John Dunlap, Potter

 

At the age of 36, John quit his secure  job at Boeing to pursue his dream of being a potter. He and his wife, Pat, decided that they would sell their house in Seattle, pack up all their belongings into a tiny trailer and move to Harstine Island. It took them almost a year to build the main part of the gallery, but they opened the doors to the Harstine Island Gallery in the early part of 1970.
 

At that time John wasn't doing much potting, focusing instead on creating the glazes for Pat's clay wall hangings. Over the course of a few years, Pat's focus shifted to painting, and John pursued a "hands-on" education- becoming an expert potter while they completed their gallery and constructed a residence next door. For over 30 years, John has produced pottery full time from their beautiful and remote gallery overlooking the Puget Sound. His work is characterized by the use of glaze over glaze, abstract line drawings and images of nature such as trees, shells and fish. Refined craftsmanship, an eye for form, and a pervasive sense of humor are evident throughout his work.