All purchased artworks will be shipped after the end of the exhibition on December 9th.
Nathan Heatherly, Mushroom Mug, 2024, clay and underglaze, Electric Fired Cone 6, 5" x 4" x 4"
Nathan Heatherly is a potter who currently lives in South Bend, Indiana, but is originally from Asheville, North Carolina. Nathan graduated with a degree in Business Administration from Union University in 2019 and discovered his love for working with clay when he took a beginner handbuilding course his junior year. After taking that course, he sought out every ceramics course he could fit into his schedule before he graduated. Nathan had been making pottery in his home studio since graduating from undergrad in 2019.
The inspiration for Nathan’s work derives from hiking, camping, and exploring the Appalachian Mountains. His pots also draw influence from local folk potters. He attempts to interweave his passion for the outdoors with folk influence to help remind the users of his mugs and ceramicware to get outside and enjoy the small details in nature around them. To create these mugs, Nathan throws and sculpts the forms to represent tree trunks and knots on a tree. He then will hand carve with a scoring tool and needle tool to create the deep texture across the pots. He then uses a stencil he created, underglaze, and a screwdriver to resemble the trail signage to go on cups. Then iron oxide is used to bolden the depth of the texture and to bring out the details across the cup.
Nathan won first place at the 10th Annual Cup show in 2022 at Jansen Art Center and has shown his work at Brockway Center for the Arts, River Oaks Square Art Center, and Good Earth Gallery. You can find NH Pottery for sale mostly online and at galleries but makes an appearance at local craft fairs and festivals multiple times throughout the year!