Visiting Artist Highlight: Larry Laughlin

We are excited to have Larry Laughlin (he/him) as a visiting artist at Rain City Clay! Larry will be working in one of RCC’s semi-private studios for 3 months this summer. Larry very recently retired at the beginning of May after working for
30+ years as a bus driver for King County Metro. He is looking forward to devoting more time to clay and to his travels.

Marketing Manager Hayley sat down with Larry to ask him about his journey with clay and what he’s excited to work on as a visiting artist.

What are you going to start working on first?
(I caught Larry just as he was beginning to work on his first project at RCC).
I don’t have any specific goals or plans, but I am starting off by throwing a few vase forms for Anika Major to then decorate.

How long have you been working with clay?
I’ve been working with clay for about 40 years. I started learning pottery when I was in college. I was a science major at the University of Washington and decided to take a pottery class. I instantly felt like that was what I should be doing and switched my major - I’ve been throwing ever since. I also spent time at Pottery Northwest as a resident artist, which is where
I met Deb.

Larry Laughlin demonstrating throwing at rain city clay’s grand opening in april 2022

Is there something you’ve wanted to try making that you’ve never made before or haven’t made in a long time?
I used to make large thrown forms by combining two or three thrown segments on the wheel. I’m working my way up to throwing big again after some time away from pottery. The key to making these large thrown forms is meticulous measuring and patience. When I had made these large pieces in the past I would work on three or four at one time so that I could stagger the drying time and always have something that I could be working on instead of just waiting around for things to dry.

Where do you draw inspiration or motivation from?
I like the continual challenge that comes with making pottery - I like pushing my limits. I get my inspiration from trying things that are past what I’m really comfortable doing. I’m always looking for ways to improve.

How do you feel when you’ve finished a challenge you’ve set for yourself?
I always think there’s something that could be done better. That’s not to say that I don’t have pride in what I do, but I always know something could be better. One thing about clay that I like, is that I could make something really big, and I get a little proud and think like, wow this is amazing, and then it gets fired and it turns out much much smaller. Clay kind of puts you in your place and I like that struggle, that challenge, the chase after something different or better.

Would you describe yourself as a perfectionist?
Some people would say I am, but, no. (Larry laughs).

I’ve heard that you love to travel. What is your favorite thing about traveling?
This past fall I went to Europe with my girlfriend and we went to the south of France, the French Alps, Bruges, Ghent, Brussels, and then to Amsterdam. In the past I’ve been to Turkey, Spain, and Japan. I really enjoyed Turkey. It was amazing to see the ruins, and the architecture, and to listen to the calls to prayer throughout the day. You’ll just be walking around and begin to hear the calls to prayer from all over. When I’m traveling I like to people watch and listen to the different languages being spoken. I like listening to foreign languages even though I don’t understand them. It’s kind of like music. I also like going to art museums and sampling the local cuisine. I loved visiting Donostia-San Sebastián in Spain. The city is filled with incredible, Michelin star restaurants, and you just go from one restaurant to the next and have a little tapas and wine here and there.