Sam Taylor uses wood to fire his stoneware ceramics, a process more interesting, labor intensive and harder to control than conventional gas firing. A lover of functional pottery, Taylor’s pots are always functional, although as he admits, some are “prettier to look at while other pieces are more rewarding to use.” Taylor use a non-electric, treadle-style kick wheel to create his work, a departure from most potters. Taylor throws, then alters the works by paddling or faceting them. He enjoys the decorative process, a fact not lost upon viewers of his works. Much of his work has glaze or slip-decorated surfaces, which thrive and are enriched by the woodfire, creating one of a kind, singularly beautiful pieces.

Taylor studied ceramics in Wisconsin and now makes his home in Westhampton, Massachusetts. His business, Dog Bar Pottery, is named after the Dog Bar Breakwater in Gloucester, MA, where he once lived and made pots.

“The process of firing our kiln with wood is exhilarating. The fire makes the kiln come alive –but trying to control something that has a life of its own is intensely challenging.  The fire reaches temperatures up to 2,300 degrees Fahrenheit and must be fed for 24 hours.  A flame sometimes 40 feet long flows through the kiln like a river overflowing its banks.  None of the pottery is spared by the fire or by the ash and salt that are carried along with it.  Each piece of pottery that comes out of the kiln has its own story to tell. Even two pots, practically identical and put in the kiln side by side, will be completely different from each other once fired.”

“I like firing with wood because the same qualities of observation and repetition are important. I cannot control my wood fired kiln. I can only try to intelligently direct it.  Each firing is different, which can be as disappointing as it is exciting. Disappointing because nothing is exactly as beautiful as the time before. And exciting because some pots are more beautiful than ever.”

The Dog Bar Pottery is named for the Dog Bar Breakwater in Gloucester, Massachusetts. “The Dog Bar is a great place. Sticking out into the ocean for more than a quarter mile, and paved with gigantic granite paving stones, the Dog Bar offers some measure of protection to Gloucester and the Harbor that lies within from the temperamental waters of the Atlantic. A prime time to check it out is at night when the moon is full and Dog Boys from near and far gather there to howl at the moon and exchange dog tales. For many years I lived in Gloucester and made pottery there. And for many years, each month when the moon was full, in fair weather and in foul, I trekked out to the end of the Dog Bar. Since moving away from Gloucester, I am not always able to get to the Dog Bar for the full moon. Occasionally I am able to lure Dog Boys out of my pottery in Westhampton, MA. We have no ocean and we have no breakwater, but it’s pretty nice out here anyway."

Sam Taylor's works at the Gallery vary in price from $95-375. Please call for more information.