Potter Otto Heino, Died age 94

Ok, I have to admit that I didn't recognize the name Heino. But I am sure we covered his work in school. But as a potter Otto Heino is such an inspiration that I wanted to share. This is his website: http://www.ottospottery.com/index.html

The following is taken from the News and Observer (who took it from the New York Times) 7/28/2009:

"Otto Heino, a prolific ceramicist whose simple, elegantly shaped pots and opulent glazes earned him not just a fortune but also a reputation what he shared with his wife, Vivika, as the personification of sturdy American artisanship, died July 16 in Ventura, Calif.

Heino was 94 and had lived in Ojai, Calif.

The cause of death was renal failure, his niece Lillian Heino Long said.

Heino (pronounced HIGH-no), a driven craftsman who was said to produce up to 10,000 pieces a year, was know as a purist in his work and clay. His pieces were texturally natural, with finger ridges left in them, and he mixed wood ash into the glazes he developed and used.

One glaze in particular stood out: He and his wife, who died in 1995, created a rich yellow so widely admired that pieces finished with it routinely sold for as much as $25,000."

Yellow glaze w/ barnard slip decoration, 13.75"h X 7.5"w, $10,000 (As seen in Cowboys & Indians magazine)

10,000 pieces a year!!!! I just hope that I can make that many over my career as a potter. I guess I better get busy.