I was inspired to become a potter during my six years at Penland School of Craft as a student, CORE fellow and a Resident Artist. I established Shawn Ireland Pottery in 1997 and lived and worked as a full time wood fire potter for nearly 30 years in the Penland community. In 2021 my wife, Jo, and I moved to Athens, Georgia.
Most everything I do in my daily life relates to my passion for art. I surround myself with what I find beautiful and seek out images and objects that resonate. I love potting and painting and being lost in the moments of making - “in the search”. While most of my time is devoted to pottery making, I paint and draw whenever I can.
Working from a foundation of folk tradition, I use a variety of hand processed wild clays and glaze materials, single fire in a gas/wood burning kiln, and throw on a treadle style kick wheel. Wild clay and mineral additions add an unrefined character to my clay and glazes, resulting in rustic, earthy textures. The way I work promotes surprises and keeps my craft connected to the natural world.
My pots continue to change over time under the influence of pottery making traditions adopted from my first teachers Will Ruggles and Douglass Rankin, travel experiences and an ongoing fascination with art of the past. Working with the University of Georgia Classics Program, Europe: Unearthing the Past, has provided endless opportunity for close up interaction with the ancient art that feeds me. Trips to South Africa and Europe, particularly Italy, have inspired a zoomorphic direction in my pots I call Animalware, which takes the form of sculptural candlesticks, vases and bowls.
Jo and I are enamored with world travel. My pots change after every trip we make because new art, gardens and good food always inspire new creative directions.
BIO
Born Lancaster, PA 1967
1990 BFA Kutztown University, PA
1990-1995 Attended 25 pottery and painting workshops at Penland School of Craft, NC
1991 After a two month workshop with potters Will Ruggles & Douglass Rankin, I fell in love with clay and fire and was determined to be a wood fire potter
1993-1995 Lived at Penland School as a work exchange CORE Fellow Scholarship Student
1996-1999 RESIDENT ARTIST at Penland School. I built a catenary arch wood fire kiln and made pots full time, experimenting with local clay and glaze materials. Began exploring oil painting
1997 Established Shawn Ireland Pottery
Since 1994 Participated in numerous national solo and group exhibitions & Craft Shows including Mint Museum Potters Market, Smithsonian Craft Show, Philadelphia Museum Craft Show, Spruce Pine Potters Market and Old Church Pottery Show
2006-2008 VISITING ARTIST INTERNSHIP - University of Georgia Study Abroad Program, Cortona, Italy
2012 - 2013 STUDIO COORDINATOR - University of Georgia Study Abroad Program, Cortona, Italy
2015 RESIDENT ARTIST COORDINATOR - Scuola Internazionale di Grafica, Venice, Italy
2021 Moved to Athens, GA
2022-2024 PROGRAM COORDINATOR - University of Georgia Classics Maymester Study Abroad, Europe: Unearthing the Past