Northeastern Nevada Artist – Larry Hyslop
Larry Hyslop is an accomplished artist. He first studied pottery at the world-famous Tuscarora School of Pottery from the Parks family. He remembers, “I spent a week in Tuscarora and it was a great experience. One thing about Tuscarora, we did pottery morning to night. I use an electric wheel now, like most potters, but we had kick wheels at the Pottery School. I learned a lot about speed and control from those wheels. In the early morning quiet and coolness, slapping the wheel’s flywheel with my foot to maintain a specific rhythm and speed, was a very zen-like moment.”
After years of creating his art, he has developed his own unique style. Larry says his work reflects his view of the natural world, especially Nevada landscape.
Blackware pottery is his primary interest and area of expertise. He enjoys polishing clay rather than glazing it. He likes the simplicity of the two basic colors, black and white. He fires a white clay body once, and then fires some pieces a second time in smoldering sawdust to turn them black.
His is an ancient technique practiced by the Pueblo tribes of North America, and residents of Casa Grande Mexico. This distinctive black and white clay pottery technique was a favorite throughout the history of Greeks and Romans. Larry has modernized the historic work by creating his own unique forms and decoration.
Larry Hyslop is the author of several books, focused on environmental and wildlife education and has written nature descriptions covering the landscapes of national parks, along with guides to the Ruby Mountains and Elko area. He worked with Charles Greenhaw to develop guides to the California Trail through Northeastern Nevada. Larry Hyslop writes the weekly column, “Natures Notes” in the Elko Daily Free Press and is a charter member of our Northeastern Nevada Stewardship Group and Friends of the Ruby Mountains.
Larry volunteers in many Elko Community education outreach venues each year. He shares his love of the arts, pottery, science, and history with many students in Elko County during the annual Public Lands Day and Art Walk Events. You will find Larry’s pottery on sale at the Northeastern Nevada Museum and Duncan Littlecreek Gallery. Enjoy Larry’s sculptures, exhibited in the California Trail Interpretive Center during the Nevada Wild 2020 Fine Art Exhibit.
EMAIL: hyslop.nv@gmail.com