Tag: pottery

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Sean O’Connell’s Work is About the Pleasure of the Handmade

Meet Sean O’Connell, Penland Resident Artist.

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Hi, my name is Sean O’Connell. I’ve been a potter, amongst other things, for the better part of 20 years.

For me, making by hand is a deliberate attempt at slowing down, connecting to something deeper, and taking time to appreciate the pleasure of labor. 

Penland has been home for the last 2½ years. During that time, I’ve continued to pursue pottery as well as branching out into sculptural work, painting, wood carving, and making calligraphy brushes.

All of these different parts of my practice are threaded together by a common theme of utility and self-expression.

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Applications for the Penland Resident Artist program are open through July 2.

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Please enjoy a small selection of Sean’s work and process:

Works in progress, 2024

Firing the wood kiln at The Barns


Funny Bean, acrylic, ink, collage, paper on panel

Brush-mark Platter, stoneware, slip, glaze

Assorted Handmade brushes


Serving dish, stoneware, slip, glaze

Hand-carved, wooden spoons


Brush-mark Sculpture, stoneware , slip, pigment

Penland wood kiln at The Barns

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Discover more of Sean’s work HERE.

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Photo of the Week: Clay Studio Friends

Daniel Johnston and Bill Jones at Penland

On the left is North Carolina potter Daniel Johnston. On the right is Bill Jones. In the middle is a pot that Daniel made as a demonstration a couple of weeks ago for the two-month, fall clay concentration taught by Suze Lindsay and Kent McLaughlin. In 2011, Bill was a beginning student in Kent and Suze’s last concentration. He returned in 2012 for a concentration taught by Matt Kelleher. After that, he worked as Daniel’s apprentice for two years. This fall, he’s back in the Penland clay studio as Suze and Kent’s assistant. This is one way to become a potter.

 

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Kiln to Table

 

Tableware by Jospeh Pintz. Photo by Mark LaFavor for American Craft.
Tableware by Jospeh Pintz. Photo by Mark LaFavor for American Craft.

 

Four ceramists and Penland instructors are featured in American Craft ‘s focus on tableware this month. The feature is now online and celebrates, through short interviews, different approaches ceramists have to making functional pieces for the table. Check out responses from:

 

Jason Bige Burnett (teaching at Penland in Fall 2014 or Spring 2015)
Heather Mae Erickson (teaching at Penland, Summer 2014)
Joseph Pintz (teaching at Penland, Summer 2014)
Tara Wilson (taught at Penland, Fall 2009)