Watch OOMA Curator Douglas Myatt’s in-depth analysis of the work of Dean Mitchell followed by a personal statement from Dean Mitchell himself.

Dean Mitchell is a national award-winning painter of landscapes and figures, often depicting middle and lower class people and regions from his southern background and personal experiences. He is inspired by grizzled laborers, time-worn elderly faces, and persons like himself who have lived in a segregated environment. Art critic Michael Kimmelman wrote in “The New York Times” that Mitchell was a virtual modern-day Vermeer’.

Mill Creek Pottery is a single-potter studio located on the Howell family farm in Lamar County, Mississippi. The pottery studio overlooks the spring-fed and crystal-clear Mill Creek (hence the origin of the studio name) and is owned and operated by Rucker Howell and his wife, Renee.

The view from Mill Creek’s studio greatly influences Mr. Howell’s choice of glazes and the application thereof, and are his interpretation of the vibrant colors observed in the ever-flowing water of Mill Creek and the varied woodland and earthy tones that are a treasured part of his farm. Each pottery piece is hand glazed with up to six coats of varied glazes and results in flowing and melded colors that are the hallmark of Mill Creek Pottery’s work.

A lifelong native of South Mississippi, Mr. Howell’s passion for the clay arts came about completely by chance in November 2015, when he picked up a piece of clay and sat down at a pottery wheel for the first time. Completely self-taught, all of Mr. Howell’s works are wheel-thrown, hand-altered, and hand-glazed. This ensures that each piece is unique and can never be exactly reproduced. Each piece is kiln fired twice, with the first firing reaching 1950 degrees, which transforms the raw clay into ceramic. A glaze is then applied by hand, and the piece is fired again to 2200 degrees and forcefully slow cooled, allowing the glazes to meld and flow. The result is a one of a kind stoneware that, with care, can last a lifetime. All pieces are food-safe, oven-safe, and dishwasher safe.