Richard Flores

Ceramist

Charman Urn by Richard Flores

“Voraciously curious” ceramicist Richard Flores says, “After food and shelter, art is everything.” First introduced to clay in grade school, art forever became an integral part of his creative existence. As an adult, working with the Earth is still invigorating. He delights in the flow of energy that emanates from working with the Earth. “It ignites a spark of sprit that dances intimately with my soul.” Flores uses clay to investigate, experiment and inquire. He pushes his artistic envelope, driven to create objects that maintain the potential for practical use while standing alone on the merits of shape, form and technical expertise. Flores was educated at CSUN, Brooks Institute, Santa Barbara Art Institute, Columbia Pacific University and California Institute for Earth Art and Ceramic Architecture. Insight and inspiration emerged from working with Beatrice Wood, Otto Heino and Nader Khalili. A gifted educator and member of Ojai Studio Artists, Flores is also the three-dimensional studio arts professor at the College of the Sequoias in Visalia, California. FOTM documented artist and ceramist Richard Franklin admires Flores’ ability to bring out the best in his students, encouraging them to move beyond the academics, to find the joy of their own voices through creative exploration, and especially to realize their creative potential while still having fun doing it.
His talk was sponsored by Yvette and Richard Franklin. The AfterGlow hosts were Christine and Kevin Beirne. The FOTM Archive contains extensive information about this artist.