By Shya Beth
Michael Middleton’s ceramic art may not be depicting horses in the traditional sense of paintings and sculptures, yet his work infuses the essence of the wild Corolla Mustangs through horsehair pottery. Never able to recreate the same pattern twice through the process of burning horsehair onto the pot, Michael’s timeless pottery speaks to equestrians and non-equestrians alike.
“I moved to Currituck County, North Carolina, in 2012, and I’m surrounded by horses and constantly inspired by their power and beauty,” Michael said. “In this area, we have a long tradition of Colonial Spanish Mustangs, as they have been on our beaches for over 500 years. The sandy clay is perfect for making horsehair pots, and the method of using horsehair brings the horse into this non-functional-art style medium.”
In 2019, Michael reached out to Meg Puckett, director of herd management for the Corolla Wild Horse Fund, which runs a refuge for the wild horses. She supplied him with horse mane and tail from a wild horse named Roamer, and this started the tradition of using local clay and burning wild Corolla Mustang hair into the surface.
Artist to Teacher and Back Again
Michael’s interest in art first began in elementary school, as it does for many children. Encouraged by his art teacher, Michael evolved from drawing superheroes to studying fine art at Old Dominion University in Norfolk, Virginia, and graduating in 1997 with a certificate to teach. While teaching art in Chesapeake, Michael became hooked on ceramics. He had to learn more about the medium for a class he was going to teach.
“I wasn’t very good at it,” he admitted. “I didn’t want to cheat my students by being incompetent. I’ve always been fascinated with traditional techniques and the history and meaning behind art and different mediums, and when I teach, I love to explain the history and materials to students. The biggest challenge at the moment is juggling teaching adult classes, running a studio and producing my own work, but I enjoy being busy and having a lot going on!”
In addition to sandy clay and wild horses, Currituck County has a rich Native American history and Michael wanted to honor this in a way that combined the past, present and future through the equine essence. Horsehair pottery isn’t traditional to the area, which helps his work stand out. Combining the sandy clay, which is perfect for this pottery technique, with the history of the wild horses only made sense.
The most time-consuming part of his artistic process is the materials. Taking about two weeks to source and dig the clay, Michael adds a few things to the mixture to create the best material. After shaping and trimming the pot, he adds a white clay to the surface called terra sigillata, which is polished then fired in a kiln at a low temperature. The second kiln firing is when the magic happens, as Michael pulls each pot out at 1100 degrees Fahrenheit and the horsehair is placed against the surface of the hot pots. The hair instantly burns away, leaving behind a permanent carbon pattern. Each pot is stamped on the bottom with the name of the horse that donated the hair, then the pots are washed and given a clear coat of varnish to bring out the color and horsehair patterns.
Sandy Beaches and Wild Horses
Being able to use local clay isn’t the only benefit of where Michael lives. “North Carolina has a wonderful tradition of ceramics, from Seagrove, a town known for pottery and, of course, artsy Asheville. I feel like I’m a part of that tradition now,” he said. “One of the most important things I could say to aspiring artists is that talent is great, but nobody cares. It takes dedication, and you have to want to work, produce and create just as much as you like to eat or breathe. It has to consume you. Pick something, and become one of the best people in your area at it.”
Michael donates a portion of sales from each pot and ornament he sells to the Corolla Wild Horse Fund, and they also sell his work in their gift shop. He makes memorial pots for horses that have passed, and many gift pots given as thanks to people for their support of the wild horses—from veterinarians, donors, volunteers and everyone in between.
Although he didn’t grow up around horses, art led Michael to them, and he has come to love and appreciate their importance in human and world history. Horses live within his neighborhood; his daughter rides with her friends, and a neighborhood horse named Geronimo often greets him when Michael goes digging for clay.
For the future, Michael has big plans. “Some smaller goals would be to create more personal ceramics for people’s pets, like domestic horses and even long-haired dogs. I will be at the Kentucky Horse Park on July 6 doing a pottery demonstration, and the International Museum of the Horse has one of my pots on display.”
With a long-term vision, he would like to have a studio closer to the Outer Banks, as well as a small museum that would be a part of his working studio space to honor the great Corolla Mustangs that have passed away. “My goal would be to have a photo, story and a horsehair pot of each horse to memorialize them and help us to not forget their individual personalities and beauty,” he said.
For more information visit www.middletonclayproject.com
Photo by Saskia Colonna
Photo by Meg Puckett
