Charles Burleigh

Charles Burleigh was born into a family of artisans. The hand imprint was made by Charles’ sister when he was five years old in their grandfather's ceramics studio. It was glazed and fired by his grandfather. Early on Charles was involved in the creative process. Charles and his family were often found to be making something in what they referred to as their “projects”. His parents had their own subset known as "five’o clock projects” smaller tasks done during "the cocktail hour”. This grew into an entirely new career for both of them. 

His father, an experienced wood carver, used his expertise to create exacting reproductions of several early American clocks. His mother gilded components of the clocks and painted verre eglomise or reverse glass panels for them.

Charles' work is the culmination of a lifetime of observation, exploration and inspiration. Each piece in the Herbarium Collection begins as an unformed mass and through hand work reveals itself during the process of manipulation and creation, often reminiscent of the work of Tiffany or Gaudi. As a result, each piece is unique. Mr. Burleigh’s work can be commissioned in a variety of glazed or unglazed finishes.

The Herbarium Collection

To take a block of unformed porcelain and manipulate it into form is an intimate process. It involves working the material in a mindful, tactile process that is less about the look than it is about the feel of the material. Extruding it, pinching it, plying it, allowing the porcelain to take form directly from the hand with minimal intervention. Creating organic forms as dictated by what the material will allow becomes the artistic expression. When working the porcelain images of Gaudi's or Tiffany’s organic works can be seen in the formation of a piece as it evolves into its final form.