Ceramic Artist, Douglas Kenney, is well known for his large platters, vases and sculptures displayed in many of the finest galleries throughout the U.S.

Kenney draws inspiration from varied sources: computers, other artists, life experience and travel. He has incorporated aspects from the works of abstract expressionists Jackson Pollock and Hans Hoffman, but remains attracted to the ceramic media because of the technical challenges encountered during glazing and firing. He chooses to utilize the plate form as it consciously reminds him of painting on canvas, although with plates the tactile qualities of clay can still be explored.

Black, white and gray give the platters a comforting contrast; whereas, a current color scheme offers the platters a comforting feel which is soothing and pleasant to look at. Kenney formulated a crawling glaze to add another layer of visual information to the plate’s surface decoration. Due to the intricate design work, the plates are intended to hang on the wall; horizontal reference provides the viewer better access to seeing the surface embellishment.

Kenney also has chosen to investigate the development of vase forms to display his artistic concepts. The base format presents more of a challenge to the artist because of its problems of fabrication and the three dimensional aspect when decorating.