Jeff Blandford, a native of southwest Michigan, is a recent college graduate from Michigan State University. At the young age of 23 he walked away with a Bachelors of Fine Art in Studio Art with an emphasis on ceramics. He first started throwing in High school and his first purchase was a Clay Boss from Creative industries. At the age of 18 he didn’t know the first thing about equipment and was attracted by the price and the 5 year warranty. For years he has brutalized his equipment with thousand of pounds of clay often centering more than the recommended load. He pushes himself and his clay to the limit to be on the threshold of innovation. Even his studio name of Volmod ceramics short for Voluptuous Modern ceramics is a good indication of his vision and style.

For three years he has been selling his ceramics at 14 different locations nationwide as well as his own small shop. He sees his first steps into the ceramic community as an opportunity to show his unique perspective with art that shouts at you as soon as enter the room. It is meant to be in your face, to make you rethink what clay can really do.

Q) What got you started?
A) I've always loved art, but I was frustrated because my two dimensional art never seemed to live up to my expectations of quality. My High school art teacher knew I loved art but was struggling and she took it seriously. She recommended I stay after school and mess around on the pottery wheel. The teachers at school had no ceramic experience, so I would stay after school and teach myself to throw.  I did this every day for two years straight.

Q) Why ceramics? Why make a living solely from selling your art?
A) Ceramics seemed to be never-ending. Just when I thought I knew a decent amount, I realized it was an entire field that is continually developing, and I could never know all there is to know- which is extremely appealing to me. It also seemed almost taboo to consider a living as an artist. I was very curious of the almost ‘mythical’ people who actually did make a living as an artist. In the end I thought what could be more amazing than creating art for a living.

Q) How long have you been doing this? Do you have a ‘signature’ piece/style?
A) Almost seven years now. My very first attempt was in 2001. My signature pieces tend to emphasize Form. I do this by stream-lining, ribbing, and exaggerating. I use some of the most vivid glazes on the market. I also tend to work large scale with vases up to 6 feet tall and bowls up to 300 pounds and a 52 inch diameter.

Q) As a full time potter what are you looking for in equipment?
A) Two things; Affordability and Dependability. Being a young potter fresh out of school, my budget often runs my decision making. Creative Industries' prices were what first caught my attention. Endurance is also key. Potter's have a life-long passion and expect their equipment to keep up with them. Studio potters especially tend to be abusive and they expect what ever they are using to take that abuse and continue to perform. CI has met both of these conditions for me, and 7 years later I couldn't be happier with my decisions.

Q) What keeps you motivated and how do you plan to continue growing in your art?
A) Motivation for me comes from inspiration. Color and Form can be inspired from almost every where I look from furniture design to interior design to nature. Motivation also keeps me pushing the boundaries of my work forcing myself to grow. Whether its making pieces that squeezes in my kilns by mere millimeters, or producing work unique to the material. Ceramics can be taken in a million directions.

Q) As a young artist what do you plan on bringing to the ceramic community?
A) A fresh outlook. Innovation. I see my self as a part of the next generation. My work is often a marriage of architecture and interior design and I use clay as a vehicle. I have also done research on how colors react on a physiological level with people and incorporated that into my form.  Because I am so motivated by pushing the boundaries of convention within such a traditional field I tend to look else where for that inspiration and I try to push for new possibilities. I’m always looking for new technology that creates new opportunities which is essential in making a niche for myself and to keep myself from becoming stagnate.

Q) Why Creative Industries?
A) Like most people I knew nothing about the industry when I started my search for equipment. As someone in High school who had very little money to spend it was honestly CI’s prices that attracted me first. I had no clue that I would be dependent on my wheel to make a living. Now that I am more educated potter I know the toll I put on that wheel. Ever since I started making a living from my work I have put more and more of my day logging wheel-hours, and the wheel has been flawless – it has to be in my profession.