Kurt Wild

River Falls, Wisconsin

Title: Poppies

Year of Creation: 2006

Glaze: Cone 10 stoneware glaze, sgraffito and soluble salt stain

Clay Body: Cone 10 reduction fired stoneware

Dimensions: Height 23.375 inches, Width 13.25 inches

Artist's Statement: This piece was thrown by Bill Gossman of New London, Minnesota; glazed, sgraffito and soluble salt decorated and fired by me, Kurt Wild.

I normally don't do commissioned work; however, this piece is an exception to that rule. One of my long-standing patrons verbally pressured me into creating a floor piece "loaded" with intertwining poppies. The suggestions that he made following my sending him my first sketches frustrated me to the point of almost canceling my agreement to do such a piece. Weeks of occasional "playing" with various ideas and sketches left me uninspired. After a couple months of struggle and idea incubation something "clicked" and ideas and sketches fell into place. I was overly anxious about the firing but tremendously relieved when I took the fired piece from the kiln. I was ecstatic with my patron's response to the photos of the pot I sent him - "just fabulous."

The process of making this piece reconfirmed my need to not accept commissions - the frustration and struggle are things I have no desire to experience again.