Eshelman Pottery
Paul Eshelman
Elizabeth, Illinois
Paul Eshelman’s clay vessels order and dignify human life. The simple fueling of one’s body can be given poignancy and weight when the vessels used are not heartless disposables but well-crafted pots that serve with elegance. Clarity is given to his simple forms by contrasting glazed and unglazed surfaces. Pure, clean glazes render elegant presentation of food and drink. Paul’s developing artistic interests were directed along practical lines as he grew up in Iowa. Simple utilitarian objects such as those produced by American Shakers guided him aesthetically. He received a B.A. in art from the University of Puget Sound in Tacoma, Washington and an M.F.A. in ceramics from the Rhode Island School of Design in Providence, Rhode Island. Since 1988, Paul has been living and making pottery in Elizabeth, a small farming community in Northwestern Illinois.
His pieces are made of red stoneware and the glazes are lead-free. The wares may be safely used in the microwave and dishwasher as well as the conventional oven if the oven is not preheated. (Casseroles may be used in a preheated oven.)
