Artist Bio

During my childhood in the 1950’s and 60’s, I grew up in rural Wisconsin and attended 2nd through 5th grade in a one room schoolhouse. I spent endless hours in the basement of our family home on Beaver Dam Lake, building or making everything I played with. Living on a lake, I spent my free time fishing, swimming, skiing, and enjoying various water and ice sports.

After high school I enrolled at UW Whitewater with an interest in photography and journalism, but the moment I strolled into the ceramic studio I found a completely new interest that turned into a lifetime pursuit. I spent endless hours learning all aspects of clay, glazes, and firing kilns. In the glaze lab I created multiple unique colors and veered away from the traditional earth tones. After graduating with a Bachelors of Arts from UW Whitewater, I married my wife and we started a business and a family.

By the time the 90’s came along, I could no longer stay away from clay. With a renewed interest in porcelain and its vibrant colors, I yearned to be back in the ceramics studio. After working with porcelain for a year, I wanted the light to come from within my pieces and developed my present medium, translucent porcelain.

Paul Payne

View the collection here.

Education
BA Art from University of Wisconsin - Whitewater

Location
Oconomowoc, Wisconsin

Shows
The Gallery at UWW - Whitewater, WI
Midwest Showcase - Chicago, IL
Local Artist Collective - Oconomowoc, WI

Medium
Mixed Media, Plaster Cast Sculpture
Pottery, Traditional Clay