Bozeman News

Local Belgrade Artist

Fire Hole Pottery Spins Handcrafted Creations

By Alison Grey, 12-14-07

There is a certain fluidity about pottery, the transition between taking a chunk of clay, spinning it on the wheel, and molding a form from it, that has both intrigued and inspired Carl Sheehan for more than three decades.

“There’s a sensuous feeling of working with clay, taking a hard lump of clay, spinning it in on the wheel and turning it into a soft, almost liquid-like form and then creating something beautiful from it, that keeps me interested,” said Sheehan, who operates out of his garage-turned studio, Fire Hole Pottery, located just west of Bozeman.

Looking around Sheehan’s studio, two themes are immediately evident: family and pottery. Adorning the walls are a lifetime of pictures and children’s art projects, a mix of memories proudly displayed that paint the picture of both his career and his personal life.

Mixed amongst pots, mugs and plates, all in various forms of completion, are photographs of his wife, Becky, and his three children, Colleen, Trevor and Emily. There are childhood art projects displayed throughout the studio and little markings on the wall that indicate the heights of his kids as they grew into adulthood.

There are also pictures and newspaper clippings of a younger Sheehan, smiling as he sits at the wheel. Today, he may have a little more gray hair, but his smile is still the same, and for this potter, things haven’t changed that much: he is still behind the wheel creating his signature handcrafted pottery, continuing to learn and develop a craft that has developed into a life-long love affair.

From his little studio, Sheehan creates 50 unique pieces, from soap dishes to lamps, serving trays to mugs, each with various forms and shades of his signature design; a Montana sunset inspired by the breathtaking landscape of the Rocky Mountains.

He lets me pick out a mug for myself. Immediately, I am drawn to one with a red glaze, a bold and brilliant copper sunset that fades into deep blue mountain peaks, the colors softly blending together to create a dreamlike landscape. His other color schemes are blends of sky blue and turquoise.

Soft-spoken and humble, Sheehan is a man that seems comfortable with his life, happy to be where he is.

“It’s been a good life,” he said, a smile spreading across his face as he begins to recount his career.

For nearly three decades, Sheehan and his family spent summers in Yellowstone National Park, where he worked as a resident artist at the Old Faithful Inn and Lodge, giving guests demonstrations on how to use a wheel, glaze and fire pottery and selling his creations at several gift shops in the area. The job with Yellowstone allowed Sheehan, who graduated with a bachelor’s in fine arts at Montana State University, to pursue a career in the arts, an oftentimes daunting and difficult endeavor. Running his own production business, while stressful at times, has afforded him a lifestyle with more independence, flexibility and time with family, something Sheehan wouldn’t trade for anything. 

Throughout the years, he has also taught art classes at middle schools and in the community, particularly at the Emerson Cultural Center where he instructs a couple classes a year, including one this coming January. While he loves teaching, his primary focus has always been, and continues to be, producing and selling stoneware, something he plans on doing as long as his body will let him.

“I’ve really enjoyed my career of 30 years,” he said, “and hopefully I’ve still got another 25. I always want to keep my hands in the mud.”

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