Potter's Shed Section-2008-09 Fall-Winter-Art-to-Art Palette Journal
Potter's Shed Section-2008-09 Fall-Winter-Art-to-Art Palette Journal
Potter's Shed Section-2008-09 Fall-Winter-Art-to-Art Palette Journal
clay artist said 62 - The Art-to-Art Palette - Potters Shed Section - 2008-09 Fall/Winter Edition
molding or creating forms on a wheel. Today, Betsy finds inspiration in watching her neighbors chickens as they strut around their yard. Many of her clay forms seem to portray different varieties of her favorite bird in different forms and shapes, all visually exciting. Cox has won awards for her abstract, modern interpretations of designs from clay and different chicken presentations. Displays of Betsy Coxs work can be viewed at the Artworks Around Town gallery in Wheeling and the Wheeling Artisan Center. Recent recipient of Best in Clay award from the Wad Clay Institute, her piece was that of a chicken and has been placed in the Institutes permanent collection in Pittsburgh. Her work will also be featured in the latest of a series of books from Sterling Publishing on ceramics from artists all over the world. 500 Tiles features a handmade collection of ceramics and Betsy created a type of abstract handslabbed tile, about 12 inches square, a type of free form design, with a free -floating ball in the middle on a wire. Most artists work has a distinct,
recognizable signature that sets them apart from others. Coxs unusual pieces throw all of this logic right out of the window by varying to extremes. Of the horsehair vessels, saggar pots, smoke ware, paintings, tiles and jewelry created by Cox, it is sometimes impossible to find similarities of distinction of this artist because the creativity just seems to keep changing and growing, giving the impression that a group of artists have been at work. Her methods of firing include electric, gas, raku, pit firing, saggar firing and a wood-fired kiln. Because of the different ways in which each method leaves a marking on the clay and because Cox uses a variety of methods for unique effects, one of a kind pieces are created as only Cox can achieve. One fellow artist compares Betsy Cox to a Renaissance woman with her drawing, painting, ceramics, sculptures and mixed media work; everything she touches just automatically turns to art.
Echo Valley Pottery, Betsys home studio, is quickly gaining national and international attention for her clay and ceramic pieces as she continues to prepare for various juried competitions. A whirlwind of ideas, designs, colors and a flair for coordination will find Betsy Cox rising fast in the art media world.
The recipe she uses on her vessels, requiring a sigged surface are Horse Hair, Pit, Naked Raku, Saggar and some higher fired stoneware. My Terra Sig is developed
Siphon it off till you start to see the sludge at bottom. Thats it!
1 gallon water 5 pounds of dry XXX Saggar Clay 1/2 Tablespoon of Sodium Silicate 1/2 Tablespoon of Soda Ash Mix together and let settle for 24 hours, siphon off the clear water at top. The middle layer is the one she uses.
bisque fired in an electric kiln to cone 08. When people see Betsys Horse haired pots they always ask - How do you get those squiggly lines on there, Paint? After Betsy explains the process of pulling hot pots from a kiln and applying the hairs one at a time in a See West Virginia next page
mix is so fine that all that is needed to burnish is a soft cloth. The pots are
Betsy sometimes uses the sludge as a thick slip. She applies three coats of Terra Sig to bone dry greenware, by spraying with a HVLP sprayer. This
West Virginia
would do that.
Continued from previous page window of about 30 to 45 seconds, they are amazed that any sane person
Saggar firing is when vessels are fired in a container that holds combustibles and chemicals in close quarters to a pot. This allows the
Saggars are made from clay, metal, bricks, kiln shelves, paper clay or tin foil. They all need to have lids that seal and holes for air. I throw a lot
I leave the saggars in the kiln until cooled. Then are wiped off and waxed. Trewax is the best wax I have found to use.
People
create the fumes are: Salt, copper wire Copper Carbonate Steel Wool Straw, dried manure, horse hair Pine needles, iron filings The saggar is filled with organic materials, such as, straw or grasses and the chemicals. I make sure the saggars are full, but not touching the pot. They are then sealed and fired in a gas raku kiln to a middle range of 1400 and 1700 degrees.
are always wondering how she gets all those colors and patterns.
