Greg Vineyard creates one-of-a-kind ceramic works consisting of decorative slab bowls, keepsake boxes and mugs. Among his specialties are his clay "meditation bowls" (small bowls that are held during meditation). They are known for their interesting grooves and smooth textures, which help with mental focus, and are especially unique due to their slightly out-of-round shapes. Vineyard invites his viewers to really connect with his work and enjoy how personal the experience is. He believes in finding inherent beauty in imperfections, through visual and tactile exploration.
Greg starts a meditation bowl by wedging (kneading for consistency) clay, rolling it into a ball, and placing it on the center of the potter's wheel. Centering the clay involves patting it into a cone shape while the wheel slowly spins, then increasing speed and adding some water with a sponge while pushing clay into the center of wheel. Then he "cones" the clay up and down in a column two or three times to increase centeredness. He places his fingers in the center of the clay and pulls open a form until it looks like a shallow dish. Then he raises the sides by giving two or three "pulls" up the sides, distributing the clay upward in preparation for creating its final form. He usually uses fingers and a sponge to go over the form each time to ensure stability along the way.
After the clay has been raised upward, he can push outward to create a bowl shape. Then he trims the excess clay from the bottom of the piece using a pointed wooden stick, and then reshapes the bowl. Vineyard goes back and touches up the inside of the bowl a bit and takes this as an opportunity to push the shape a little out-of-round. At this stage, he usually uses a chamois cloth to smooth the top edge of the bowl. Using a wire-cutting tool, he slices the form off of the wheel and lets the piece dry for about 24 hours. Once the piece is semi-dry (this stage is called "greenware"), it is inverted on the wheel so that he can trim out a foot ring and smooth the bowl a bit. Then he roughs up the outside, pushes on it a bit, and creates their final signature shapes. Once the bowl is bone dry, it is bisque fired and then "splashed" with colorful glaze and fired again.
Vineyard feels that art leads to all sorts of good things, like self-healing and happiness. Their loose and quirky forms are a reminder that the world is full of imperfections and that imperfections behold a beauty all their own.
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