James BUSBY

Born: 1976 in Loma Linda, California
Medium: Wood-fired Ceramics

After receiving a BA degree in Art from Linfield College in Oregon, Jim Busby has continued working with clay. His passion is wood-fired ceramics, an age-old tradition in Japan. The process requires quite a long firing time--up to fourteen days, with wood being added to the fire continually around the clock. The result is work with wonderful colors from the firestorm within the kiln and ash deposits swirling about.

Jim likes to take risks in his life. He does auto racing and rock climbing and spends a great deal of time in the wilderness. In firing ceramics, he also takes risks by making large pieces, and placing them directly in the fire box, where risk of breakage is great, but the rewards are there as well--dynamic coloration and rich texture from ash and flame.

Jim has studied wood-fired ceramics and kiln design and building with Nils Lou in Oregon, Yuji Yasui from Mashiko in Maine, and Jeff Shapiro in Accord, New York. He has rebuilt woodfire kilns in Oregon and a Naborigama kiln in Maine. Teaching has included stints at the Salem Art Assocation, Linfield College, George Fox University and the CS Lewis Academy. In 2011 he begins an MFA program at the prestigious University of Iowa Ceramics Department.

Exhibitions:

Idyllwild Arts Foundation, California
Renshaw Gallery, Linfield College, Oregon
Blue Trout Gallery, Newberg, Oregon
Museo Cultural, Ensenada, Mexico
Bodega Santo Tomas, Ensenada, Mexico
Ren Brown Collection, Bodega Bay