A little
As a well-known artist who now lives and works in Columbus, Ohio, she has been the recipient of numerous awards and fellowships. Also her art is in permanent collections in the US and as far away as Taiwan. In addition, Janis has appeared in a documentary film about women artists called Who Does She Think She Is? Whatever the future holds for Janis Mars Wunderlich, the excitement and chaos of being a mother has inspired an amazing body of work. Her plans for the future? "Well, at some point I can only hope that my kids will grow up and become a little more independent. Then I have all sorts of plans for my work... Scale variations, world travels, installations. I also hope to do more printmaking, drawing and painting along with my ceramics." To keep updated on Janis new works and artistic activities, visit her web site: www.janismarswunderlich.com
By Alison Kroulek
From the modern and attractive Shanghai, to the gorgeous mountains between the Yangtze, the small ancient towns meld into current metropolitan cities in the land of the middle kingdom, Ralph and Janie Stuckman of Celina, Ohio, traveled to China and brought back tales of beauty, wonder and even a little excitement in their three-week summer adventure. Upon stepping off the plane, they were greeted by modern and attractive architecture. The hotel spoke of elegance and spaciousness never before seen in any of their previous travels. Visits to a pearl shop, the Temple of Heaven shrine, and traveling via rickshaw through back alleys known as hutongs amazed the Stuckmans even further on how traditions of the past and modernizations of the present meshed together in one simple city. Tall skyscrapers and apartments with modern cars parked on the street whizzed by them as they were transported in a method that began in 1200 B.C.
On their way to the Forbidden City, their first stop was Tiananmen Square, The greatest public square on earth, according to Ralph. A gate on one side of Tiananmen Square beckons tourists to enter a city that was closed to the public for centuries. The Forbidden City was home to over 34 emperors lasting over 500 centuries as well as 20,000 plus servants. The distinctive buildings created by over one hundred thousand artisans demonstrate the artistic prowess of the Chinese over the generations. Architecture was not only aesthetically pleasing but also functional. The angular shaped walls, with bricks of white lime and glutinous rice and cement made of glutinous rice and egg whites created extraordinarily strong walls that would frustrate attempts of climbing. Yellow, color of Chinese Imperial Families, dominates the landscape in glazed tiles, bricks on the ground and decorations that adorn the palace. One exception, Wenyuange, the royal library, contains a black roof that represents water and extinguisher of fire. No one traveling to China can ever surpass visiting one of the seven ancient wonders of the world, and Ralph and Janie did just that. We climbed, walked, and looked over the expansive 6,700kilometer wall that not only kept the enemies from invading, but also unified a people for the first time in their history. However, both agreed that the discovery made by a farmer in 1974 was the highlight of their adventure. The discovery of the Terra Cotta Warriors near Xian, boggled my mind. Ralph describes huge numbers of soldiers, officer, horses, chariots, and weapons buried in memory of an emperor, to protect him in the afterlife standing ready for action. Each of the military figures made of clay came with different facial expressions and noticeable personalities that took
the breath away. More amazing was the knowledge that over 750,000 people prepared this for their emperor. The man-made monuments were not the only splendid aspects of the Middle Kingdom. The natural splendor that encompasses China would leave anyone in awe over the beauty of this nation. Traveling down the Li River saw fairy tale hills and towns that existed as they originally were built. Reed Cave illuminates light in color on the side of a mountain with magnificent rock formations and perpendicular mountains framed the Yangtze River as Gorges within gave detail to further cave dwellings and houses that sat along the beautiful river. Ralph and Janie were treated even further to the power of this
land, as they were involved in an earthquake that occurred during their trip. They finished off their trip with a visit to the Childrens Palace and a night of entertainment with Chinese Acrobats. In leaving, both commented that they took with them an appreciation for the ancient history behind the living accomplishments of the Chinese. A combination of the past and present in a kaleidoscope that changes shape with every different view.
See photo collage next page
Medallion Bracelet
rish Jeffers-Zeh has been offering Workshops and Retreats for Expanding Creative Energy in Fellowship for over 20 years. With a degree in Mental Health, a background in ceramics, sculpture, glass, lapidary, metal and jewelry making, Trish is also drawn to teaching creativity where she shares her knowledge and ideas of how to create "Accessories for Grace" that can be used for adornment, beautification and inspiration. For Trish, creating artwork is about movement, growth, mentally, spiritually, and personally. Her love is the process or much better the experimentation where her creations become an embodiment of organic form and inspiration from nature. Blending mystical, function, design and organic fluidity, Trish is attracted to a multi-cultural and spiritual marriage of symbolism, a creative process that invokes imagery of inspiration and hope. She discovered that Metal clay combines exceptionally with other mediums, especially ceramics that produces works of elegant artistry. Zeffers Moon Beyond the creation of her self-works, Fish Eggs Ring which have won numerous awards and have been exhibited internationally, with her certification in Precious Metal Clay, Trish divides her time in many other ways. She serves as the president of the Columbus PMC chapter and Ohio Metal Clay and Artisans Guild, which Trish founded. In addition, she is a Senior Instructor for Art Clay, teaches nationally as well as at art centers in the Dayton/Cincinnati, Ohio area, and conducts workshops and retreats in her studios.
