Describe the first piece you made in clay that you thought had potential: In 2009, I threw an orb-like naked-raku jar with a flat lid. The lid featured a landscape sculpted to look like a rocky outcropping with a wire metal tree perched upon it. This was the first piece that felt cohesive, well composed, and incorporated both wheel-thrown and handbuilt elements.
What are you inspired by? The seasonal changes in a landscape. I’m especially drawn to shifts in agricultural patterns throughout the year. From the furrowing fields in the spring prior to planting, to the russet-brown stalks of a soybean field ready for harvest. It’s fascinating to watch a landscape change throughout the year.
What is your process for finding/designing new forms? I like to pick a word that will carry through a series of forms. Once I have a word in mind, I’ll throw a form, let’s say a series of plates, to hone in on what that word looks like in physical form. Then, I’ll further explore that word with another form. In this way, one thought can continue through a body of work.
Who are your mentors?: Michael Bladow in high school; Blair Clemo and Hoon Lee in my undergraduate program; John Gill, Matthew Kelleher, Linda Sikora, and Linda Sormin in graduate school.
Favorite piece in your ceramic collection? A wood- and salt-fired Mark Shapiro platter. It has a fantastic brushed white slip surface with two parallel cone shapes.
Best piece of advice you ever received? Get so enamored with your work that you’re embarrassed when working in your studio. Think “red-faced and blushing with infatuation.” That was John Gill in 2017.
Best advice you can give to other potters? Learn to work in multiple mediums and give yourself assignments for each week. These two things will keep you engaged and broaden your skills.
Describe your studio: Efficient, pared-down, and intentional. I keep things very simple in my studio: minimal tools, a limited glaze palette, and only a few pots are left out to be used as references. The work must move quickly through the studio to sustain momentum when working on new explorations.
Best thing about your studio? It is a walkout basement, so there are a couple of windows and a large glass storm door. Being able to look outside when making is a huge morale boost, and also means I get a cross breeze during the summer months.
Wish list for your studio? To build a hybrid wood-and-oil, salt kiln in my barn. The bricks are ready, I just need to pour some cement and the footings.
Describe a typical day or session in the studio: I have a full-time job during the week, so my studio practice doesn’t start until around 8:30pm each night and ends around midnight or so. I try to be in the studio as much as possible during the weekends, and usually work 8–10 hours each day, sometimes more.
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Clay body: Mid-range red stoneware (my own recipe)
Firing temperature: Cone 6
Atmosphere: Oxidation
Surface treatment: Serrated rib
Forming method: Wheel throwing on a treadle wheel
Favorite tools in your toolbox? Handmade bisque stamps for textured surfaces
Website: brianwestrickceramics.com
Social media: Instagram @westrickbrian
www.etsy.com/shop/BrianWestrick
Gallery representation: Highland Studio and Gallery, South Bend, Indiana (highlandstudioandgallery.com)
Describe the first piece you made in clay that you thought had potential: In 2009, I threw an orb-like naked-raku jar with a flat lid. The lid featured a landscape sculpted to look like a rocky outcropping with a wire metal tree perched upon it. This was the first piece that felt cohesive, well composed, and incorporated both wheel-thrown and handbuilt elements.
What are you inspired by? The seasonal changes in a landscape. I’m especially drawn to shifts in agricultural patterns throughout the year. From the furrowing fields in the spring prior to planting, to the russet-brown stalks of a soybean field ready for harvest. It’s fascinating to watch a landscape change throughout the year.
What is your process for finding/designing new forms? I like to pick a word that will carry through a series of forms. Once I have a word in mind, I’ll throw a form, let’s say a series of plates, to hone in on what that word looks like in physical form. Then, I’ll further explore that word with another form. In this way, one thought can continue through a body of work.
Who are your mentors?: Michael Bladow in high school; Blair Clemo and Hoon Lee in my undergraduate program; John Gill, Matthew Kelleher, Linda Sikora, and Linda Sormin in graduate school.
Favorite piece in your ceramic collection? A wood- and salt-fired Mark Shapiro platter. It has a fantastic brushed white slip surface with two parallel cone shapes.
Best piece of advice you ever received? Get so enamored with your work that you’re embarrassed when working in your studio. Think “red-faced and blushing with infatuation.” That was John Gill in 2017.
Best advice you can give to other potters? Learn to work in multiple mediums and give yourself assignments for each week. These two things will keep you engaged and broaden your skills.
Describe your studio: Efficient, pared-down, and intentional. I keep things very simple in my studio: minimal tools, a limited glaze palette, and only a few pots are left out to be used as references. The work must move quickly through the studio to sustain momentum when working on new explorations.
Best thing about your studio? It is a walkout basement, so there are a couple of windows and a large glass storm door. Being able to look outside when making is a huge morale boost, and also means I get a cross breeze during the summer months.
Wish list for your studio? To build a hybrid wood-and-oil, salt kiln in my barn. The bricks are ready, I just need to pour some cement and the footings.
Describe a typical day or session in the studio: I have a full-time job during the week, so my studio practice doesn’t start until around 8:30pm each night and ends around midnight or so. I try to be in the studio as much as possible during the weekends, and usually work 8–10 hours each day, sometimes more.
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