Dogstar Designs
Jim Jennings has been throwing pottery in 1967. Offering fine art clay pottery and wood bowls.
Jim began throwing pottery in 1967 when in high school. There was a treadle there that no one knew how to use and I was just determined to figure it out. One year later he bought my own wheel with money he had saved up mowing lawns and odd jobs. That wheel was a LOCKERBIE model and is the wheel he uses to this day.
CONTACT INFO
- Fredericktown, OH
- 740-694-6326
Fredericktown, OH • Tel: 740-694-6326
I began throwing pottery in 1967 while in high school. There was a treadle there that no one knew how to use and I was determined to figure it out. One year later, I bought my own wheel with money I had saved up from mowing lawns and odd jobs. That wheel was a LOCKERBIE model and is the wheel I use to this day.
I didn't have much time to afford throwing pottery for many years after high school, but in 1994 I built a studio building on my farm, determined to make pottery at my pleasure. Back then I worked to create ART, but soon learned that if I wanted this hobby to at least pay for its self I would need to make more functional pieces.
At this point my thinking changed to "Craft is just art with an identity crisis". Then everything sort of turned a corner. It seems now as though the limits to my sales are only those that I put on myself. I want to enjoy my craft and not destroy that with production filling orders.
My main focus is wheel thrown pottery however, I also enjoy hand built, slab work or any process to accomplish a piece in my mind. I use stoneware clay fired to 2,250º, I make most all of my own glazes and all of my pieces are food and oven safe.
Another one of my interests is wood work, whether it be construction, cabinetry or furniture. In 1997 my wife and I were at the wood working show in Columbus Ohio. At this show there was a man demonstrating bowl turning. I stood in the back of the crowd watching, and over the next hour I moved forward as people left until I was just in front of the protective plexiglass across from the demonstrator. This man had noticed me watching him for the hour, looked at me and asked "Do you want to try this?". I said "YES!" My wife said "NO!". I went behind the screen; he gave me the tool and that was it. The next day cost me over $2,000 in equipment and turning tools. I am on my fourth lathe now and many thousands of dollars later.
Most all of my wood to be turned comes off of my farm from trees that have fallen. I always look for wood that has character of grain, or even a knot hole. I do not alter my bowls. The wood has been created by God and I do my best to display his work. I take pride in my professional approach and contribution to the finished pieces, each of which is created and signed by me, along with the identification of the type of wood used. With my turned wood, as well as my pottery, I place a bit of my personality into each and every piece, and therefore it is unique, created by my fingers, my thoughts, and is not a copy of something I have seen.
