Ryan McKerley
Ryan McKerley uses a vast repertoire of techniques including wax resist, water carving, and salt and soda glazing to create wonderous works of functional art. Most of his work is wheel thrown, water-carved, soda-fired porcelain. Water carving is a technique that uses wax patterns as a resist on unfired clay. The unwaxed areas are eroded away with a sponge and lots of water resulting in raised and relief areas. The result is a tactile feast.
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Ryan McKerley at MudFire
Group show Damn Right I Got the Blues, June 2011
Workshop presenter Water Carving In Clay, February 2010
Three person show The Curved Canvas, February 2010
Ryan McKerley Artist Bio
Ryan McKerley has been a full-time studio potter since 1995. He makes contemporary functional stoneware and porcelain vessels, which are fired in a wood or soda kiln. Ryan has taught at the Laguna Gloria Art School in Austin and the Southwest School of Art and Craft in San Antonio. He continues to give workshops in schools across Texas and in his studio.
Ryan McKerley Artist Statement
Almost everything about the studio potter lifestyle appeals to me. The self-sufficiency, the accessibility and usefulness of the work, and the comradeship of my peers all drew me to this way of life. The challenges of making, improving and surviving combine to make my world very interesting. I have focused on producing functional vapor-glazed vessels for the past ten years. My forms consist of cups, bowls, plates, vases, jars and teapots. I see these straightforward objects as blank canvasses. Most of my time in the studio is now spent decorating the surface of these forms.
