Patrick Hall
Clay Studio SB
Santa Barbara, California
Website
Clay Studio SB
Email
patrick@claystudiosb.org
Instagram
patjhall77
Facebook
Patrick J. Hall
Artist Statement
My goal is to create visually engaging work, with a focus on line, form, scale, and posture in each piece, while demonstrating a sound technical foundation. Each series of work begins with drawings, to resolve form, proportion, and fabrication techniques on paper long before I ever get my hands in clay. My sketchbook is a not only a rich source of ideas developed over the years, but a record of my evolution as an artist. Once I start working in clay, intuition, technique, and personal aesthetic gives each piece its own character. At its best, my time in the studio evolves into being “in the zone” where everything comes together and I encourage the clay to do the things it, as a material, is best suited for.
Studio Description
I am the co-founder and Executive Director of Clay Studio in Santa Barbara, CA. We are a 501(C)3 non-profit corp. We teach ceramic classes and workshops. The studio has 7 gas kilns, 6 electric kilns, 44 wheels, 12 handbuilding tables, 3 slab rollers, 3-D printers, etc....in a 24,000 sq-ft building. With virtually every resource at my disposal and an amazing staff to help, we do every technique imaginable except for salt and wood firing.
Cone 10 reclaim
What temperature do you fire to?
Cone 10 , cone 5, and cone 019
What is your primary forming method?
Wheel thrown, 3-D printed, and handbuilding
What is your favorite surface treatment?
Contrasting and complimentary
Do you make any of your own tools?
Yes, long wood-throwing ribs for reaching into large, closed forms
What one word would you use to describe your work?
Dynamic
What is your favorite thing about your studio?
I have my dog Tucker with me every day.
What is the one thing in your studio you can’t live without?
The community of creative, generous students and staff.
What are your top three studio wishes?
1. The studio outlives me.
2. I mentor artists to successful careers in the arts
3. My work continues to grow and teach me.
What’s on your current reading list?
Nonprofit law and governance for dummies
How do you save money on materials and supplies?
Reclaim all our scrap clay.
How do you recharge creatively?
I've always had too many ideas to act on and never feel stuck.
Do you have any DIY tips for studio efficiency?
Glue a centered trimming chuck to a batt with pins. You won't need to center the chuck ever again.
What challenges have you given yourself to overcome?
I tend to be very precise, so my challenge is to free my work up to be more gestural.
What did your first piece look like?
What ceramic superpower would you have and why?
Snap my fingers to clean everything!
What area of skill do you most look to other artists to learn?
Expanding my tool box of surface treatments opens possibilities for my work
Who is your ceramic art mentor and why?
Peter Voulkos, he really changed what ceramics could be and brought clay into the art world
What is your studio playlist?
Very eclectic, Marvin Gay, Southern rock, John Mayer, Gregory Alan Isakov, Aretha Franklin, Lemongrass, Nick Mulvey, Geowolf, Kevin Morby, Toby Keith, etc.
Why do you create art?
Making art is an endless and beautiful challenge, and art brings joy to others.
Who is your favorite artist and what do you admire about that artist?
Robert Irwin. His writing changed the way I see, perceive art and my environment.
What is your best studio tip?
Do what you do - Don't compare your work to others - Stay on your own path!
If you could change one property of clay, what would it be?
Make clay more durable and less susceptible to cracks, warping, and general failure.
