John Morrill Read is a 48 year-old Ceramic Sculptor living in Saco, and working in his studio on Munjoy Hill in Portland. Despite his passion for making art from a very early age, John attempted to take other paths in pursuit of his desire to lighten the human touch on this world with environmentalism, sustainability and social justice. He got a BA Degree in Literature with a Minor in Biology from the University of Maryland and a Juris Doctorate from the University of Baltimore. After working in various private companies, public interest organizations & law firms for 15 years, his passion for ceramic sculpture won out. For the past ten years he has been a full time artist. John loves the honest, physical and emotional hard work of creating art, something that often has the feel of working with stone walls or shaping the earth in landscaping (work that he has also enjoyed), but with that added ability to communicate deep emotions and convey a message of hope. Now, John is determined to continue to have a broader influence on opening people’s lives to the beauty of sea animals and the human form. Among his works are wall mounted fish and turtles that he hopes people will want to bring into their homes and allow to “fly” across their walls.  Many of the human figures that he creates remain in his own personal collection, but he does sell curled figures, Yoga people, divers and Venus Figures that he sees as both bookcase and garden-friendly