What Sam says about his work:

I choose to use porcelain and stoneware clay bodies that are enhanced by high temperatures and varied atmospheres. Some of my clays are more difficult to throw and manipulate than typical commercially produced clay bodies due to additions of soda feldspars, such as Nepheline Syenite, or inclusions of coarse materials such as beach sand or rocks. These additions enhance the beauty of the fired clay. I particularly enjoy using naturally occurring clays that I dig from the ground. More often than not, these native clay bodies fire more beautifully than any clay manufactured by industry.

At this point in my career, I enjoy exploring the expansive breadth of glazes available at temperatures of 2300F and higher. The chemistry involved in successfully formulating and testing glazes stimulates the scientific part of my personality. I am particularly interested in drawing inspiration from glazes used in Song Dynasty (960-1279) China (chün, celadon, and tenmoku in particular) and Momoyama period (1573-1615) Japan. (shino and oribe) Although I prefer, for the most part, to fire at high temperatures, I will occasionally fire pottery in the dramatic low fire technique of glazed raku.

Almost all of my pottery is thrown on the wheel. I find the process of wedging and throwing clay to be physically exhilarating and spiritually meditative. Though I often reproduce my forms, I do not mass produce any particular object. Each piece is unique, often being altered from the symmetrical shape that came off of the wheel. My pots are inspired by Asian forms from China, Japan, Korea, Thailand, and Vietnam. I like my pots to posses the soft, luscious quality of wet clay even after it is fired to vitrification. Though elegance and refinement are often my goal, I also embrace asymmetry and imperfection.

Sam Hoffman