Artist of the Month: Jimmie D. Buchanan

Again I have come across a multi talented creator who must be titled Potter, Artist, Musician, Poet and Song Writer. I was impressed with all of his talents, encompassing a perfection and history that most people I have met could only accomplish with one of these talents. I regret that my limited knowledge will confine my report to his artistic talents.

Each of his pieces of poetry and every song he showed me was accompanied with a drawing depicting the theme of the piece. Each were hand written and in my opinion should have been hanging on the wall for all to see. He had captured each story conveying the scene and theme of each song or poem in one pencil drawn sketch.

Pottery also is a major outlet for Mr. Buchanan’s talent. “Through the influence, temperament and experience of my teachers and others I have worked with I have developed an attitude of art aesthetics often precognition or work with function as a measure of a successful piece,” says Mr. Buchanan.

Mr. Buchanan throws a wide variety of tableware as well as doing figurines out of stoneware clay, glazed and fired in his studio. Nestled on his fifty acre farm with a variety of birds putting on a show his yard, the view alone is enough to inspire creativity.

Jimmie handed me a glass out of his kitchen cabinet that he had thrown. While holding it he described the feeling of warmth and fit of it. He was right, it fit into my hand as if Mother Nature herself had made it just for my hand to hold. He went on to explain that to him there was more to take into consideration than just stamping out a bunch of cups.

He uses a push wheel, and a modified down draft gas kiln as well as a bisque electric kiln to fire his pieces. His use of glazes seemed to me the most unique part of his style. Each piece a canvas of color, texture and form. “I’m not afraid of color or creativity, each part of creating a piece needs to be enjoyed, and I find glazing to be just playtime”.

Jimmie learned his pottery craft from his brother, Joe Reid, and Bob Brigl. He studied under Professor William Weaver at Western Kentucky University where he received a B.F.A. in 1993. He received an Art scholarship to attend the Louisville School of Art and attended many workshops with clay artists such as Don Reitz, Chris Staley, Jeff Oestreich, Warren Mackenzie, Tom Coleman, Linda Arbuckle, Rob Barnard, Clary Illian and many others.

He taught clay workshops for the Gifted and Talented Children in the Governors Arts Program and has done numerous Artist in Residencies in the surrounding school systems in Kentucky and has sold his work in art galleries and exhibited his work across the state of Kentucky.

He enjoys selling his pieces in town Craft Fairs, Historical Events and Shows, saying “Anywhere they will let me set up! You are liable to see me anywhere, or your liable not to find me at all.”

Quoting words that stuck in his head from Bernard Leach from the Potters Book, Mr. Buchanan says, “A thing possessed in some manor of the virtue of poverty has an indescribable beauty”. Meaning that simplicity and restraint are essential. “I do not want to make something the buyer cannot afford, I want to make something they can use… That’s what it is all about, the experience of the lesser ego”.

Ronnie Jaggers has been a master crafter and fine artist for years. Her work can be seen on http://Chiseled-Features.com. She reminds other artists “Trust the beauty of your art, for if you see the beauty, others will too.” To be considered for the featured artist call Ronnie at 791-3505 or email ronnie@chiseled-features.com