Check out Nicholas Bernard’s Artwork

Today we’d like to introduce you to Nicholas Bernard.

Nicholas, we’d love to hear your story and how you got to where you are today both personally and as an artist.
Early experiences with clay as a child apparently left a mark. After school, apprenticeships and more school, making pots was, is and will continue to be a way of life. I’ve been a studio potter for nearly 30 years now, living and working in Arizona for much of that time. My work as a professional has always been low fire earthenware.

For many years, my Raku pots were shown nationally. The influences are scattered from the Southwest, Africa, and Japan to the cultures of the Mediterranean. A museum full of 2000-year-old pots in Rhodes was an epiphany.

Simple forms with no contrivance or pretension filled room after room. I hope to make one like that before I’m done. Seeing those pots ten years ago started this current evolution. It began with soft muted colors, totally classic shapes. Amphora, ewers, and jugs with an ancient vibe. Then, textured pots with extravagant handles, spouts, and flourishes using brushed color. Over the last three years, the current body of work has evolved. Hot colors, simple closed forms with very controlled textures dominate.

The last piece finished today, good, bad or indifferent is the product of doing the work for many years. These pieces can’t be made without those experiences, successes, and failures, lots of failures. Even after 30 years, every day in the studio is an adventure; I’m looking forward to working tomorrow.

Form is everything; I stretch clay to make canvases for decoration. Texture, pattern, and color are successful additions when the shapes are impeccable. My inspirations are many, from the classic forms of antiquity to the simple, graceful pots made by indigenous peoples and the work of modern studio potters.

This current body of work deals mostly with simple, clean form. Handles and other flourishes are being added again after a four-year hiatus. Dramatic color and subtle texture accentuate what I hope is a mastery of the traditional vessel form.

Thrown earthenware, with layers of textured slip, colored slips, and oxides. Multiple gases or electric firings in oxidation to cone 03 or approximately 2000F.

We’d love to hear more about your art. What do you do you do and why and what do you hope others will take away from your work?
I am a studio potter. It’s all about the shapes.

What do you know now that you wished you had learned earlier?
Be professional in everything you do. Photography, paperwork, packing, shipping, correspondence and anything else related to showing and selling your work. Being reliable, on-time and attentive to your customers is something that goes a long way in today’s world.

Do you have any events or exhibitions coming up? Where would one go to see more of your work? How can people support you and your artwork?
www.nbernard.com
I show in galleries around the country. Let me know where you live and there may be a venue nearby.

Contact Info:

• Address: 6234 N Cattle Track Rd. Scottsdale, AZ 85250
• Website: nbernard.com
• Phone: 4804529045
• Email: nwbnw@cox.net
• Instagram: @nicholasbernardpottery
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Nicholas-Bernard-477575929074088/

Image Credit:
Nicholas Bernard

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