Dow Red Corn, artist
Sunset and Moonrise Pitcher, 2020
White stoneware

I have been fascinated with nature, forests and the life cycles of trees my entire lifetime. The aspen of Colorado, the bald cypress of Louisiana and the white oak and acorns in my own backyard have all been sources of my inspiration. My artwork reflects this in the form of trees, acorns, leaves and stumps. My forms are made of stoneware, primarily thrown and sometimes altered. Once they have taken shape, they are carved using various tools and techniques to create a mix of reality and fanciful natural forms. They are airbrushed with underglaze and mid-fired with clear matte or gloss glaze. Current work includes atmospheric landscapes of deep forests and tree images. Sometimes, shapes include “Tree” pots, stump mugs, acorn salt and pepper shakers, bird and animal inspired pitchers. Anything is imaginable.

I have been making ceramics for over twelve years and am primarily a self-taught artist, but have learned many techniques through workshops, studio demonstrations, and miscellaneous classes. As a Native American from the Osage Indian Tribe in N.E. Oklahoma, the images of animals, nature and spirits that have long adorned our tribe’s ceremonial clothing and blankets have had an influence on my work.