SLIDESHOW: Check out a slideshow of Lee Hazelgrove’s new work and listen to the artist talk about his collection.

It doesn’t have to be First Friday to hit a gallery opening.

Red Door Gallery hosts an opening for Richmond artist Lee Hazelgrove this Friday.  Featuring 15 new pieces, the show marks the first Lee Hazelgrove solo show in Richmond in five years.

Hazelgrove is known for large pieces in clay – platters, jars, pots, vessels and decorative clay pieces – finished with one-of-a-kind coppery glazes achieved through pit firing.

The largest jars in his collection are four-feet-tall and are created by throwing 55 to 75 pounds of clay on the wheel.  Hazelgrove sprays the clay with oxides and stains before firing them first in a kiln and then in a pit fire which gives his work a signature, smoky burnt patina.

“I started experimenting with pit firing years ago,” Hazelgrove says.  He explains that pit firing is an ancient technique with open flames, wood and straw.  “It’s a bit of a random process.  A lot of it is leaving it up to the fire and being happy with the process.  It’s also about trying to push it in one direction or another to get the color you want.”

Many of the pieces in the new collection take the form of ritualistic and sacred shapes like urns or offering plates. They combine fine, decorative brushwork with primitive elements like hammered handles and pit-fired glazes.

“I really wanted this body of work to reflect the places I’ve been in the last 20 years and the work I’ve done,” Hazelgrove says.  With that in mind, the new show combines many of the techniques the artist has experimented with over the years, including his signature glazes, firing techniques and brushwork.

The opening is Friday, May 16 and also features paintings by Barbara Myers.

Red Door Gallery
Where: 1607 W. Main St.
When: Opening Reception Friday, May 16 at 6 p.m.
Show continues through June 22
Info: (804) 358-0211