RSSPortrait Gallery: Terry Shepherd
“No matter how much you learn, most artists I know consider themselves students of process, anyway,” says artist Terry Shepherd, who began working with ceramics in the 1970s.
This trapezoid slab stoneware platter was created by Terry Shepherd, the artist in residence at The Art Center, 1803 N. Seventh St.
Before Terry Shepherd produced perfect platters, he put out misshapen mugs.
“We all start in the same place,” Shepherd said with a smile recently at his studio space.
Now in his 41st year as a professional ceramic artist, Shepherd, 59, has made plenty of mistakes and learned through each one.
He’s been the professional artist in residence at The Art Center since 1997.
His start in ceramics likely was different from some long-time artists. When he enrolled at Mesa Junior College in the early 1970s, Shepherd planned to study anthropology and archaeology. Intrigued by the importance of pottery in ancient cultures, Shepherd took a college studio class to learn more about how ceramics were made.
He found clay to be so intriguing that he never finished his college degree. Instead, he moved from Grand Junction to the North Fork Valley to train and work with other professional artists. Among the people he met in the Aspen area was renowned ceramic artist Paul Soldner, largely considered an innovator in American ceramic art.
Shepherd counts his time with Soldner among the most treasured periods of his professional career.
Because of Soldner, Shepherd developed a love for Raku ceramics, which is a Japanese method of firing clay quickly at a lower temperature. Consequently, Raku works are porous and intended to be decorative.
However, Shepherd also produces functional porcelain and stoneware pieces such as bowls, mugs and platters safe for sink and stove.
Shepherd is fascinated by the glazing process, as is evidenced by the intricate details he puts in the glazes.
“The process intrigues me as much as the finished product,” said Shepherd, who frequently teaches classes through The Art Center. “No matter how much you learn, most artists I know consider themselves students of process, anyway.”
Shepherd’s ceramics are part of the January show at The Art Center titled “Hands on Texture: Journeys in Clay and Applique Quilts.” The show is on display through Jan. 27.
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