Meet Greg Schulz

Today we’d like to introduce you to Greg Schulz.

Every artist has a unique story. Can you briefly walk us through yours?
I grew up in Central Florida surrounded by art. My artist mother encouraged my desire to explore many mediums of art from an early age. Graduating from the Art Institute of Fort Lauderdale, I pursued a career as a Creative Director in advertising.

Leaving the corporate life behind in 2013, I decided to delve into life as a potter. Mesmerized by the essential elements—earth, water, wind, and fire—I fell in love with throwing and hand molding clay and have never turned back. In my studio surrounded by thick woods on the banks of the Etowah River, I stay inspired to make clay behave, creating original, functional pieces of art. A Cherokee County, Georgia resident since 1990, I live with my wife, Susan. Our three children are now grown and have flown the coop.

Please tell us about your art.
What I create: how and why:

A large portion of my creations are done in the sgraffito (which means scratch in Italian) style. This is accomplished by applying a black glaze to the unfired, leather hard clay and then carving away everything but the desired image, revealing the underlying layer, which is the natural color of the clay. Fired twice, first a bisque firing and a then a second time after a clear glaze is applied. This gives them a soft sheen. When the carving work gets too tedious, I take a break to focus on the whimsical pieces. These face mugs, bowls, and jars—each one—somehow, take on a special personality of their own. Some creepy, some cute, they appeal to a wide variety of people. It’s amazing as to who is attracted to these creations and why! People everywhere are so diverse. This inspires me to create one-of-a-kind works of art that stay with me until the right owner comes up, holds it, falls in love and brings it home or gives it away to someone special in his or her life.

Message of inspiration I hope for people to take away:

I desire to provide art for everyday living for those who bring my pottery home, like that special mug for your morning coffee that makes you smile—the one that matches who you are or what you love perfectly. Small joys like these set even the hardest days straight. I remember a custom mug delivered to a mom who had just given birth to twins with a nurse midwife. She wanted to give her nurse a sgraffito mug in appreciation for helping her with the delivery. The tears that welled up in her eyes when she held it spoke volumes.

What you should know about my art work:
The answer to this question can be answered in two words: constantly evolving. I love change and variety. Some things will remain the same, however, like the driving force of inspiration found in nature, and the amusing pursuit of creepy cute.

Success to me is loving what I do and sharing that passion through functional pieces of art that make people happy and connect family and friends. This happens when someone buys that perfect cat mug for her feline-loving sister or friend. When she grabs that mug to drink her daily cup of coffee (or two) she often thinks fondly of the giver!

Success as an artist:
Essential to success as a ceramic artist is when a customer holds one of my pieces and he or she falls in love with the beauty or quirkiness, the way the piece feels—the texture of the carving or perfect fit of the handle. It’s especially fun to receive photos from collectors who share how they are enjoying their favorite pieces.

Do you have any advice for other artists? Any lessons you wished you learned earlier?
Being an artist seems to be the only profession open to critique by everyone. My advice and lesson I wished earlier is to not allow the opinions of others to affect your work in an adverse way, but remain open and pliable to help from fellow artists who have been there and know what to do to make your work better.

How or where can people see your work? How can people support your work?
You can see my work on our Instagram page: instagram.com/schulzpottery, and our Facebook page: Facebook.com/schulzpottery. For ordering anything seen online, please contact us via email at: schulzpottery@gmail.com. My wife, Susan, helps me run the business side of things so I can stay focused on creating.

Our next two shows are: Canton Festival of the Arts in downtown Canton, Georgia on May 19-20, 2018. For more information about this festival visit: http://cherokeearts.org/festival/ We are also doing a summer show in the North Georgia Mountains called the Butternut Creek Festival in Blairsville, Georgia on July 21-22, 2018. For more information about that show visit: http://www.butternutcreekfestival.com

Contact Info:

• Address: 224 Roy Mason Lane, Canton, Georgia 30115
• Website: instagram.com/schulzpottery
• Phone: 404-216-4943
• Email: schulzpottery@gmail.com
• Instagram: instagram.com/schulzpottery
• Facebook: facebook.com/schulzpottery

Image Credit:
Greg and Susan Schulz

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