John Warfel

I’ve been working with clay on and off since the early 70’s.   I was introduced to pottery while at SUNY Oswego  and was fortunate to  have some very dynamic and talented teachers  in both industrial and art ceramics.  My early work was all functional stoneware and in a few years I started working in porcelain as well.  Now all of my  work is low fired and includes terra-cotta, Raku, and pit-fired pieces.

My wife and I moved to Block Island in 1981 and have been living here year round since then.   I know that living on Block Island has shaped me as an artist.  I feel that my work is subtler and more organic these days.  The colors and textures of winter can be found in my pit-fired work while Raku is more spontaneous and bright  like the vivid colors of a clear winter’s day.  My forms evolve from what I see in nature;  the erosion of a bank that exposes the stratification of the soil, the wind blown weathering of all that’s around me,  the texture and color of seaweed and driftwood washed up on the shore, and the various colors and images of the changing seasons.  The winter brings long quiet hours of contentment in my studio while working with wood and clay as my wood stove warms my space.