Red Lodge Clay Center – AIA 2023
Hamish Jackson started working with clay at Winchcombe Pottery in England, where he is from. He followed the pottery dream to North Carolina, where he completed a four-year apprenticeship with Mark Hewitt.
In 2023, Hamish earned an MFA from Utah State University. He has studied and exhibited in many countries, including England, Italy, Thailand, Japan and the United States. He currently lives with his wife and daughters in Oregon, where he is the artist in residence at Pleasant Hill Pottery.
I strive to make comfortable pots that people use every day. I forage for local clay and turn local rocks and minerals into glazes.
This is a time-intensive practice and it involves lots of testing. It is a labor of love. I enjoy the pursuit of something new, trying to coax special pots from the materials I have close at hand. My goal is to connect my pots — and the people who use them — to the places where the materials come from.
I also choose to wood and soda-fire my pots. These firings are often beguiling and arduous in their own right: so much can go wrong, but when everything comes together, the results are all the more satisfying.
For a deeper dive into my potting philosophy, check out my article in Studio Potter, “Wild Glazes from your Backyard.”