Today we’d like to introduce you to Colin Peterson.
Hi Colin, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
My love for clay started early on. I had two aunts that were both ceramic artists, so I was familiar with the medium at a young age. It wasn’t until high school that I started working on the wheel with my ceramics teacher and mentor Alan Boyd. I attended East Carolina University and graduated in 2007 with a BFA and concentration in ceramics. After leaving college I moved back to my hometown of Wilmington, NC where I started up my pottery business. About four and a half years ago I had an opportunity to move to Charleston, so without hesitation, I packed up my things and moved further south to the Holy City. Once moving here, I was reinvigorated with the energy of a new town and the inspiration from multiple artists and friends that I surrounded myself with. I locked down a studio at Redux Contemporary Art Center, where I maintained that space for a year and a half. During this time, I restructured my business and with the help of a local branding company Se7en, I started Trim Pottery. I quickly became immersed in the local art scene which allowed me to make some solid connections with the artists around town. Namely Susan Gregory (a well-known local ceramic artist). Susan was nice enough to offer me an invitation to get in on the ground floor of an artist studio known as Studio Union, where I have been making my work for the better part of three years.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
My journey thus far could be analogous to the roads here in Downtown Charleston, rough, uneven, and filled with potholes. So sometimes you have to take an alternative route. I’ve had pieces break, kilns malfunction, projects canceled, flakey clients and the list goes on. Flexibility is key, and you have to know how to be adaptable in order to make it out on the other side.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I’m primarily a potter that specializes in functional utilitarian vessels. So, in other words, I create work that people can actually use in their daily lives. I think that’s what has always drawn me to ceramics and pottery in general. It’s one of the only forms of art that goes beyond just something to be visually admired, it serves more than one purpose.
During my years in college, I was initially inspired by the ancient potters of Japan and Korea as well as those from the southeastern United States, specifically in North Carolina. But as I’ve gotten more immersed in the medium, I’ve had my eyes opened and my mind was blown by all the incredible modern ceramic artists that are out there.
As of late, I have been experimenting with layered surface techniques utilizing underglazes, stencils, and an airbrush. This new process has allowed me to break away from my normal strict and methodical approach, to a spontaneous and free-formed body of work.
Any big plans?
In the future I plan to focus on singular forms and sets that would be entered into regional or national shows and displayed in galleries. My new emphasis has brought me back to my exploratory days in college. It has reignited my passion for clay, and given me a new path to traverse. I’m excited to see where it leads me next.
Contact Info:
- Email: trimpottery@gmail.com
- Website: www.trimpottery.com
- Instagram: @trimpottery
Image Credits
Mario Andre Romero and Gabby of Moosewears
