Meet the Maker: Bruce Hanson

Mar 21

This month’s Meet the Maker feature is a look into the life of our newest teacher, Bruce Hanson.

Bruce (he/him) makes wares with a focus on form, finished with traditional glazes that accentuate the shape of his wares. He taught ceramics and theatre for thirty-eight years. Bruce joined the Hand / Thrown community as a Continuing Clay student in December 2024 and is now teaching his first class (with us) at the end of the month!

Learn more about Bruce below and sign up for Bruce’s Beginning Clay Wheel Throwing class Mondays at 11:00 am.

HAND / THROWN Tell us a little bit about you!

BRUCE HANSON: Born in Brooklyn, N.Y., I spent the first forty years of my life in and out of N.Y.C. From the age of five I wanted to be an artist, writer and actor. I thought, perhaps, if I did not grow up, I could practice each discipline. Pottery did not enter this realm until 1975.

HT: Tell us a little bit about the style of work you enjoy making most!

BH: I cannot find the words to describe my pottery style; I know I like that others recognize my work and attribute it to “my style.” However, I aim to create functional ware of which the form defines the function and the glaze enhances the form. My forms tend to be simple and unadorned although I love pressing leaves in clay, a left over act from my childhood when I would press leaves in newly poured cement sidewalks. Instant fossils!

HT: What originally drew you to working with clay?

BH: In 1974 I sat in my best friend’s ceramic class at Hunter College. The instructor was Karen Karnes. I was hooked. The following semester I signed up for her class and others and stayed for the rest of my life.

H/ T When did you join the Hand / Thrown community? How long have you been a member / student etc?

BH: I joined the Hand/Thrown community in December 2024. Prior to this I had not thrown for five years due to long lasting after effects of COVID and arthritis which has weakened me considerably. Instead I concentrated on my writing while also receiving physical therapy. A friend of mine, Sarah Melissa, told me about her class at Hand/Thrown during the summer. I was beginning to feel stronger and decided I would see if I could take a class. ( I taught pottery for thirty-eight years, starting at C.C.N.Y. and then various public schools where I also taught theatre.)

HT: What type of clay do you like to work with, why?

BH: I enjoy working with various clay bodies with or without grog. Currently, I like Standard Clay body #553 which is a buff stoneware with light grog that fires to cone 6.

HT: Do you have a favorite tool, why?

BH: My favorite tool, after my hands, is a rounded wooden rib tool without a sharp corners.

HT: Who are some artist you admire and why?

BH: My favorite artists are Leonardo da Vinci, Giotto di Bondone, and Johaness Vermeer. Ceramic artists I greatly admire include Karen Karnes, Bernard Leach, Shoji Hamada, John Mason and Susan Peterson. Of artists around me I love the work of Emily Wicks because, like the other potters and ceramicists above, her work is elegant and simple.

HT: Where do you find inspiration for your work?

BH: My inspiration comes from traditional 18th and 19th century American pottery with my aspiration to create similar forms only lighter with smoother, satin-like glazes. I also love pottery from 19th century North Carolina and its descendants.

HT: Do you have a favorite step within your process?

BH: My favorite step in creating a pot is using a rib tool to push out my desired shape. That is heaven.

HT: Describe your favorite piece of pottery (currently).

BH: Of my own work my favorite pieces of pottery are the bowls and covered casserole dishes, perhaps due to the round shapes with their slight protruding bands. I like subtle designs. In the studio, I very much admire the large bowls thrown by fellow student Laurel and instructor Emily as their edges are thin enough to create a flare that makes the pottery float. (I tend to make thick edges.)

HT: What’s your sign?

BH: I am a Scorpio…and yes, I hold grudges forever.

HT: Cats? Dogs? Or other!

BH: We call our home in Petersburg a little zoo as we have a St. Bernard named Maude, four indoor cats—Izzy, Whitey, Brother and Sister—three outdoor cats named Momma Kitty, Little Boy and Shadow; a hen named Miss Flossie, and Mr. Agnes, a duck.

HT: What are you most excited about teaching at H/T?

BH: I am very excited to begin teaching again, particularly at Hand/Thrown because of its friendly environment and all of teachers, staff and students I have met there. It is so conducive to the creative act; I shall continue taking classes here even while I am teaching. I love learning new things and teaching. So much still to learn and so little time.

HT: What are you working on now?

BH: Currently, I am trying to get back in the mode of production pottery of where I was before COVID. Due to the constant pain in my right arm I am finding this to be quite a challenge as I often need breaks. But the satisfaction of creating a pot on the wheel is well worth the pain.