| Matthew Kidney |
After graduating from Mapleton High School (Northern Ashland County) in 2000, I
attended Ashland University for 4 years and earned my Bachelors of Science in Art
Education, and a concentration in Printmaking. I am currently the high school visual art
teacher at my Alma Mater and I enjoy my students and my colleagues. I have also done
freelance work for many Ashland area businesses and provided private lessons to the
community for years. Ceramics have been my passion for the past 7 years, but it has
not always been so.
The very first time that I saw a potter working on the wheel I was mesmerized by the
process, but was quite frustrated by my first attempts once I sat down in front of the
wheel myself. With much patience, I began to finally take hold of the media and produce
some satisfactory work. As my abilities on the wheel progressed, and I had recreated
everything in the kitchen, I began looking for other glaze techniques to complete my
work. That is when I found Raku!
Raku can be translated from Japanese to English as “happiness” or “enjoyment” and I
feel this way after each and every firing. Fire has always captivated me and now I use it
to create beautifully decorated ceramic pieces. Feeling the intense heat, watching the
glaze being transformed inside the fire, and reducing the pieces in an oxygen-deprived
atmosphere is all part of the beauty of Raku. I was first drawn to ceramic works because
of their functionality and their beauty, but Raku has allowed me to create decorative
works unlike anything I had ever seen before. The metallic sheen and unique colors are
typical of the Western Raku technique that I use following the work of Paul Soldner.
attended Ashland University for 4 years and earned my Bachelors of Science in Art
Education, and a concentration in Printmaking. I am currently the high school visual art
teacher at my Alma Mater and I enjoy my students and my colleagues. I have also done
freelance work for many Ashland area businesses and provided private lessons to the
community for years. Ceramics have been my passion for the past 7 years, but it has
not always been so.
The very first time that I saw a potter working on the wheel I was mesmerized by the
process, but was quite frustrated by my first attempts once I sat down in front of the
wheel myself. With much patience, I began to finally take hold of the media and produce
some satisfactory work. As my abilities on the wheel progressed, and I had recreated
everything in the kitchen, I began looking for other glaze techniques to complete my
work. That is when I found Raku!
Raku can be translated from Japanese to English as “happiness” or “enjoyment” and I
feel this way after each and every firing. Fire has always captivated me and now I use it
to create beautifully decorated ceramic pieces. Feeling the intense heat, watching the
glaze being transformed inside the fire, and reducing the pieces in an oxygen-deprived
atmosphere is all part of the beauty of Raku. I was first drawn to ceramic works because
of their functionality and their beauty, but Raku has allowed me to create decorative
works unlike anything I had ever seen before. The metallic sheen and unique colors are
typical of the Western Raku technique that I use following the work of Paul Soldner.
| #12 9" D x 3.5" H $75 |
| #13 5.5" D x 9.5" H $75 |
| #5 6.5" D x 3.5" H $39 |
| #8 8" D x 5" H $75 |
| #9 5.5" D x 12" H $85 |
| #11 10" D $29 |
| #2 9" D x 4.5" H $85 |
| #6 7" D x 14.5" H $95 |
| #1 5.5" D x 6" H $45 |
| #7 7" D x 16" H $95 |
