Shawn Ireland

Shawn Ireland received his BFA from Kutztown University in 1990. Over the course of the next 5 years he attended 25 workshops at Penland. He was then apart of the Penland Core Student wok exchange program from 1993-1995. From 1996-1999 he was a resident potter at Penland. He Visiting Artist Internship from the University of Georgia (2006-2008) and spent three semesters potting and oil painting in beautiful Cortona, Italy. Shawn was the 2015 Resident Artist Coordinator at Scuola Internazionale di Grafica, Venice, Italy. Shawn now resides in Bakersville, North Carolina. 

“Most everything I do in my daily life relates to my passion for art. I surround myself with what I find beautiful and seek out images and objects that resonate. I love making things at the wheel or the easel and I love being lost in the moments of making or “in the search”. Watching, feeling and experiencing the beautiful natural qualities of clay and oil paint are what make this searching such a pleasure. Working from a foundation of folk tradition, I make pots with food, flowers and candles in mind.  For me, this involves using a variety of hand processed local clays and glaze materials, single firing in a wood burning kiln, and using a kick wheel. These ingredients promote surprises and keep my craft connected to the natural world."