Greg Barwald

By day, he’s an artist. By night? Still an artist.

GregGreg is a graphic designer by profession, and you might think that’s plenty creative as outlets go. But for him, creating rustic, cast stone pottery represents an escape from the wired world.

“I work in front of a computer all day. I needed a creative outlet that was more hands on,” he says. “So cement was my choice.”

If you came across one of greg's creations in a garden, you might assume it’s an artifact from some long-vanished civilization.

“My work harkens back to a simpler way of life. A time when hand tools were considered high tech,” he says.

The bowls and pots and accessories Greg forms, such as this set, titled "remedy," have the look of primitive relics unearthed in a dig.“They are reminiscent of things people made with their own hands to share with others in a time of celebration or of mourning.”

Greg's medium—and his signature style—didn’t come to him quickly. He says he spent years experimenting with different techniques and pieces before he finally found his creative voice. And from the looks of his artwork, that voice is channeling spirits from a simpler time. Greg credits ceramic artist Richard Hirsch as the inspiration for his work.

“I use only natural materials like cement, horticultural vermiculite, sand, peat moss, coffee grounds, flowers, plants and water. Many of the pieces have a ceremonial or organic theme,” he says.

The process of creating his pieces involves pouring a mixture of cement and other materials into fabric. The result is loose, roughly shaped pieces that dry like coarse stoneware.

A piece simply called "cup."Greg tackles new projects in bursts of creativity.

“It’s an on-and-off process for me,” he says. “I’ll work on projects for months straight. Then take a month or two off.”

When he’s replenished his collection, the work goes up for sale in local galleries and online. Greg has found fans around the country, as far away as Florida and Arizona. But they all have something in common.

“They all get the feeling of ‘back to basics’ in my work,” he says. “A simpler way of life and living.”

Sometimes the Stone Age succeeds where the Digital Age fails.

See more: www.BCstonedesign.com, Greg's shop on Etsy.com

Say hi: gbarwald@edgewiseweb.com