Delvin Goode

Delvin Goode was born in 1978 in Riverside, California. His father was a United States Air Force member which provided Goode valuable experiences in both America and Europe as a child. His father and siblings were talented artists, and his parents often held art competitions in their home, and every Friday at the local Pizza Hut by drawing caricatures of each other until their food arrived. This familial nurturing provided Goode with a comical and unique sense of artistic independence manifesting itself across multiple
mediums throughout his life.

During his undergrad studies at Florida State University, Goode explored painting and drawing but chose graphic design as his major. He was fascinated with the ability to produce art on the computer and constantly sought ways to bring graphic and fine arts together. Once his core requirements were met, Goode enrolled in a ceramic course that dramatically shifted his passion in arts. Creating functional works such as cups and bowls provided him a level of intimacy that he could not achieve with any other medium. The concept of function, and the idea of patrons using versus viewing his art has been a major
motivation in his work ever since.

In 2002, Goode joined the United States Army as UH-60 Black Hawk Helicopter
Mechanic. As a Soldier he shifted his artistic expression towards unit branding through graphic design, woodworking, and painting murals while deployed in the Middle East. Throughout his military career he continued to gain experience by artistically supporting Army units with graphics or by taking on various commissioned art projects. During this time, he gained a deep understanding of how graphics and branding combine to create
intense connections in people. Goode’s biggest achievement was designing a
walkthrough monument honoring fallen Soldiers that was installed in May 2005 at Fort Hood, Texas. Later that year he graduated from Officer Candidate School where he was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant. He then completed a yearlong assignment at the Army’s Initial Entry Rotary Wing Course where he became a qualified UH-60 Black Hawk
Pilot in September 2006.

In 2015, while attending the Army’s Command and General Staff College in Leavenworth, Kansas, Goode concurrently started a master’s degree program in fine arts at Fort Hays State University and began a focused exploration of ceramics. Goode learned from his family that you must maintain a good sense of humor and that was reinforced once he became a Soldier. This comical trait spans across his body of work with clever uses of graphic design often manifested by satirical replications of common popular logos or military imagery. He honed this skill by using graphic programs to manipulate images and vinyl cutting machines to create the necessary stencils to complete a project. Feeling that his ceramic skills had finally matched his other talents,
Goode started using similar techniques to glaze humorous graphics on ceramic mugs. He also began incorporating laser engravers and similar equipment to create unique packaging/accessories providing multiple artistic opportunities for Goode in one piece allowing him to enhance the connection between the art and the collector.

In 2023, Goode retired from the military and began his career at Speedball Art Company as the Ceramics Product Marketing Manager. Through this position he continues to make an impact on the world of art both ceramically and through several other mediums for artists across the globe.

Years of commissioned art, military experiences, and his love for functional ware permeate throughout Goode’s work. Just like his varying military career, his combination of ceramics, graphic design, and other mediums continue to evolve in fresh new ways humorously teetering the line between art and commercially produced wares. Goode will continue to balance higher levels of responsibility with the duty to contribute artistically to the world. It is that steadfast dedication that has allowed him to persevere against the odds in two opposing professions. However, for him both disciplines were intertwined and
were invariably affixed. As he continues to master multiple mediums, Goode will undoubtedly combine all his talents to strengthen bonds and blaze new artistic trails in the world.