Ronan's Bisqueware

Pocosin Arts hosts an annual artist workshop in February which I attended this weekend.  It is a great event – close to home, in a beautiful venue, with excellent instruction.

This year the pottery instructor was Ronan Peterson who taught ‘Scratching the Surface’.  His work has distinctive and complex surfaces that result from a convoluted process of slipping, waxing, and glazing.

Ronan's Altered Plates

I had a great time in his class – he had limitless enthusiasm and patience as he fielded questions, gave examples, and moved us through his agenda.  The workshop was a survey of surface treatments and he was able to offer tangible examples for application because he uses so many of the techniques in his own work.  For those few techniques that he doesn’t use or didn’t have examples of, he referenced other contemporary potters – WOW he knows contemporary potters!

Teapot by Ronan

I came away with a head-full of things that I want to try (and share with the pottery class).  It was a well-timed workshop as I have been feeling that our pots are a bit flat.  We worked hard developing our glazes but now it is time for us to add another layer of interest.  Ronan and Theresa (his studio assistant) were very helpful in offering suggestions about how to go about doing that.  I feel like Ronan has a lot more to offer and I wouldn’t hesitate to take another workshop with him.