Born and raised in Austin, TX, Jacob McDaniel was brought up in the household of Steve and Beth McDaniel (a mad scientist and that mad scientist's boss, respectively). His upbringing was generally detached from the visual arts; however, growing up in the live music capital of the world, music always played large a role in his younger life. He was introduced to clay as an artistic medium long before it became his way of understanding the world.

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The evolution of clay from barely significant to absolutely essential in Jacob's life occurred in the fall of 2019. This change can be attributed solely to Jacob's greatest mentor and his teacher at St. Stephen's Episcopal School, Lisa Orr. To this day, with the exception of his family, there is no person who has had a greater impact on Jacob's life. That said, Lisa's impact on Jacob was simple: she taught him the beauty behind every fingerprint he would put in clay, and-- perhaps unknowingly-- taught him how to find a similar beauty in every moment of his life and every step he is fortunate enough to take on this Earth.

 

Jacob studied with Lisa for two years, culminating in a workshop he attended led by Randy Johnston, on Lisa's recommendation, at Anderson Ranch Arts Center at age 16. This workshop was highly influential in Jacob's view of his art.

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After this, Jacob studied with another fantastic artist, teacher, and chef, Britt Thorp. During his time studying with Britt, he obsessively made ceramics-- every single day without fail. He would often skip class to work in the studio with Britt. This time helped Jacob refine his work and hone in on the rich art historical traditions that resonated with him most. Furthermore, Britt allowed Jacob to take an increasingly independent role in the studio, staying there late into the night most days and sitting in on Britt's numerous other classes. In the two years he spent in the studio with Britt, he helped deconstruct and reconstruct the on-site gas kiln and learned the process of kiln building as he watched and helped Britt build a new soda kiln at the school. 

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In these two years, Jacob was awarded 9 awards through the National Scholastic competition, ranging from multiple Gold and Silver Key awards at the Texas regional level to a Silver Key award on a portfolio review at the national level (consisting of both an artistic portfolio and written statements). His portfolio was exhibited in gallery alongside other national finalists in New York City. Alongside this, he won a Gold Seal award at the Texas state level through the Visual Arts Scholastic Event, which saw the first iteration of his tea set "Dependence" accepted into a year-long exhibition traveling through the South-Central United States.

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Currently, Jacob continues his artistic practice in Missoula, Montana. He is a student of the University of Montana, studying there with Professors Julia Galloway, Trey Hill, and Chris Alvashere. His most recent exhibition was a 4-day long solo exhibition at the Knowles Gallery on campus. 

 

He will be turning 19 in May (he is very excited).