Bound Together
Aporcelain{18x8}clayworkportraitbyMoCahillofChicago,Illinois.ShesaysherworksareConstructedofthe castoffsofmoderndailylife.Afavoriteoldshirt,flannelsheetwornthin,lastyearscollectablecard,paycheckstubs, flowers,weeds,twigs,anythingthatwillburnormelt.butalwaysobjectswithemotionalcontent.theobjectsare dippedincastingslip,assembledintotheformthattheobjectsdictate,andlefttothefire.Whatsticks,sticks.Whatfalls off,fallsoff.Whatflakesoflater,flakesofflater.Whensomethingbreaksaway,somethingelseisrevealed.Fragments containabitofthewhole.Theseworksstartedwithaserendipitousapproachtoform,but,asafigurativepainter,the issueofthehumanbodycouldnotremaininthebackgroundforlong.Withadeepbreath,Ihangontotheserendipity offormandfire,andacceptbrokenfigures.Aswealldoeverytime,wedecidetoliveandloveanotherday.
A little history
proportions and temperatures is like solving a puzzle for me, says this Palmyra, Illinois potter. "Even when the form takes shape, the glaze is tested and applied, and the kiln is fired according to many previous firing notes," he adds. However, Cox knows it he must contend with the humidity in the air and the wind. For some, his process might be challenging, however for Charlie he expresses the satisfaction as a "the feeling I get when I have the clay in my hands; one of a child." Additionally, firing his kiln is a two-fold enjoyment: "watching the flames and trying to control the process, and opening the door when its done." When potter Cox is behind his wheel, he has a basic idea of what he wants, such as, a pitcher, a bowl or maybe a vase. He throws the basic shape of a cylinder and from here he lets the clay influence the final shape. The end result produces total originality; no two pieces the same. He also inputs marks on his work as it spins, by just touching the work with taps from a tool. And by connecting the taps, he forms images, but also in some of his work, Charlie uses a glaze to create add a visual design. www.coxpottery.com
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Art energizes me; I don't energize it. When I'm in my studio, it is as if I've stepped into another world. I love creating. To take something that is nothing and make something out of it is what motivates me. It has become my passion.
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When Bridget Chrie Harper was a teen, she and her artist mother traveled to Arizona to help with an installation. While there, she was fascinated by the desert flora which was a great contrast to the green landscape of her Tennessee home, however the trip was a strong influence in her decision to attend Arizona State University. In college, she entered as a business major, but later in her studies, "I took a ceramics class as an elective and became obsessed by the art form." Eventually, she changed her major and "I spent most of my time in the studio." Ceramics professor Kurt Weiser showed an interest in her work and she quickly responded to his talent and knowledge. "He created many opportunities for me, including an internship in a Thai village where ceramics are produced." After exploring more dependable careers, Bridget began working for a local design firm as a detail artist creating sculpture for Princess Cruises. "I traveled to Italy, where my embryonic interest in classical sculpture matured." These experiences, along with a consultancy on a public art memorial dedicated to Frank Lloyd Wright and A.J. Chandler, introduced her to figurative sculpture. Embarking in a new direction, "I began coiling large organic forms, often changing their size and refining their shape, until one day a small figure was in front of me." Drawing on her appreciation for classical sculpture, especially the ancient, broken figures, Bridget removed the head and liked what she saw. While researching different approaches to surface design, "I recalled years before, while shopping at an antique mall, I purchased for 50 cents a basket filled with vials of china paints." She began experimenting with the paints, and a National Geographic photo of a puffer fish inspired her to paint an abstract version of it. She was pleased with the results but more so with the possibilities: "The porcelain figure became a canvas and the surface a visual diary." Bridgets surrealistic paintings on classical forms are a by-product of her life. They come from dreams, relationships and everyday encounters. For several years, artist Harper has been refining her technique and resolving technical issues. Now that many of the challenges have been overcome, "I have established two series and developing a third." Her primary focus has been female torsos, but she also works with figurative teapots and is expanding her vocabulary with figures of conjoined twins, working in conjunction with Arizona State University/Partnership in Research for Spatial Modeling department. In addition to the physical human form, "I am also much interested in behavior and psychology." In her paintings, "I create detailed, painstakingly rendered images that have broader meanings. I want the viewers to notice the elegance of the sculptural form as well as the complex relationship between the form and the painting." www.Bridgetcherie.com.
