In order to maintain the highest standards in my work, I personally perform all of the work necessary to create my pottery. I make each piece one at a time by combining many techniques I have mastered in a unique and different style you will not find anywhere else.
There are multiple steps I must take to create a piece of my artwork. I first
start with a ball of clay which I hand form on the potters wheel. This technique
known as “throwing” allows me to make every piece unique in size
and shape. While the clay is still very soft, I use a variety of handmade tools
to press into the clay to create my patterns and textures. I never use any molds,
stencils, or guidelines. All of the uniformity in my patterns are achieved by
eye. Living in Florida, I am very much influenced by the tropical plants found
in my surroundings. I try and emulate the natural patterns of expansion and
growth (known as Fractals in the math world) into my work by pushing the boundaries
of form and surface. To finish the work, I airbrush multiple layers of metallic
and colorful matte glazes to the surface of the piece both on the interior and
exterior. This technique allows me to highlight the textures, which gives a
soft, almost glowing, unique translucent quality to each piece while unifying
the interior and exterior to achieve a seamless ness not usually found in ceramics
vessels.
Education:
1996 Northern Michigan University, Bachelors of Fine Art, Ceramics
1993 Oakland Community College, Farmington Hills
WorkShops:
1996 "Single fire with Steven
Hill", Kalamazoo Institute of Arts
1995 "Pit-Firing with Patrick Dragon", Northern Michigan University
Apprenticeship:
1996-99 Dragon Clay Studio, apprentice for Patrick Dragon
Scholastic Awards:
1994-96 Board of Control, Art and Design Scholarship
1995-96 Board of Control, Scholastic Scholarship
Permanent Collections:
2002 Highland Park Hospital, Highland Park, Ill
1999 Glenbrook Hospital, Evanston, ILL.
1999 Raymond James Financial, Corporate Collection, Tampa, FL.
Exhibitions:
2002 "Bottled Spirits" Shands Gallery, Louisville, KY
Awards:
2002 American Craft Exposition, Evanston, Ill "Purchase Award"
2002 Gasparilla Festival of the Arts, Tampa, Fl "merit award"
2002 Fort Worth Arts Festival, TX, "Best in Ceramics"
2001 Arts, Beats, & Eats, Pontiac MI, "Best in Ceramics"
2001 Beaux Arts Festival, Coral Gables, Fl "2nd place, ceramics"
2000 Arts, Beats, & Eats, Pontiac MI, "Best in Ceramics"
2000 Cherry Creek Arts Festival, Denver Co, "Merit Award"
2000 Coconut Grove Festival of Arts, Miami, Fl "Best in Ceramics"
2000 Beaux Arts Festival, Coral Gables, FL "Best of Show"
1999 Temple Beth El, St. Petersburg, Fl "Award of Excellence"
1999 American Craft Exposition, Evanston, Ill "Purchase Award"
1999 Gasparilla Festival of the Arts, Tampa, Fl "Best of Show"
1999 Temple Beth El, St. Petersburg, Fl "Award of Excellence"
1998 Mairfair by the Lake, Lakeland, Fl "Merit Award"
1998 Spring Arts Festival, Gainsvillle, Fl "Award of Distinction"
1998 The Delray Affair, Delray Beach, Fl "Best in 3-D"
1997 Space Coast Art Festival, Coco Beach, Fl"Best in Ceramics"
1996 Roeper 96 Art Festival, Birmingham, MI "Best in Ceramics"
1996 WaterFront Invitational, Saugatuck, MI "Art Club Award"
1996 Art Birmingham, Birmingham, MI "Third in Ceramics"
1996 "Pile-In", Senior Exhibit, N.M.U., Marquette, Mi "Best in
Show"
1996 Arts Students League, Annual Art Show, "Best in Show"
1996 14th Annual Helen Deroy Art Competition, "Cash Award"
1995 Glacier Glide, Presque Isle Park, Marquette, "First in Ceramics"
1995 All Media Show, Northern Michigan University, "Best of Show"
1995 StrawBerry Snow, Northern Michigan University, "Best of Show"
"I was stunned by the simplicity, exquisite artistry and the way that the artist understood that there was value in unifying the surfaces of the interior and exterior. There's a seamlessness about the work, from a distance, I thought it was glass." - Mark Richard Leach, Director, Mint Museum of Craft and Design, (Tampa Tribune-Times, March 8th,1999)
James Spiroff was born an artist. He has been exhibiting and winning awards with his art work since grade school. Growing up in the Motor City Area, James has many relatives who worked in the automobile industry, including his late Grandfather who was a Designer at Ford Motor Company. As a young boy, James' love for the automobile was evident with his constant drawing and sketching of cars and trucks. Six years in a row he entered and won the AutoRama Automobile Design Competition, a state-wide design competition in which he won first place every year.
After graduating from high school in 1990, he enrolled in classes at Oakland Community College. For three years he worked various jobs, and took every art course offered at O.C.C. Realizing it was time to move on, James was accepted into the prestigious Center for the Creative Studies, Industrial Design Department in Detroit. But, he opted instead to head north to the beautiful Upper Peninsula and study ceramics at Northern Michigan University. After three years of intensive study and studio time, James earned his Bachelor of Fine Arts degree with top honors in the Art department, winning the coveted "Best of Show" award in the senior exhibit. This was just the beginning of a successful career as a ceramic artist. Continuing to learn as much as possible about clay, he enrolled in two summer hands-on workshops; one was a week-long workshop with Steven Hill of Red Star Studios fame from Kansas City; the other workshop was a two-week workshop focusing on Pit-firing with Patrick Dragon. Later that fall, Patrick offered James a paid apprenticeship with him at his studio in Orlando, Florida. What was originally to be a one year commitment turned into two great years of learning and development with a great mentor, father, and friend. Living and working side by side with Dragon was instrumental in furthering James career. After the first year of working with Patrick, James began exhibiting his new work at regional street fairs. He was quickly rewarded for his efforts with many cash awards including the "Best of Show" at the Gasparilla Festival of the Arts in Tampa, Florida. This was an astounding cash award of fifteen thousand dollars. Needless to say, the apprenticeship quickly ended, and with the award money, James set up his own studio at his home in Orlando in the 240sq. ft. one car garage for which he maintained until March of 2001. At that time James and his new wife Dr. Jennifer Smith D.C. purchased a new home together in a more peaceful rural setting in Deltona, Florida. His current studio is a nice 1500sq.ft. building near their home which serves as both the ceramic studio and a car hobby shop. The "shop" has an interesting mix of clay, wood, metal, and automotive tools including a 9000# Automobile lift. (He takes his hobbies pretty seriously.)
James says he feels fortunate to be able to work full time as an artist, which also gives him time to be creative in many other ways. He continues to exhibit nationally and win awards with his work at many of the most prestigious shows in the country including the Cherry Creek Arts Festival (merit award), and the American Craft Exposition (purchase awards 1999 & 2002) and many others. He has won over 25 awards including seven "Best of Shows" and six "Best in Ceramics" awards. His work is quickly becoming collectable, and can be purchased here on-line, or at craft fairs and select galleries throughout the country.