Sexy Red Pots

A bowl and plate in one of my favorite (and my customers' favorite) colors- Cherry Red. This glaze receives its brilliant red color when it is fired in a gas kiln and the gas reduces (chemically changes) copper oxide in the glaze from emerald green to red. It's a very tricky glaze to apply and fire. The color of red produced changes depending on the gas in the kiln and the placement of the pot in the firing chamber. It's most often deep cherry red, sometimes burgundy, and on rare occasions, deep plum purple or a combination of several reds.

Red bowls like the one above are available for sale at The Toledo Museum of Art Collector's Corner and Art on Central located on Central Avenue where Central and US 23 meet (across from David Broadway, next to Meant to Bead).

Large red serving platters such as the one here were recently shown at Flatlander's Gallery in Blissfield, MI, and are now back in the possession of the artist. Call or e-mail me if interested. These are really hot items right now and I most likely won't have them long.

Themes and Patterns within Shine Ceramics

Because I have been producing ceramix in a number of different styles lately, I thought I'd take time to answer a good question I was recently asked, "How are all these things related?"

For those of you whom are not familiar with Shine Ceramix, I have a couple of series' that I continually expand upon. These include:
(1) organic sculptures (see the slide show on this page, down to the right),
(2) wheel-thrown bowls, cups, and jars and
(3) square hand- built plates.

Within these three formats, I always work within the same theme, Energy in Motion. This manifests itself in a myriad of ways... I draw and sculpt things that appear to be flowing, growing, exploding, or otherwise alive with potential energy. Underwater creatures, atomic energy, and exotic (and imaginary) flower pods are no strangers to Shine Ceramix. Anything I work upon essentially includes these ideas in one form or another. The type of ceramic materials and glazes I employ are just a means to explore these ideas in a slightly different format.

Fresh New Colors

After 6 months of dreaming of a greener Celadon, I finally nailed it. Shine Ceramics is pleased to present a limited edition of Green Celadon Porcelain Bowls, Small Plates, Small Cups and Tumblers. I was planning on having these at the University of Toledo's Art on the Mall but I have a feeling they will sell out before the July 27th show date. The white porcelain really allows the transparent green glaze to stand out against the form. I am in love.

For the most part, I am done producing work at the Toledo Museum of Art Studio until September. I am not accepting any custom orders until the fall, when I will resume working at the Grove Place Studio. I will, I'm sure, take up temporary summer residence somewhere else local, so I'll look for more new colors (the result of new studio/ different kilns) in the same Shine patterns you know and love.

The Return of the Graphic Narrative

Three Photos of the same plate.

Top: Using an old plate I made a to mask off the bottom of the piece for spray application of the glaze. The unglazed square is where the plate rests on the kiln shelf during firing.
Middle: Front with cobalt oxide graphics.
Bottom: Back with the outer edge glazed. The pale yellow color is a Celadon glaze which turns pale blue/green during the firing process.

The Plate that Defines a Generation

Ok, so maybe not you say, but look twice. This work does touch upon a myriad of topics that are relevant most everyone, especially to those 15-30 somethings out there. Justifiable use of force as means to an 'end', human destruction of the natural environment, and commercial interests vs. the rights of the individual (and family unit) are among the thoughts I've been wanting to explore in my work for quite some time. I'm very much enjoying using the square plate as format to craft more thought provoking narrative content as well as new graphic aesthetic. My love of graffiti and urban art has been more and more obvious in every series that I make, and this is no exception.

Act One, Front of the Plate: The narrative on this piece begins with the capture of an unassuming and harmless jellyfish. The family of jellyfish looks to retaliate with pistols and hand grenades (we're assuming the weapons are water-proof).

Act Two, Back of the Plate:
What you can't see (underneath the glaze layer on the back of the bottom photo) is that the jellyfish have sunk the fishing boat and are blissfully re-united. The two fisherman from the capsized vessel are f*cked, respectfully, floating in a little dingy on the open ocean (visible in the top photo).

So what's the message? Live and let live? Maybe. I prefer, "Don't start nothin', won't be nothin."

Those hot new graphix your mama warned you about

Rocks Glasses and Tumblers with organic drawings, $15-20.

Growing tired of the same old solid colors and "special effects" glazes, Shine Pottery is moving onward and upward. New for summer '08, I'm drawing funky funky graphix with layers of oxides and glazes on the inside and outside of pots. You saw the bowls similar to these make their debut this spring, and I've finally got around to making the matching cups. The new cups will be available in red, gold shino, celadon, pale green, yellow (maybe), and clear glazes.

Lots of people ask me, "Hey Shine, What's with all the flowers and accorns popping up all over everything?" Well, that's a good question.

Honestly, I hate artwork with flowery motifs. I always thought it looked cheezy and way too Thomas Kincade-ish. Flowers, seeds, pods, and accorns all symbolize a beautiful form of potential energy. Potential energy is one of my favorite re-occouring themes in my work. I try to make flowery pottery for people who hate flowers, such as myself. I make the work I would want to buy, and I'm just pleased as pie that you out there seem to like it too.

If I could go to a store and find cups, plates, and bowls that I like, I would never have started making ceramics. Fortunately for me, that doesn't exist- until I make it happen.

Shine Ceramix at The Toledo Museum of Art

"Pitcher for Liquid Energy, " 9 x 9 x 12" tall, 2007. Available for purchase at

The Toledo Museum of Art. $300

So, a couple of months ago Andy Weiser (of Toledo Toboggan Blog and Tri-fecta fame) recommended that I apply to sell art at the Toledo Museum of Art Collector's Corner. I made it in, and now recieve regular comission checks from the store (thanks, Andy).

You can check out my work at the Art Museum Tuesday through Sunday 11-4 pm, and see other amazing art by others way more famous than myself. The Museum Store has another recieving day scheduled for late May. That means new work will be in the store around the begining of June. The new ceramix are so fresh, they're not even finished yet- the new bowls and cups are still waiting for shine-esque patterns. New ceramix graphix for summer '08: accorns, more birds, and spacey flowers.

Flatlander's Gallery Show Ending 5.25

My FIRST solo show titled, "The Energy Exchange," will be ending at Flatlanders Gallery in Blissfield, MI on May 25th. If you havn't gotten to check it out yet, I highly reccomend it (of course I would).

I created a series of new plates and a couple new sculptures for the show that are worth the 20 minute drive to the gallery.

Thanks to the loyal following that always seems to make it to the openings- Fowlers, Grossos, Websters, Dr. Dohm, Hoefflins, Doc and Sue. Shout out to John Rupel for his last minute appearance. The support is always appreciated.

The porcelain plate in this photo was the image used on the postcard and printed in the Toledo City Paper write up of the exhibition the week it opened (Thanks Ryan Bunch).

More info at
http://www.flatlandersculpture.com/ThreeAlums.htm.