At the age of 21, David Hendley decided his career path was to be a professional potter. His clayart trajectory took him from Big Clay Pottery in California, to having a studio at Clay Suppliers in Dallas, to selling his wares on the art fair circuit across the U.S . He finally wound up at the Old Farmhouse Pottery in Maydelle Texas, which he set up as a pottery studio and shop in 1980. All the pottery he produces here is made in a wood fired kiln and he exploits clay extrusion techniques to great effect.
David’s pottery is both refined and amusing. His dancing vases look like they have been waiting eons to be liberated from their rigid symmetrical verticals. I’m not sure if it’s his background as a musician or his wizard scorcery that gets his “apprentice” vases to look so animated. All pots are fired at 2400f , making a hard , durable surface with rich colours and David formulates and mixes all the clays, slips, colors, and glazes. The results he achieves are multi coloured glazes leaning towards an oriental style and each piece he creates is an original.
Lidded vase, white slip and cobalt-green glaze
Stoking the Kiln
Pottery Extrusion Class
Asymmetrical gourd bottles
dinnerware tenmoku plates
A spire jar made using clay extrusion.
Wavy vase, salmon slip
Tumblers
see more at www.farmpots.com
1 Comment
We have a Pottery Guild in Clifton, TX with about 15 active members. We try to bring in a Texas potter each quarter for a worksho[p. In visiting with Lisa Orr re. our concerns re. glazing she suggested you as a resource. I love the “extruding” idea as well. If you are availble for workshops and would like to talk please call me on my cell phone 214-478-4994.
Thanks,
Kay