Paul the Potter

I’m Paul Davis and I’m a potter working in Seagrove and Pittsboro, North Carolina. I’ve spent the past year establishing my pottery at my home on Hatchett Road in Yanceyville, NC.

My time with clay began in Greenville, NC in early 2020 as a hobby recommended by my brilliant wife, Cori. In no time at all I began to view pottery as a means of making a living. I started to explore North Carolina’s rich pottery culture and discovered the work of Daniel Johnston, a big pot maker in Randolph County, near Seagrove. Having never met the man, I pulled up to his door one day and asked for an apprenticeship. He was unable to take me on at the time but invited me to work the next firing. I’d helped fire Daniel’s kiln five times when Cori’s work towards her doctorate took us back to Oklahoma; where I’m from and where we met.

We spent a year in Oklahoma delighted to be close to our family and friends again. I was able to make pots and take advantage of Oklahoma City’s robust art scene, but we missed the beaches and mountains and, most especially, the clays of North Carolina. So, as Cori’s last year of her PhD came to a close and she started searching for a job, this is where we looked. She was able to find a job in Danville, VA, right on the NC-VA border, and we bought a house in Yanceyville, far closer to Seagrove than we were before. Around that time, Daniel’s former apprentice, Kade Greer, was moving on. So when I went to him asking, yet again, for an apprenticeship, he was able to say yes, and thus began my formal education as a potter.

Another year went by under Daniel’s instruction and I made tons of big pots. I learned about clay bodies and glaze chemistry, the use of raw materials and how to fire a wood kiln. I built project kilns and exhibition installations for Daniel’s museum/gallery pursuits. I met loads of other potters. Wood fired pottery, more than any other kind, is a team sport. I met other apprentice level potters as well as some of the old timers — the ones whose moms and pops have been potting for generations. Perhaps most importantly, I also met buyers and collectors of pots. Folks who buy because of the stamp on the foot, folks who collect pots as investment opportunities, and folks who buy because of the inherent beauty in a well-crafted handmade object.

As Daniel’s apprentice I was ripe for the picking when his own teacher, Mark Hewitt, came looking for help firing his kiln. Mark, now in his late 60s, had stopped taking full-time apprentices a few years earlier but he still kept a single intern (2-days/week) and, of course, plenty of help for the firing. So when my time as Daniel’s apprentice came to an end Mark offered me the chance to work with him as an intern. I’d spent very little time making small pots with Daniel so I was eager to learn from Mark, who is not only highly regarded for his throwing skill, but has been described as the most influential North Carolina potter of the last 30 years. I’ve worked with Mark now for six months and, as it’s only two days/week, it’s pretty straightforward. I start every Monday by pugging all of the clay he needs for the week and then I throw pots for the rest of the day. On Tuesday I trim if needed then glaze and decorate my pots. Under Mark’s tutelage I’ve learned a great deal about design and decoration, efficiency at the wheel, and what it takes to make it as a potter.

While working for Mark I’ve also spent time building my first kiln. It’s a large gas kiln, which I expect to get me through the next five years while I acquire the materials to build a wood kiln. In the meantime, I’m still able to wood-fire as often as I like with Daniel. My kiln is nearly finished and by this summer I plan to be working entirely out of my own studio. 

Even four years in, my career as a potter is in its infancy. I’m very much looking forward to continuing to develop my skills and carrying on the traditions that have been passed down to me by my teachers. It is no small thing to have been trained by men of such skill and heritage of craft. I move forward with this in mind, but also an abiding desire to distinguish my work from that of the myriad other potters of North Carolina.

These next few years promise to be a time of exploration and growth, and I’d love to have you along for the ride. The best way to keep in touch is by joining my mailing list below and following my work on Instagram @hatchett.road.pottery

For any further inquiries please reach out via the Contact page.

Paul