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Tile maker credits father, teacher and employer for career path
"My experience with ceramic tile began at an early age when I started to help my father set tile. I was impressed that such a simple process could yield such elegant and permanent results," says Emily Ulm of Kent, Ohio. A career in tile began to attract her at the University of Akron when Ulm had the opportunity study with tile maker Donna Webb. "Donna showed me that the word "tile" means more than the mass produced squares found at building supply stores." From there, Emily realized that the possibilities for beautiful and functional tile are endless. After graduating with a BFA in sculpture, Emily was hired to assist Cleveland artist Angelica Pozo. Emily led a group of high school students in creating a giant tile mural, as part of the city of Akron's "Lock 3 Summer Art Experience." Working alongside Pozo, Ulm gained confidence to design and produce her own line of art tile. Each tile is designed and sculpted and casted in plaster. Ulm presses clay into a one of a kind plaster mold and "inks" it with her "Emu Tile" logo. "Once it is out of the mold, I trim the tile and let it dry. Depending on the size of the tile and the drying conditions, it may take days or weeks." Once dry, the tiles are fired, first to 1940F, then glazed with non-toxic glaze and high-fired to 2200F (cone 6), making them durable enough to be part of a permanent installation on any vertical surface, or as individual works of art which is wall-mounted with a single nail. In this modern world, we spend much of our lives indoors. I believe that incorporating representations of the natural world into our living areas enhances our quality of life. Made of earth and depicting familiar plants and animals, my tiles are an enduring way to bring the outdoors into our indoor lives, Ulm said. www.emutile.com
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"In my art work, I enjoy the feeling of being unrestricted by traditional concepts . . ."
my art work, I enjoy the feeling of being unrestricted by traditional concepts. My forms are kept simple and basic so that major emphasis is placed on surface treatments." Also, Brian
enjoys drawing and painting with ceramic materials in which he sets aside glazing rules so that imagery is allowed to flourish. Using modern technical methods with assistance from commercially prepared clays, minerals, and special colored pigments, the potter works with a series of themes that change and evolve from month to month, so that no two objects are the same. His final firings of high temperatures ensures very strong and durable pieces. Established in the New Zealand art scene, he first served as a lecturer for 14 years as a Teachers College Lecturer in Art and Ceramics. Today, he is now in demand as a workshop leader. Also, he lives on small two acre hill in rural Pukekohe, where he continues to work as a full time craftsman producing a colorful range of domestic and decorative pottery. For the past 20 years, he has published several magazine articles and made significant contributions to many international conferences. In addition, he has taught workshops in ceramics on a regular basis in Canada, USA, Britain, and Australia, as well as serving as a guest artist in Hungary, Finland, USA, and Canada. www.gartside.info.
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pottery is fun
Possibly the most popular handcraft in the nation, pottery has made amazing strides on both professional and hobby levels since the end of WWII. There are a lot of reasons for this growth, but the foremost reason may be that the process of making pottery is exciting.
Clay itself is essentially granite-type rock which has, over millions of years, decomposed into tiny particles. There are many kinds of clay, but some of the more commonly used ones are stoneware, earthenware and porcelain. Stoneware is usually made from several natural clays plus alumina and silica. When fired, it becomes hard and almost glasslike, able to hold water without being glazed. It generally turns out light gray but may also be tan or even somewhat reddish. Earthenware is usually made from a natural clay and is low fired, as compared to the high firing temperature required for stoneware. Earthenware must be glazed before it can hold liquid. After firing, the color is usually buff or read. Earthenware is mostly used for industrial tiles, but can also be made into decorative and functional pieces. Porcelain is made from kaolin, ball clay, feldspar and flint. It is white and translucent and requires the highest firing of all pottery wares. It is not very plastic and requires some skill to work, so it is not recommended for beginners. Essentially, the process of making pottery revolves around the firing process. After you have finished making your pot or figurine, it must be allowed to dry completely so that all moisture is gone from the clay. It is then put into a kiln which is heated to temperatures ranging from 1200 to 2300 degrees F, depending on the type of clay you used. This is called firing, and the goal is to heat the elements in the clay to the point where they fuse. The color of the clay changes during this process. What was once dull gray becomes an appealing buff, tan, dark red or pure white. This first firing is called the bisque firing. Fired clay has a matte (non-shiny) surface. The glossy surface you see on pottery Is called glaze. glass. There are innumerable kinds of glazes which produce endlessly interesting results. Raku is a method of making pottery developed by the Japanese. The word Raku means enjoyment, pleasure, contentment and ease; however, making