M: How long have you been making pots and what got you started in
pottery?
P: I started in high school and dropped it for many years, to the protestation of my mother. The running joke is that the older I got, the smarter my mom got. I picked it back up maybe 6-7 years ago when my wife got me a class with Jeff Brown as a present. Jeff is still a friend and influence in my work.
M: Who or what inspires you the most and how is it incorporated into
your work?
P: Old American pottery is a strong influence in my work. My aim is not to copy works, but to contrast the forms with a modern feature or texture. I also like contrasting more classic "delicate" forms with a heavy wood fire effect that makes them approachable.
I recently had the chance to visit Old Edgefield Pottery in SC, where local materials are used to recreate old local slave-made pieces. The connection I felt to the old collection was pretty powerful. Wire marks from cutting the piece from the wheel, a fingerprint at the handle join, or the fire direction evident on the pot made me feel like it could have been made this week and that I could talk to the potter about kilns. Producing quality work that still shows that story and "soul" is what I strive for.
I've introduced just a bit of sculpture to keep my mind working as well. A lot of that is influenced by my interest in science and the horror genre. It's 180 degrees away from a lot of my functional work and it forces me to slow down and learn a few things.
M: Clay body?
P: I use T3 (a good standard stoneware) from Sheffield Pottery, Domestic Porcelain from Dave Pellerin at Wellhouse Farm Pottery (this clay picks up incredible salmon blushes in the wood fire), and a mix of the two bodies that gives a swirled effect.
M: Firing method?
P: My work is all wood fired in my Bourry box/sprung arch kiln. Now that I send warning notices to the neighbors, they are a bit less likely to call the fire department.
M: What is your favorite pizza? (just because we potters LOVE to make
and eat it!)
P: There's a local place that makes a BBQ chicken pizza that is just killah. Last year I made 10 pizzas on my birthday and broke our oven. This summer I hope to make a wood fired pizza oven; I suppose that I could use the kiln if I wanted to burn a quarter cord of wood every time I fire it up.
A big thank you to Paul for answering my questions and sparing my readers of another post about ME.
If you want to contact Paul or purchase his work:
Paul Haigh
Wiley Hill Mudworks
Web: http://wileyhill.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Wiley-Hill-Mudworks/108145139230652
etsy: http://www.etsy.com/shop/WileyHillMudworks
All Photos Courtesy of the Artist
