CHARLES FREELAND POTTERY
WELCOME TO THE COMMUNITY OF CLAY!
"This is the main thing. This is what I care about, it is the person. This is the living vessel: person."
"How are you able to form these vessels so that they possess such convincing beauty?" "Oh," answers the potter, "you are looking at the mere outward shape. What I am forming lies within."
"Robert Turner...was centering the clay, and then he was opening it and pulling up the walls of the cylinder. He was not looking at the clay. He had his ear to it. He was listening. "It is breathing," he said; and then he filled it with air."
These introductory quotes are from Centering: In Pottery, Poetry and the Person, by M.C. Richards.
Whether you are just beginning your journey into the world of ceramics, or are an experienced seeker of the truth to be found in clay objects, I hope you will use Charlesfreelandpottery.com as a source of inspiration to enliven daily experience and create a sense of shared community within the artworld and global neighborhood.
This site is a virtual extension of my land based studio works in Charleston, Illinois, where I currently create Cone 6 functional ware and a variety of sculptural forms. As a member of the Illinois Artisans Program, I create works for the Illinois State Gallery system, works by commission, sell work at various art festivals and provide arts consultation services for both educational and commercial concerns.