"All pottery is a copy. The only question is what the copy is aiming for; what element of the original it is seeking to emulate."
Kitaoji Rosanjin
Mike studied pottery in the late eighties at the University of Georgia
with Ron Meyers, Andy Nassisse and Michael Simon.
He lived in the Osaka-Kyoto region of Japan from 1989 to 1992 where
he traveled the country extensively, studying local folk pottery— both
ancient and modern.
In 1993 he studied with Connecticut wood-fire potter Todd Piker.
Since 1994, he’s been making pots in the “Jappalachian”
folk tradition in rural South Georgia. Recently Mike’s interests
have shifted westward from Japan and he’s become keenly interested
in the pottery of Southeast Asia— particularly Thailand and
Burma. He’s been fortunate enough to visit this area several
times to study the pots produced by these time-honored craftsmen.
Mike has worked closely with North Carolina wood-fire potter Shawn
Ireland in recent years, making and firing several loads of pottery
at Shawn’s studio—and often collaborating on special pieces.
