Jim Chamberlain

Jim Chamberlain, a Colorado native, has been a pottery student at the Washington Heights Art Center for the past nine years, studying under the direction of Master Potter Sumi von Dassow. His interest and dedication to the Raku process began within the first year. Jim has a great appreciation for the tradition and discipline associated with the Raku process. He was designated as the Raku Instructor six years ago, and offers a variety of Raku workshops through the Washington Heights Art Center.

Although his focus has been with the Raku process, Jim also shares his time and interest with Pit Firing, another primitive firing process with a long history. Jim's appeal with Pit Firing is that the results from Pit Firing are much more unpredictable and thus, many times, creating a one-of-a-kind finished piece.

Jim's background and experience has been, oddly enough, not with the arts, but rather with the Fire Service. He retired in 2005 from the West Metro Fire Protection District after 27 years of service. His knowledge and experience with fire and fire behavior has proven to be very beneficial in his work with both Raku and Pit Firing. It also affords him the opportunity to continue working with fire, a critical element in each of the disciplines. He is now enjoying the ability to dedicate more time and energy to his pottery work, teaching workshops, and continuously experimenting with new finishes and techniques.

Jim has participated in many local art shows and exhibits over the last several years, and has received a number of awards for his work in both Raku and Pit Firing. A technique used in his Raku firings was a featured article in a 2002 publication of "Pottery Making Illustrated", and also in the 2007 publication of the Ceramic Arts Handbook Series, "Raku, Pit and Barrel Firing Techniques".