BIO | Jim Perez-Wood

I am a retired graphic designer with a background in advertising and packaging design. Exploring ideas and themes to communicate a message has always been my passion. This was a two-dimensional journey for me until I discovered clay. The magic of the wheel mesmerized me the first time I saw a potter transform a spinning ball of clay into a vase. It was years before I could devote any time to pottery. 

 

Ancient pottery was a practical solution – containers for food and water. Craftsmen in the ancient world refined forms and added illustrations to record history. Creating balanced forms and painting detailed messages became a skill. The shapes and graphics on ancient pottery fascinates me as the potter did that I watched years ago. 

 

While the functional need for pottery still exists, the desire for decorative objects fills our daily lives. I generally create decorative pottery. My work combines graphic design and the physical connection of wheel throwing to apply visual ideas to three dimensional art. It allows the viewer to feel textures and weight as much as see shapes and bold, contrasting colors. 

 

Living in the southwest, dramatic complimentary colors plus the textural quality of the desert landscape inspires my color choices and tactile intentions. Raku is one of my favorite techniques. Firing outdoors with flames invokes that raw sense of ancient pottery made centuries ago.