Jim Carlson: fantastic Vessels

July 2 – August 26, 2021

I had very little exposure to art growing up, but that changed my senior year of college when an inspiring professor taught me about clay, encourage me, and gave me the freedom to create. Pottery then became my favorite hobby; however, I put my art on hold to become a teacher.

Although I’ve been a teacher for over 50 years, the vessels in this show are really a result of my being a student. I consider myself a continuous student of the material, the process, and seeing the work of others.

I also learn from my students – and sometimes in very unexpected ways. Once a student in my studio worked on my piece I was throwing on the wheel. Although that did not go well and the piece needed a lot of repair, I got the idea of using clay coils to “weave” the damaged piece back together again. It was a wonderful, unexpected direction and resulted in a new piece and new additions to my process.

In Fantastic Vessels, the unexpected continues with unique handles, wild lids, and combinations of different building techniques. These works include wheel-thrown forms and coil, slab, and pinch-pot techniques, combined with carvings. I like to incorporate texture and experiment with the ways the glaze coats the surface and collects within the crevices.

Although I also have a serious side to my art, these one-of-a-kind pieces bring together my love for the medium, teaching, sharing, and learning, and of course … the whimsical.

About the Artist
Jim Carlson is one of the original Foundry Art Studio Artists, where he has been creating, teaching, and sharing his love of pottery since 2004. Born in North Dakota, Jim was introduced to the clay medium in 1969 during a college pottery course his senior year with professor and artist Reinhold Marxhausen. Jim’s teaching career brought him to St. Charles, Missouri, where he taught grade school students at Immanuel Lutheran School for 43 years. Jim went back to school and earned his MA from Lindenwood University in December 2002.

Jim’s jovial personality extends beyond his art. When he’s not slinging clay or sharing jokes with his students, neighbors, and visitors, he can be found walking, cooking, and following many different sports activities (he was even a coach at the grade school level).