Meet your Monitors: Robert Sheldon
Article by Victory Nichols
Monitor Robert Shelton has been making pots since 1965 (longer than this author has been around!) and it shows in his work. Robert’s wife was looking for a new hobby and convinced him to take a class with her. She decided it wasn’t her cup of tea, but Robert got clay in his blood during that fi rst class, and he’s still going strong.
Most of Robert’s hobbies involve making things (metal work, wood working, etc.). He loves the idea of taking a project from a raw state to a finished work of art. Clay is his favorite though, because of its unlimited possibilities, and he throws himself into it without restraint. Robert explains, “most of us don’t stretch the medium as far as we can.”
Robert’s work is almost entirely wheel-thrown. Lately, he’s been focusing on lidded pots, and since taking Cynthia Siegel’s carved pots class, he has added intricate carving to his vessels. Robert likes to see how light he can make a piece, both through construction and alteration. He loves altering his pots and changing their shape, saying that he likes to “give it an attitude.” His goal is, “to keep developing larger, lighter pots with something about them that grabs the eye.” This is why he loves altering pots so much. Robert maintains that, “the hand of the potter needs to show in the piece,” and each potter should search for his or her own style.
Robert began monitoring to fi ll in an empty shift. “That’s what makes CAG go, is volunteers,” he reports. It’s important to understand that CAG exists to support the clay programs, and without the volunteers, guild memberscannot get the full experience. He loves CAG because it gives him a sense of doing something worthwhile. He likes to give of himself by volunteering, and says that the nature of ceramics requires more time in the studio than once-a-week class time. Open studio time allows artists to refi ne and cement in their minds the techniques they learned in class. “Open studio time is crucial to the program. Volunteering for the CAG makes this possible.”
Robert has a wheel and kiln at home, but he likes working at the studio because of the other guild members who are around. He enjoys working with people, and getting ideas from the work that others are doing.
Stop by the studio during Robert’s shift and get to know this dynamic potter!