Matters of the Heart

Home is where the heart is and that being the case, world renowned potter, Tim Moran, will always be at home in Lake Gaston.

“I moved to Lake Gaston in 1977,” Tim recalled as he spoke about how much he once enjoyed the adrenaline rush of buying and selling radio stations. Moran was around when radio was WSMY and WCBT and the work afforded him a glamorous lifestyle. Traveling extensively throughout Europe, he collected art glass created by the great masters of the Bohemian region during the turn of the century’s Art Nouveau period. The inspiration that collection provided would prove to be one of the greatest investments in his future.

Fate had different plans for this self-described “tough businessman” and around 1998 a divorce and triple bypass surgery ensured the artist’s adrenaline junkie days were over if he wanted to continue living. Moran sold his radio stations and wondered what to do next. He started learning pottery, he said, as a form of therapy. It helped to give him peace, keep him centered and calm but it quickly became his passion and much of his time was devoted to classes in Danville, Va. “I think it’s amazing that you can take simple dirt andmake something beautiful,” he said, noting that he finds the work rewarding but that he also enjoys the people he meets along the way-whether it’s fellow artists or customers. “I’ve met a lot of amazing people and made friends, world- wide,” he remarked. It was around that time that Tim’s heart throb, Janet Gaddy appeared on the scene. An award winning artist by her own right, trained by master potters in Italy, Tim said she gave him great praise and encouragement during his early days and he credits her with much of his success. The two are still together at their home and studio retreat in Brown Summit, North Carolina. Tim, still an overachiever, said he dedicated himself to becoming a certified Master Potter and creating his unique style of work.

While he predominantly uses the Japanese Raku method for his porcelain creations, it is his glazing method that has brought him the most acclaim. Moran has a degree in chemistry and decided to use that knowledge to create a “crystalline process,” in which zinc crystals grow inside the glaze during a multi-level firing schedule. “It takes up to 30 hours and 10 steps to create a single piece and many are not successful,” he noted. “We lose one out of every three pieces because it’s so challenging but when it does work it is very elegant.”

Successful pieces, according to Moran, display various floral forms,gingko leaves, linear snowflakes and even teardrops accented with growth rings in random patterns. He said it was the colors and beauty of his art glass collection that was most influential on the development of thecrystalline process of glazing. With over 1,500 pieces dating between 1850 and 1920 in that collection, Moran said the subtle earth tones, blues, ambers and greens lend themselves well to the crystalline process.

The Ring-Gong Vase, according to Tim, is his signature piece. Combining functionality within the art form, his Sunrise was featured in Lark books’ 500 Raku: Bold Exploration of a Dynamic Ceramics Technique in 2011 as one of its top pieces. The vase features cascading ginkgo leaves that represent longevity and happiness. Moran said that it’s a special way of wishing blessings on his buyers and explained that the piece is also a functional decanter.

“It’s hiding out in the shape of a gong – It can hold your favorite beverage,” he said, then laughed. Speaking more seriously, he commented that he appreciates beautiful art with a purpose. “You can take a deep breath and drink it in,” he said, then laughed again. Moran’s work has received numerous awards, is featured in many art venues across NorthCarolina and Virginia including the Greensboro Historic Museum for thepast 15 years, at festivals and in numerous publications across thecountry. "I wish I'd started when Iwas six,” he revealed, adding that art practically saved his life and opened new doors for him both professionally and personally. His daughters, Ashley and Lindsey both take great interest in their father’s work and he proudly announced they are both very artistic themselves. He said he’s proud of their accomplishments and he looks forward to seeing their future contributions. While it took serious matters of the heart to put Moran on what he believes is his path of destiny, he said he’s certainly enjoying the fruit along the way. The corporate world, according to the potter, is a far cry from the world he lives in now – in Brown Summit, N.C. with his love, on a farm with a studio, meeting and working with world renowned artists.

He said that someday he hopes archeologists will unearth some of his signed and dated work and realize that he was “here a little while.”

For more information on Tim & Janet’s work, classes and showings, visit www.celticpottery.com