Pottery by
Bruce Barrie

What one does with ones life is always a very complex question. My main focus has been as a musician, a performer specializing in trumpet and historical brasses in a chamber music setting with the Grammy-award winning Chestnut Brass Company of Philadelphia.

My trumpet career has led numerous recordings and enabled me to travel across the United States and internationally. I have been a teacher at the collegiate level, in addition to always having a home-studio for beginning trumpet players. My trumpet book, Daily Routines for the Student Trumpet Player, is published by Mountain Peak Music.

For me, a special moment occurred when, with a friend- Stan Slotter, trumpeter and potter- I viewed some pottery that Stan had made. I was living in Philadelphia at the time and Stan encouraged me to take classes at the Clay Studio. I felt as if my possibilities in creativity had exploded…Ever since, I try to do new things every year to help me understand teaching better and to be more fulfilled as a person. Although I did paint and draw as a child, a pottery teacher in Lawrence, Kansas insisted that I draw or sketch my thoughts of pots onto paper. I found this difficult at first, but persisted and again found that it made me happier in my life in general. My pots are still evolving. I do think of my pot’s forms or shapes first. Often the drawings are organic, with many textures and patterns. I do think of colors, but – the feel of the glaze is very important, as my work is primarily functional pottery. I live in the world of “the favorite mug” syndrome. I want people to have their special mug, let it help them be ready for the day’s challenges. People are always saying to me that they love their mug, it always makes me smile, mission accomplished! I grew up like most people, never having held something hand-made. Now I believe that hand-made objects can help us as people, to know that thought, care, dedication and magic should be part of our daily lives, like the object we hold. Pottery, like all of the arts, brings us closer to the magic of being human.

If you are in northern Colorado, please stop by the Madison and Main Gallery in Greeley, Colorado. It is a wonderful place with works of many great local artists – I always have some pots on display there!