Dan has been working with clay since his high school art teacher first introduced the medium to him. His family lived in Hong Kong and he soaked up the Asian culture for 3 of his high school years at Hong Kong International School. Dan came back to the states to attend Spring Arbor College where he continued to develop his art and graduated in 1983 with a BFA. Although he worked for 32 years at the Legislative Service Bureau Print Shop, he maintained his love for art through photography, graphic art, painting, and always pottery in his leisure time. Dan’s creative forms and numerous glazes have filled the houses of his family and friends over the years. In retirement, he set out to refine his vision and to focus his efforts toward Ceramic Urns and the possibilities of incorporating a loved ones ashes into the clay and glaze. Dan’s life in Asia has always influenced his form and design but he also has a passion for the land and nature. Both are evident in his works today. Dan lives in Gregory, Michigan where he has a small studio that looks out over his lakeside home where you will find his FloatingLeafClayWorks.
Artist Statement including the influences received from Shigaraki
I will always believe that learning pottery while I was in Hong Kong during my high school years saved me. It is my “go to” for creativity and emotional outlet. As I center the clay
On the wheel, my thoughts follow and we work together to create what the earth wants to say. I love to compliment forms with nature, such as leathers, deer antlers, leaves, and fibers.
I have also been on a journey, developing glaze elements to find rustic cone 6 treatments that enhance the Asian + Nature statement. My hope is for each piece to be pleasing to the eye,
Hearty to hold, light to lift, calming to touch, and complimentary in the space it fills.
The Cracked Pot Studio Tour 