It was in 1972, when Dr. Ralph Stuckman discovered after taking a pottery class; it expanded not only his appreciation for the arts, but also gave him a new balance in his then academic career. Although words were the primary focus used in his career employment, this former educator, school administrator, and university professor realized, “pottery allowed me to be creative and see instant results.”

     Stuckman soon found his new creative outlet gave him much enjoyment. It took him back to his Bucyrus, Ohio roots where he would spend countless hours roaming the family’s 40-acre woods observing nature. The potter believes his farm background and his love of the soil also played a major role in his chosen art form. “Clay is part of the soil, the glaze for the clay comes from the earth’s minerals, and the kiln provides the fire,” he said.

     Pottery is one of the most ancient arts with the oldest dating from the Jomon period [10,500 to 400 BC] in Japan. There are three typical types of wares: Earthenware: Often consists of blended clays, hard-baked which depend on the intensity of the heat. Same techniques used since ancient times, but mass production in the modern era brought on materials and method changes. Stoneware: Preferred domestic use. With the invention of glazing, it made them waterproof, and when fired at great heat, the clay body becomes nonporous. Chinese:They incorporated a feldspathic material in a fusible state in a stoneware composition. Thusly, two types of porcelain evolved: true and soft.

     Regardless of techniques used, a successful pottery requires the right composition of the clay body using balanced materials, the skill in shaping the wet clay either on the wheel or pressing it into molds, and the firing at the correct temperature. Soon after taking a class, Ralph bought a kiln and did his own firing.  He used the slab method making works in his studio. “I gave so much of my pottery away to family and friends, they pleaded ‘No no more,’ ” he said, but it wasn’t long before his creations were being locally sold.

     Later Potter Stuckman ventured into making wind chimes, with an array of sounds and various themes, and that is all he made for awhile. “I was intrigued with what I could do with the glazing techniques,” said Stuckman. With his success with wind chimes, he decided it was time to expand his pottery-making skills. He began experimenting with the thrown method. In addition, he delved into more complicated glazings. “As an artist, I wanted my pieces to be distinctively different,” he said. Ralph then went on to experiment with a B-mix, half porcelain and half stoneware, and also using a paper clay that is a third lighter and stronger than clay.  His work is non-functional and he uses no set patterns because his creative side demands that each piece to stand alone. “I want each piece to be looked at and enjoyed,” he voiced.

     Over the years, the educator in potter has taken extensive workshops and classes to expand his knowledge and improve his artistic skills. Outside his Celina, Ohio home, the John C. Campbell Folk School in Brasstown, North Carolina is just one of them, and locally, Arts Place in Portland, Indiana, however travel also plays a major role in his continued education. In 2008, he ventured to China, taking in all the ancient and modern wonders in this land of the middle kingdom.

     Besides the artist or educator in him, Dr. Ralph Stuckman adheres to the belief that knowledge must be shared. “Being out there alone, I get dry in the mind. Being in a group lets my mind unfold,” he said.