davis pottery and davis pottery minitries
davis pottery was started around 1996 while I was attending University of Central Oklahoma. It had not manifested into a business yet just a thought of one day owning a studio of my own. I just wanted to make enough money to support the studio. While at UCO I took classes from Frank Simmons. An excelent teacher and mentor. Frank would allow you to try about anything. If you came to him with a question he simply would ask if you had done research about the question or say "Try it and find out." This made me mad at times , along with alot of other students. But it was this simple phrase that has stuck with me most out of all his classes. TRY IT AND FIND OUT. He would stop you if you were going to blow up the kiln room or damage others work. So for three years I took classes . I think about all they offered in the area of pottery. From beginers to Glaze formulation. By this time I had decided this would be the best way to make a living. A few years now have gone by and , well , my schooling is yet not complete. I have a " real " job at an automotive assembly plant here in oklahoma. Great pay , but by now with a wife other things were a priority.
I took a second job for about 2 years. This is how i got the extra money for equiptment without setting back my family. In Jan. of 1998 davis pottery was started out of my garage in Moore, OK. I only got half, my wife gets the other half for her car. It took my almost 3 months to get a good firing and test tiles for good glazes.
I had equiptment , but not much chemicals for mixing my own glazes (which I prefer). I had decided to go with a smooth white stoneware clay and colour the clay body with stains . Then cover with a simple clear glaze. This would do untill I could come up with some better glazes. Well.... that was a good year or more by now and it is still my primary style. Most work , due to my limited pottery schedule, is sold to family and friends. I have a hudge wheeled cart lined with foam rubber that I wheel out to the assembly plant and sell to my co-workers. This has sustained me thus far. This year is my year for expansion. By the end of this year you will be able to see my work in 3 venues. More to come................
davis pottery ministries
davis pottery ministries , as it is currently called, was started to promote Jesus Christ thru the arts. The medium I use is clay. This concept started about the time I had decided pottery is what I wanted to do , if possible , for a living. The idea is not mine alone. I am sure thru the years that others have done this as well. One I know of is known as The Potter out of , I believe , Eureka Springs ,Arkansas. WHAT davis pottery ministries consists of is telling of how GOD works IN us. While illustrating this on a potters wheel. You see the clay has to go thru changes much as the christian does. The clay has the same basic elements as You and I . The main difference is that we have been made with the Living Water. As the clay is started on the wheel it is shapeless and spinning around and around, no center but with plenty of room to grow. This is like the baby christian. Great potential but unfortunately , a lot of us stay here for a long time. As the hands of The Master Potter in heaven work in us we become more centered on Him , and begin to grow.As I create a vessel of clay on the wheel this becomes more clear. And as we yield to GOD as the clay does to my hands it grows into a useful vessel, reflecting what giving in to GOD can do for christians.I know this image is clear to me, I want to be a useful vessel for God.
ANOTHER part of davis pottery ministries is to go thru the firing process of clay. This is a hands on illustration for the viewer. I have a portable raku kiln that I am able to take with my potters wheel to the location. What you do here is to choose a pot that I have brought with me and glaze it. I bring pre-made liquid glaze and paint brushes along so you can decorate the pot any way you like. You can't really tell what it will look like at this point, only by comparing it to samples I bring. Once it goes thru the raku firing process it is ready to take home as a reminder of the fire we must go thru and that each of us is an original masterpiece from GOD.This part of the ministry I have to charge for . About per pot. This covers the pot you glaze, glaze , propane and other little things to do with the process. Either part of davis pottery ministries can be done apart from each other. I do not charge a thing for the wheel demonstration. I do ask that you allow those who wish to buy some of the works I bring with me to do so.
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