ARTS & EDUCATION
around with different proportions. I might start off with a small foot, which will give the belly and the shoulder more lift. A small neck will direct the eye back in. You have to be physically aware of how the clay reacts to pressure points to create a pleasing shape while still keeping a consistent thickness from top to bottom.”
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With the initial form complete, Tad lets the pot air dry to a leather-hard condition. At this point the clay will retain its shape but will allow for trimming or adding handles, knobs, or lids. Shaped but unfired pottery, or greenware, is extremely fragile and is given a first-time or bisque firing in a kiln to remove any water left in the clay. The pot is now bone dry and ready for decoration. “I find inspiration for my designs in everything from photographs, nature, music, and relationships to my imagination,” Tad admits. Using glazes, stains, and oxides in various color combinations, he dips, pours, brushes, sprays, and squeezes from a bottle to create a literal or abstract interpretation of his idea. To melt the glaze and bond it to the clay, a second or glaze firing is done in an outdoor brick kiln. The gas kiln, which Tad designed and built in 1993, will ultimately reach temperatures of up to 2,380 degrees. “A gas kiln,” Tad says, “enables me to experiment with the effects that high temperatures have on the glazing techniques. At around 2,000 degrees I start looking through a peep hole to see what heat has done to the pots. By turning the damper, shutting it down some, gas collects in the kiln and interacts with the glaze to create interesting variations in the
In the Hands of Man w ritte n by SHERIL BE NNE T T TURNER photo g raphed by BRIAN ERKE NS
P
ottery — one of the most ancient of art forms. Crossing centuries, civilizations, and cultures, pottery-making arose out of necessity, but ultimately became a way to express the uniqueness of the people who created it. Today, although some of the tools have changed, the essential pottery
process remains the same. Using earth, water, wind, and fire, natural elements are reborn in the hands of man. And in the hands of one man, local potter Tad Hill, simple clay is transformed into stunning works of stoneware art. Already an accomplished sketch and watercolor artist at a young age, Edward Francis “Tad” Hill, III discovered his passion for pottery in 1982 while still in high school. “I was drawn to pottery because it allowed me to take two-dimensional art and merge it with three-dimensional form,” he reveals. “The form has always been my main point of interest. While I shape a pot, I look at how all the parts — the foot, the belly, the shoulder, the neck, the mouth, and the lip — relate to each other to make a whole pot. I play
surface of the pot.” In addition to creating exquisite and unique pottery, Tad also teaches art at Woodland Elementary School in Greer. Becoming a teacher though, he admits, was not always a clear or easy path. “Although I was born here, I spent the majority of my childhood moving from state to state attending different schools. Like a lot of kids in that situation, I struggled not only academically but socially.” He credits his grandmother, Dot Ryan, and local artist Scottie Hodges, once owners of Greenville’s Tempo Art Gallery, with giving his life direction. “As a child,” he continues, “they always sent me art supplies. When I moved back to the area to live with my grandmother in high school, they nurtured my artistic talent. Art became my voice. It gave me self-esteem and direction. I became a teacher because I wanted to help kids struggling to fit in because I could relate. Through art, I think I’ve made a difference.” Tad Hill’s pottery can be seen in local galleries and in his private studio in Taylors. For more information, please contact him at (864) 244-0042. d
36 Beacon Drive I-85 and Pelham Road •
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GreerNow APRIL 2007
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