stuff the minute I first laid eyes on them.  My first question to T was the price of the bowls because I wanted to purchase some ASAP!  Because T is awesome he sent me some bowls just because!

These bowls are amazing!  Not only are the gorgeous but they are totally functional. You can put food in them, and they are microwave and dishwasher safe.

SCORE!

Michael is T’s son and he is the one responsible for creating such fabbo pieces! He’s currently visiting with T and I was able to snag some of his time and ask a few questions.

1. How long have you been making pottery?

2 years, or thereabouts.

2. How did you get started?

I started in High School, and developed my fundamentals. Very early on, I discovered that most of my enjoyment came in finding colors to put together. Luckily for me, I had access to a lot of unclaimed work that I could glaze however I wanted, and that gave me a way to explore my experimentation with color.  After my brain surgery, I took another ceramics class, this one at the college level, and it reignited my passion. I spent the better part of 8 months and 600 pieces testing and manipulating the glazes that I have access to, using them to release the rainbow’s worth of colors in my work.

3. What inspires you to create such gorgeous pieces? How do you decide what color or colors to use?

My most basic inspiration is a man I’ll never meet; Dr. Seuss himself. The more I have looked at my past exposure to the world, the more I have seen that’s where it started. The color, mixed with the abstract way in which he made his books, is the catalyst of my love for color, form and design.

As to what colors to use, well, I just think about what would look good on each individual piece. It’s kind of a ‘play as you go’ thing.

4. How did you come up with the “change” concept (to read more about change, follow the link)?

Change…The concept for me has been an accumulation of the time that I have spent observing the world around me. Much younger than I should have ever been concerned with the concept, I was trying to final a way to do so. With much frustration, and agony, (as) I saw the world continuing to change, but only for the worse.

As time went on, I became less burdened by the fact, but it is still a problem that I believe that is within my power, to help fix. It wasn’t until I got held up, that It really began to snap into focus, that every moment has in it, the power to change, and that is when my change began to ‘take shape.’

I began making my coins one day as a fun little project to make something small that I could work with in a new direction, and soon after I realized that I had actually found a way to help change things. I know from personal experienced that sometimes all it takes to change someone’s day around is something simple. The caring voice of a friend, an ice cream cone, whatever it may be. It doesn’t have to be something big, and that’s how it started:

Passing out coins when I felt I should, to people that help me with something, or to help someone else, but in truth, every one of them is here do whatever they are going to do, much the same as everyone else.

5. When is your most favorite time to work and create?

My favorite time to work, is any time I have to work, because, whatever time I have, and whatever work I do, brings me joy.

As far as creating goes, most of which for me is a kind of internal ‘brainstorming’, this comes to me at random intervals. Some days I haven’t a single idea about a new project, not a moment’s contemplation. Other days, the ideas just don’t stop. Whatever the case, I really believe that I create when I’m ready.

Thanks Michael for allowing me to ask questions!

Michael has a store up!  If you love these pieces (and I know you do!) please visit his store and see what catches your eye.  If you have any questions feel free to contact T and ask away! Or I can ask him for you if you would feel more comfortable that way.  Let’s help support independent artists!

4 thoughts on “Handmade pottery by Michael

  1. Thanks for the shout-out, Andie. Mike and I are having fun with Army of Two….almost done with it on ‘easy’ so that we can unlock and play ‘hardest.’

    You’re right, the sniper rifles rawk. I like the way you can customize the weapons, too.

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