Take Flight E15 Anniversary Piece

Take Flight Vase E15

Size: 11"H x 4.75W

Color: Rainstorm

As one of the founders of Ephraim Faience Pottery, potter Kevin Hicks is celebrating his 15th anniversary along with the company. As the only employee who has been with Ephraim since the beginning, in addition to being the owner and an artist, Kevin has a unique perspective on the last 15 years. "It's been interesting to see how the different employees, collectors, and communities have shaped our business. EFP has somewhat taken on a life of its own. A business seems so technical until you run one. When it comes alive, you see the impact of all of your choices and how they are reflected in the lives of everyone who is touched by the business. I have never been bored since Day One."
 

As an artist, Kevin has found Ephraim to be a place where he can challenge himself, collaborate with other artists, and present his ideas to the world. "I enjoy being around a group that likes to push boundaries and be a leader," he says. From working with new materials to exploring new techniques, Kevin sees the current group at Ephraim becoming more unified in how they approach the challenge of pushing limits. This sense of exploration and being on the verge of taking off in a new direction is the inspiration behind Take Flight. "The mysterious nature of birds and how they possess such freedom in flight inspires me. The raven, with its intelligence and striking dark color, seems especially mysterious. On this piece, the raven is perched on a branch, ready to take off into the unknown. This is how Ephraim feels to me right now: perched on the verge of the unknown, ready to take off for something wonderful and exciting."

Kevin credits his fellow artists at Ephraim with inspiring him to push his artistic and technical limits. "I've grown artistically in ways I never would have without them," he notes. "I see the world through an artist's eyes much more than I ever did before." Moving forward, Kevin says that he'll try to fit in as much artistic exploration as he can, and he looks forward to the new pottery - as yet unknown - that he will create in future years. Kevin is both thankful for the enthusiasm that collectors have for Ephraim pottery, and humbled by it. "I'm so happy that our passion has ignited a passion in collectors. It is inspiring to all of us."

All Artist Anniversary Series pieces are limited editions and are available for order for one year only. The ordering deadline for Take Flight is June 1st, 2012