Cary Pottery, Cary, NC
Kenneth Neilsen was introduced to pottery in 1980 by a neighbor who was turning pots on a kick wheel in his backyard. After taking pottery classes at the North Carolina State University Craft Center, he and his friend formed the company DK Clay Pottery and worked in their business for more than 30 years. In 2011,Kenneth decided to change his direction. He and his wife founded Cary Pottery in 2012 and now operate their studio and gallery in a restored 1920 cottage in historic Downtown Cary, NC.
During the last 39 years, Kenneth’s turning skills have continued to mature. He has completed workshops under noted potters such as Steven Hill, Sven Bayer, Saglinda Scarpa, Tom Coleman and Dan Finch. He creates pottery to be a canvasfor the glazes to work on, by dipping, spraying and layering glazes in anattempt to create colorful combinations that evoke movement and beauty.
He is inspired by the geological forces that shape our planet, from the folding of the landscape by plate tectonics and the flowstone seen in cave systems to the violent fiery magmatic eruption of a volcano. He becomes filled with excitement every time a kiln is opened, as he attempts to decipher the interactions of the latest glaze combinations and experiments.