FEATURED ARTIST

DENNY MEANS

 Sculpture and Art As a Way of Life

By Janet Irvin

Full-time sculptor and ceramic artist Denny Means, who works from his studio in Mason , Ohio , believes “being an artist is a decision to ‘be’ rather than to ‘have.’ Using elemental materials that carry the heritage and the history of generations of artists in his medium, Means creates unique sculptures and vessels. Much of his work is made from clay, or begins with clay. Lately, Means says, he has been using more metals, like copper and brass, in wall pieces. “I continually explore new materials and themes. Solving new, harder problems informs my work.”

A Warren County resident for more than fifty years, Means majored first in architecture, but he soon found that studying watercolor illustration and rendering awakened his interest in fine art. After graduation from Wilmington College , he worked for some years in building engineering and construction, an experience that proved valuable in taking a thought from imagination into reality. Twenty years ago he started sculpting shapes in wood while he pursued studies in sculpture and ceramics. He has taken courses in ceramic art at Miami University , Campbell Folk School and from artist Trina Feldhake at her Cincinnati teaching studio. In 2005, Means was awarded a fellowship to Arrowmont School of Art and Craft. Other coursework included painting with watercolors, oil and acrylics.  

Means feels that his work opens him to a deeper sense of ecology and of our place in the world. Working on the wheel, on a slab, with a saw or a chisel, leads him to the discovery of what the art will be. “In that moment,” Means says, “you know the piece is going to be special.” He concerns himself with creating

                 "Leach Bottle"

quality work in an effort to enrich the lives of his customers, infusing each piece with the quality and energy of a master craftsman. Means believes people can sense this when they first touch his work. While proportion, harmony and balance are also essential, it is the making of the piece, “when you get to that point where, at last, you see what it is going to be,” that brings Means the greatest joy.

Asked who or what inspired him to pursue art, Means replied, “I don’t think I had an alternative – I’ve always been creative and I had to make things, to build things. That just evolved into making art.” Means does give significant credit to the many teachers who have shared their knowledge and passion with him. Favorite clay artists include Feldhake, Harry Hearne and Jack Troy. He also enjoys the impressionist works of painter Trish Weeks, who works out of Essex Studios, also in Cincinnati . Recently he’s become interested in large landscape art, such as Robert Smithson’s rock construction piece “Spiral Jetty” in the Great Salt Lake , and in the work of Scottish artist Andy Goldsworthy.

In addition to creating his own art, Means is active in teaching clay workshops around the region, most recently for the Cincinnati Art Museum , Throwing Clay Pottery, and Scarborough Fair Pottery.
 Means enjoys the challenge of introducing others to working with clay and watching how making something with their hands effects his students. Means is also an active member of his community, serving in a number of leadership positions with the American Red Cross, the Rocky Fork Sailing Club, the Crooked Tree Homeowner’s Association and the Mason Area Arts Council.

 The current challenging economic times can be risky for artists, but Means believes that art sales are coming back. “Wise people will always want the resonate energy, the nourishment, and the inspiration of original art in their surroundings,” Means says. Acknowledging a debt of gratitude to the many teachers and artists who have shared with him on his journey, Denny Means remains true to his artist’s calling, to the pleasure and privilege of making art. “I look forward to new work each time I’m in the studio, and life is good.”

Means can be contacted at DennyMeans@gmail.com .

Previous Featured Artists:

David and Joanne Kelch

Valerie Rask

Marcelette Blackwell Elter

Jud Yalkut, Waynesville