Oval Tumbler by Paul Eshelman

This sturdy fourteen-ounce tumbler works well for a variety of cold drinks.

Size: approximately 5" tall.

Made by Paul Eshelman of Elizabeth, Illinois.

Culture has been defined as what we make of the world. Functional pottery is Paul Eshelman's cultural attempt, through the material of clay, to bring order and human dignity to the merely physical act of consuming food and drink. As his pots are used daily, Paul's hope is that they carry measures of quiet and nourishment for body and spirit. He imagines people at a dinner table, workspace, or office cubicle where food and drink are served and humanized by hospitable, well-ordered pots.

Paul's developing artistic interests were directed along practical lines as he grew up in Iowa. Simple utilitarian objects guided him aesthetically. Eshelman received a B.A. in art from the University of Puget Sound in Tacoma, Washington and an M.F.A. in ceramics from the Rhode Island School of Design in Providence, Rhode Island. Laurel received a B.S. in biology from Wheaton College in Wheaton, Illinois and since 1988 Paul and Laurel have been living and making pottery in Elizabeth, a small farming community in northwestern Illinois. They have three children who all worked in pottery during their years at home.

Paul creates his ceramic pieces using a casting process in molds that he personally designs and makes. The clay used is a red stoneware that has been fired to vitrification; this yields a tough, nonporous surface. The glazes are all lead free.

The wares may be safely used in the microwave and dishwasher as well as the conventional oven if the oven is not preheated. (Casseroles may be used in a preheated oven.) The pieces should provide many years of service.

Find more of Paul's work here.