Stanton resident displays his pottery at Christmas event
By Daniel Arens
One Stanton native has had the opportunities to develop an interest into a hobby, and now he is even making a small local business out of his pursuit.
Stoneware pottery is a process of shaping and heating clay for various designs and items. During Stanton’s Holiday Fair, Brian Kerns took the opportunity to display some of the pottery that he has made recently.
Kerns produces both functional pottery and more artistic designs, although he only sells functional items. His personal interest in design comes from turn-of-the-century arts and crafts pottery styles, while his functional pottery includes mugs, plates, bowls, and jars.
For the most part, Kerns operates with simple shapes, keeping a fairly simple form and glaze.
“Simple designs appeal to me,” he said, explaining that classic forms of pottery are his aesthetic.
Design, Kerns explained, is subjective; each person has a different feel for what appeals to him, and each person should seek to create works that match his or her own artistic flavor.
Kerns has a kiln in his garage, at which he heats his products at temperatures of 2,300 degrees Fahrenheit, which is known as Cone 6 in terms of heat measurement.
The process of transforming clay into pottery involves several steps. First, Kerns purchases clay from either Hebron or Minneapolis, depending on what his purpose is. He then mixes the clay to the proper condition with a pugmill.
