World-renowned porcelain art potter, John Tilton, shares the subtle and nuanced inner awareness he maintains as he executes his daily work with over 200 variables. A dedicated process that is informed by life-long research of historical pottery and his daily practice of meditation. The result is his remarkable and highly prized porcelain art pottery.

“I make the pots I love to make. I continue to be inspired and informed by historical pottery, by a fascination with the micro- and macro-universes, and by my lifelong effort to quiet the mind through meditation.” John Tilton

Our guest today is John Tilton, a world-renowned porcelain potter and veteran meditator who brings four decades of focused inner work in a dynamic spiritual community to his art form. And the results are truly breathtaking. You can see the remarkable results of his dedicated awareness coupled with his passionate and skillful talent at his website, tiltonpottery.com.

Our discussion today is very practice-oriented, a rare peek at the ongoing dialogue between a devoted seeker of Truth and the subtle energies that influence that pursuit. We discuss the nuances of his ongoing ‘conversation’ with the subtle Energy one becomes aware of as they continue to refine their perception through deep spiritual inquiry. These are the often-subtle promptings, feelings, and directives that all mystics of all traditions have spoken and written about, though we all experience them.

But our conversation is practical and very real. John discusses the 200+ real-world variables that he deals with on a daily basis as he engages his art form with his beautiful creations. He discusses the perseverance needed to test these variables in what has resulted in more than 30,000 glaze tests, all formulations he personally developed.

John is an early adopter of the Eastern yogic lifestyle which he has been living very intentionally for more than four decades. The creativity and perseverance he brings to his craft, largely informed by his daily meditation and contemplative lifestyle.

We hope you enjoy this conversation with a truly talented artist and a very deeply spiritual person.

To directly contact our hosts, visit their respective websites:

https://www.meditatenow.net/contact-us – Show Notes, Links and Resources, including Glossary of Terms for all Episodes and to contact Marc directly.

https://larryholmespracticalwisdom.com/ – For All Episodes and to contact Larry directly and review his consulting and coaching services.

John Tilton Biography

John Tilton was a graduate student working toward a Ph.D. in Mathematics at the University of Florida when he was introduced to clay as an artistic medium in 1968. He subsequently took up Ceramics as a profession, earning his M.F.A. in Ceramics from the University of South Florida in 1972.

He has taught classes in Mathematics at the University of Florida and in Ceramics at Santa Fe College in Gainesville, FL. He has been an independent studio artist since 1972. In 1978, he moved into a spiritual community, where he and his wife, Anne, still live and maintain their studio.

From 1999 forward, he was selected for inclusion in Marquis Who’s Who in America for his work with crystalline matte and other art glazes. His work has been recognized with a State of Florida grant and with numerous Best In Show and Best In Category awards in juried competitions, as well as with other honors (see Resume for more details).

He has exhibited nationally and internationally, in both Europe and Asia. In 2013, his work was one of two artists’ selected to represent the United States in the Exposition de l’Art Actuel France – Japon avec participation multinationale, National Art Center, Tokyo, Japan

His Artwork

My work is high fired porcelain, hand thrown, with layered glazes. The forms are simple and organic. They are the result of constant refinement — the simple that lies beyond complex. I strive to give the pots a breath inside, and the kind of life that makes them reveal new things to the perceptive viewer as his or her vision deepens. I always try to hide my hand, so it seems as if the pot just appeared out of the depths of the universe.

I began making pots in 1968 while working toward a Ph.D. in Mathematics. A chance meeting with pottery and I became inspired. That inspiration has lasted my whole career, enhanced by moving to a meditation community in 1978, and by a deep study of historical and traditional pottery.

All the glazes I use are of my own formulation, and mostly of the crystalline variety. My glazes have continually evolved since 1968, the result of over 30 thousand glaze tests. I brush the glazes in micro-thin layers and build up the correct thickness with many coats. I find that just two-thousandths of an inch in glaze thickness can make the difference between a glaze that works and one that doesn’t.

Podcasts

Ep# 11 John Tilton – World-Renowned Porcelain Art Potter and Veteran Meditator