2021–2022 Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts (Tennessee)
May 2022: Township10 (North Carolina)
Currently: Companion Gallery (Tennessee)
Clay Body: Laguna SB Red
Firing temperature: Cone 6
Atmosphere:Oxidation
Surface treatment: Terra sigillata
Forming Method:Slab building
Favorite tool/tools in your toolbox: A wooden sculpting stylus I use to finish my handles
Describe your studio: I am in a shared studio with 4 other artists. We each have our designated areas we work in, but the space is pretty open overall.
Best thing about your studio? The colleagues I share it with
Wish list for your studio? A Blaauw kiln
Describe a typical day or session in the studio: I arrive at 9am and work for a couple of hours toward completing residency duties, then I have the rest of the day to work on my own stuff until around 6pm when I go home.
Describe the first piece you made in clay that you thought had potential/felt like your own style: I made a holy-water font in graduate school from ¾-inch-thick slabs, something I was told was never allowed. The piece was 12×18×8 inches and hung on the wall like a sconce with a bowl meant to hold holy water.
What are you inspired by? I’m inspired by architecture, geometry, ornamentation, and Gothic cathedrals, but over all by my Catholic faith.
What is your process for finding/designing new forms?I do a few different things. Sometimes I sketch out my ideas, often times I search for churches to visit when I travel, but most of the time I search the web.
Who are your mentors? I have many mentors, mostly family and parish priests, but when it comes to art I’ve made some friends along the way that have been motivators and supporters of me and my work—people like Bill Griffith, Eric Botbyl, and Justin Rothshank.
Favorite piece in your ceramic collection? A mug by Matt Repsher
Best piece of advice you ever received?Tell the truth.
Best advice you can give to other potters? There is more to this life. For those of you whose career is pottery, find a hobby. For those of you whose hobby is pottery, it could be more than that. As humanity we should strive to bring beauty into the world, but as artists we have a responsibility to do so.
To read more about Horacio Casillas’ forming process, take a look at the article, "Contemplative Carving."
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Location:
Humboldt, Tennessee
Website:
www.horaciocasillas.com
Social media:
Instagram @horacio_casillas_jr
Education:
Full- or part-time potter:
Part-time potter
Gallery representation:
Residencies (past and present):
Crafts (Tennessee)
Clay Body: Laguna SB Red
Firing temperature: Cone 6
Atmosphere: Oxidation
Surface treatment: Terra sigillata
Forming Method: Slab building
Favorite tool/tools in your toolbox: A wooden sculpting stylus I use to finish my handles
Describe your studio: I am in a shared studio with 4 other artists. We each have our designated areas we work in, but the space is pretty open overall.
Best thing about your studio? The colleagues I share it with
Wish list for your studio? A Blaauw kiln
Describe a typical day or session in the studio: I arrive at 9am and work for a couple of hours toward completing residency duties, then I have the rest of the day to work on my own stuff until around 6pm when I go home.
Describe the first piece you made in clay that you thought had potential/felt like your own style: I made a holy-water font in graduate school from ¾-inch-thick slabs, something I was told was never allowed. The piece was 12×18×8 inches and hung on the wall like a sconce with a bowl meant to hold holy water.
What are you inspired by? I’m inspired by architecture, geometry, ornamentation, and Gothic cathedrals, but over all by my Catholic faith.
What is your process for finding/designing new forms? I do a few different things. Sometimes I sketch out my ideas, often times I search for churches to visit when I travel, but most of the time I search the web.
Who are your mentors? I have many mentors, mostly family and parish priests, but when it comes to art I’ve made some friends along the way that have been motivators and supporters of me and my work—people like Bill Griffith, Eric Botbyl, and Justin Rothshank.
Favorite piece in your ceramic collection? A mug by Matt Repsher
Best piece of advice you ever received? Tell the truth.
Best advice you can give to other potters? There is more to this life. For those of you whose career is pottery, find a hobby. For those of you whose hobby is pottery, it could be more than that. As humanity we should strive to bring beauty into the world, but as artists we have a responsibility to do so.
To read more about Horacio Casillas’ forming process, take a look at the article, "Contemplative Carving."
Unfamiliar with any terms in this article? Browse our glossary of pottery terms!
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