My work is minimal and rooted in the traditional Minnesota pottery I grew up admiring, I want my work to be paired down to the essentials emphasizing the fundamentals of pots. I seek a balance between tradition and modern. My pots have layers, first the decoration that is bright yet flat and in the foreground. My decoration is minimal or often a simple graphic, placement of this moment is essential to the focal point of each pot. Second, the slip that is fluid and has a rich depth in surface. Finally, the ruggedness of the clay with scrapes and small pits. This cumulative journey of a pot tells a story and the story brings the user into the moment of making and firing. Slips, trimming lines, finger marks, edges, wad marks, drips, scratches and shadows capture a moment in time and tell more of the story. I react to every firing with new ideas and new information; this keeps the overall process fresh and exciting. A successful pot has depth through these processes, obtains humbleness through form and both a thoughtfulness and playfulness in function.
Tom received a BA in visual Art and a BS in biology from Bemidji State University. Tom was a Long-Term resident at the Archie Bray Foundation and was a 3-year resident with his wife Maggie Jaszczak at Penland School of Craft. Currently Tom has set up his studio and family in Shafer, MN in the St. Croix River Valley. Tom has exhibited all over the U.S. and has received several awards and honors including the Emerging Artist Award at NCECA and was an honored maker at the White House.