Cape Coral resident goes from corporate executive chef to local potter
Cape Coral artist Joseph Mayhew was behind the wheel traveling the country for about 15 years as a corporate executive chef. These days, the owner of JM Pottery is considerably more stationary as he creates stunning ceramic pieces. His skills will be on display at the Garden Club of Cape Coral's March in the Park plant sale on March 11.
“People really enjoy seeing a pot being created with aesthetic elements being added as well,” he said while working his potter’s wheel at the Edison & Ford Winter Estates Garden Festival in November. “I use a wide variety of techniques and put a real spin on more standard pottery making.”
He “threw” clay onto a central spot and, while his electric wheel spun, dexterously added water to his subtle fingers and tool work in making original shapes. The right amount of “lubrication is important. You want to move the clay, not scrape it off. I understand all of the nuances involved.”
The brief use of a propane torch provides a hard coating. While a child showed amazement in watching the process, he lightly said encouragingly, “It just takes practice.”
The horsehair technique, featuring eye-catching dark strands of hair from equine manes and tails fired onto the sides of ceramic pieces, is one of his favorites.
“I really enjoy explaining its origins that are predominantly from the southwest region,” he said, adding that a trip to Taos, New Mexico, in January 2022 further enriched and advanced his appreciation for the style. “Nearly all of the many galleries there had horsehair pieces, so it was great to see them.”
Mayhew attested that he “always loved gardening, so producing pottery to help it along was a great way to go.” His other primary styles are bonsai and raku, steeped in Chinese and Japanese traditions, respectively, along with cracked, volcanic finish, slip trail, cascade and semi-cascade, microcrystalline glaze, wood ash and traditional. Finished pieces, which will be available for purchase at the annual fundraising event, hold plants and floral arrangements or are ideal for home décor.
Since moving to northwest Cape Coral from Sarasota 15 years ago, he has operated a home studio which, along with a wheel, includes a wedging table to prepare clay; glaze kitchen that stores approximately 40 raw ingredients that he mixes to add finishes; and a kiln to fire his pieces. His works are also available on his website, on Amazon and at Wigert’s Bonsai Nursery in North Fort Myers.
Mayhew will participate at the Bonsai Society of Florida’s annual conference in Orlando in May and plans to return to the next Edison & Ford Garden Festival in November.
On how he begins his creations on his wheel: “You center the clay; the clay centers you. It’s peaceful and therapeutic.”
For more information or to order pieces, visit jmpotteryllc.com.
Up next
What: Joseph Mayhew will be at the Garden Club of Cape Coral March in the Park plant sale
When: March 11, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Where: Jaycee Park, 4215 SE 20th Place
Information: Gardenclubofcapecoral.com
This article originally appeared on Fort Myers News-Press: Cape Coral resident goes from cooking to creating ceramic pieces
