Theo Helmstadter
photo by Murad Sayen
www.shadowchasers.com
“The secret is to devote your whole life to one ambition. Concentrate everything
you know, everything you can summon,
to accomplish this one desire.
But remember: Choose something
you can’t do!”
- Auguste Rodin
About the Artist
I grew up in Ithaca, New York, graduated from Oberlin College in 1987 having studied Philosophy and Music, and then moved to Santa Fe where I became a Middle School English teacher.
I pursued informal apprenticeships to two Santa Fe potters, satisfying the urge I’ve always had to be in an art studio or workshop of some kind—this is where I’ve always felt most at home, and most free. Devoting myself to the mastery of a creative material—during my high school years it was metal—has always been liberating.
In 1998 I built my first kiln and began working full-time in clay. I still love teaching, and offer individualized pottery instruction in my studio.
When I’m not white-water kayaking or playing the piano, I write about my work, posting regularly to my blog about the creative life.
About the Work
This is functional stoneware - designed for daily use.
Local clays and glaze materials, spontaneous throwing on the wheel, and an intense, high-temperature kiln firing all contribute to the look and feel of my work.
I love the ancient earthiness of stoneware clay, and many of my pieces seem to reach into the past, getting their beauty from their connection to the earth and to time itself.