About the Artist

John McCoy became interested in pottery in high school. With his father's help he built a potter's wheel and set it up in the garage. That was the beginning of a journey that took him to graduate school and a lifetime interest in the handmade functional object.
​
John is a functional potter. In his work he strives for qualities of simplicity, honesty and a sense of fluidity. When making pots, be it a teapot, a bowl or a porcelain vase, he depends on intuition and feeling rather than upon conceptual ideas and analysis. He is inspired by natural and organic objects along with the varied and rich traditions of ceramics. His approach to clay is classical even as he produces very contemporary, elegant forms.

​

"During the last 15 years, I have had the opportunity to put my work in a wood fired Anagama kiln. I feel my forms have been enhanced and visually strengthened by the warm colors of the ash deposits and the textures and patterns created by the mark of the fire. This natural process allows the viewer to share my experience of working with clay, from the moment my hands shape and form the clay, leaving my mark, to the fluidity of the flames that leave their impression on the surface of the pot, forever."



John lives and works in West Palm Beach, Florida.