Pat Meheriuk

I have had a long affair with clay. I began my studies with informal classes and then received a BFA at the University of Texas here in Austin. I have a studio at my home and the majority of my work was for my pleasure. I have not focused on marketing and sold my work from my home usually once a year around the holidays. My work covers a wide range in clay bodies and firing temperatures. I do both wheelwork and hand building and am attracted to the lateral for the spontaneity that results. Oriental design elements speak to me and these are reflected in my work.

I have made clay faces for years and started building the clay Zen Men last year. Most of these are made with porcelain. I start with a small ball of clay about the size of an egg. I pinch and model this into a head. This is set aside to firm up while I build the body. I use slabs of porcelain some which may be textured and drape these around a form and then this body form is joined to the base. I fold the clay over to form the shoulders and then proceed to build the arms and the hands. After the body and head have firmed sufficiently, I join both parts: cover the figure with plastic and allow it to dry slowly. Porcelain is extremely sensitive. It warps and cracks so therefore has to be dried slowly. After the piece is completely dried, it is loaded into the kiln for the 1st firing … bisque firing. The next process is glazing … a multi-step approach. I rub iron oxide on the face to accentuate those features and then I decide how I want to glaze the piece. After glazing, the ware must dry thoroughly before it is fired again at a much higher temperature. I fire porcelain to 2305 degrees F . Firing and cooling times take well over 24 hours. Many pieces are reglazed and refired to achieve the effect that suits my satisfaction. Each man has its own personality. When building them, they happen. I have no preconceived intention.