clay vessels | Stephen Merritt

Clay is a captivating material. Rich in variety, infinitely pliable in its natural plastic state, and enduring when hardened by fire, clay has always been a unique vehicle for creative expression.

My own introduction to clay came many years ago in the form of a small Phoenician jar that my father kept in his study. Everything about this little pot was new to me; its shape, its surface design, even its purpose. Yet despite the jar's age, when held, the feeling of being close to the person who had made it was very strong.

The memory of that little jar came back years later while I was living in Japan with my wife, Donna. Many of the pots we saw (and used) spoke of a marriage of clay, hand and spirit that I have come to recognize as the foundation for work of lasting value. Within this elusive combination lies a connection with the past and an anticipation of what might yet be that are, for me, what it means to be a potter.

Phoenician Jar
h5" X w3"