Dave Sharp

Dave has been 'doing' ceramics approximately fifteen years now - starting with a weekend raku workshop in Brisbane, Australia. He resides in a special spot - Pūrākaunui, a tidal inlet some north of Dunedin and fifteen minutes from Port Chalmers.  Dave’s studio/workshop is on site, a bit squeezy than the original one but following a move [still within Pūrākaunui] he has enough room produce his ceramics.

Raku remains his preferred method of firing - most of all he loves its immediacy and its randomness, though the latter is also a source of frequent frustration [as all raku-firers will appreciate.]  He fires in a home-made gas kiln, but has spent more time recently electric-firing, primarily in firing the slab-built boats. Work is hand-built using a variety of techniques - often 'invented' as he goes; similarly, pieces are also largely worked out as he builds, sometimes informed by a few rough sketches.  The glazes are from recipes gleaned and played with over time.

Of late, inspired by my friend Phillip Maxwell's wonderful boat paintings, I have been making boats: these are reminiscent of childhood for me with a cartoon-like quality that I sometimes enhance through the use of rough pastel highlight lines.

Much of the pleasure I derive from working with clay is in figuring out the many and various technical issues, especially in the building stage. This may explain why I find it difficult to stay with a given form-or even theme: alternately, I also frequently wonder if my inability to do this is some kind of creative immaturity - a bit 'jack-of-all-trades-master-of-none'?  Regardless, I am happy to be where I am - with so much to learn!