CCC Artist Darren Cockrell

 Darren Cockrell

“My father taught me how to work with my hands and problem solve,” says Darren Cockrell, this week’s CCC Artist. He got sucked into ceramics more and more after taking a class from a good friend while pursuing a degree in anthropology. 

 

Darren focuses on woodfired stoneware and porcelain. All his pieces interact with the group process involved in a long wood firing. Natural ash glaze is used for an ideally firing goal of deep, rich, matte surfaces. “It is really about the firing process for me.” He spends a long time on each piece: firing, and post firing sanding. While firing he can stoke the kiln for 8 days and grind, at least an hour, on a simple bud vase or cup and 10-30 hours on a sculptural vessel. At present he is working on sculptural vessels with the shape of tilted hourglasses. This work is more refined and geometric that his previous work. It is his innate desire to make and the prospect of the next wood firing that keeps him inspired. 

 

Darren has to balance his artwork into his life with two young children so he  works in manic bursts. He was able to attend the Kohila Woodfire Symposium in Estonia as a US representative in 2016. Check out his work at: www.darrencockrell.com