Raku work is dramatic and exciting, and also has the highest risk of breakage as the pots may explode during the firing process. In Raku, vessels made of The reason that high fire clay are first bisque a pot exists? fired. They are then glazed with To entertain low-temperature glazes having a the heart, special composition. The pot is of course. allowed to dry thoroughly. A To delight kiln is heated to somewhere the eye and mind. between 1500 and 2000 To carry and store. degrees F, and the potter uses To protect and share. long-handled tongs to put the pot To hold the water and the into the red-hot kiln and leaves it wine, the grain, the flowers, inside until the glaze melts. This sugar, keys, bills and dreams, is usually between a few minutes and, sometimes, just the air. and an hour, depending on the Whatever you can think of. kiln temperature and the kind of To beautify a shelf, glaze used. Progress is checked a room, a life. through a hole in the kiln. To please the When the pot looks shiny and potters' wet all over, it is removed from soul. the kiln with tongs. Reason enough, The Raku object is then either Wouldn't you agree? placed directly in cold water to By C.S. Niblick cool it instantly, or it can be plunged into a large container full of combustible material such Glaze puts a layer of glass crystals on as leaves, newspaper, wood chips, hay or the surface of the clay. It is both decorative sawdust, and then placed in water to cool. and useful, since it waterproofs the vessel. The latter method results in markings and Generally, glaze is applied to the fired pot smoking on the piece which gives raku its as a liquid. When the pot is fired again, distinctive look. By Kay Sluterbeck the glaze melts, forming a thin layer of
The Art-to-Art Palette - Potters Shed Section/People, Places, Events department - 2008-09 Fall/Winter Edition - 77
Fong Choo was born in Singapore City, Singapore and is inspired by his Chinese heritage. About the size of a clenched fist, miniature teapots have been his signature pieces for over a decade. His works follow the long standing tradition in the great Yixing style of pottery where much emphasis is in the color, design, and form. Since 1985, artist Fong has many ties to his home in Louisville, Kentucky. His pottery studio is there, and he earned a Master of the Art in Ceramics from the University of Louisville. In addition, he became an Adjunct Professor and resident artist at Bellarmine University. In many ways, my attitude towards clay is that I need to awaken it. I love to poke, push, prod, explore, and search the limits and boundaries of my ceramic creations," he said. In his use of glazes, hell use a low fire commercial glazes and then fire it to cone 5/6 for a very jewel tone effect, in spite of the fact, these glazes run. To compensate for the over melting, he makes moats on his work to fit the form. Numerous and high level awards have been earned by Choo. In 207, he given a Distinction of Excellence in Ceramics at the Smithsonian Craft Show in Washington, D.C., and in 2006, he took the Best of Show at the American Craft Exposition in Evanston, Illinois. [email protected].
e awakens clay
78 - The Art-to-Art Palette - Potters Shed Section/People, Places, Events department - 2008-09 Fall/Winter Edition
reated in 1971, The Midwest Clay Guild is one of the oldest cooperatives in the United States. Sculptors, potters, painters and installation artists frequent the facilities to help expand their local, national and international shows. A well-organized studio within the organization contains a gas kiln, three electric kilns, slab roller, spray booth, glazing/chemical room and separate studio spaces.
Guild President, Mo Cahill, and has been successful in of Chicago, Mo Cahill. studied at Waubonsee teaching and displaying at According to Victor, We have shared events, Community College in Sugar several clay shows. an annual open house, My present challenge is Grove, Illinois, majoring in and local festival building a series of clay furniture Science and Liberal Arts. The opportunities. We as which deals with plenty of Art Institute of Chicago further members join in group technical problems thus far. The clenched her passion in travel plans to exhibitions Guild facility provides me with ceramics and drawing. and trade shows. affordable studio space with all the Responsibilities and Currently working on necessary equipment needed for challenges were nothing new my creative purposes. Dana freelance model making, Victor to Mo who learned long ago will have a large figure finds a nice balance of how to balance many aspects sculpture appearing in the creativity at the Guild where of life while raising a large Figure Evocative show at the he welcomes his working space family. You might say that the Third Rail Studio gallery in and not having to interfere Guild replaced her now grown October of 2008. Read more at with family life at home. children with a brand new formingground.com. Jeff Donelan, a chemist, hungry family searching for Being able to utilize space received his BS in Chemistry nurturing and leadership. 24/7 is one of the reasons that from Illinois Wesleyan The artist side of Cahill Victor Boyer was attracted to University and works as a finds her busy creating peace becoming a member of the researcher for aerospace, and political buttons in Midwest Clay Guild. Another defense and advanced memory of 9/11. View this one reason was his renewed technology applications. -of-a-kind artistic acquaintance with a former Concentrating on functional remembrance at student from the Art Institute pottery is his passion and pinkobuttons.com. Another project that Mo has been experimenting with are tiles that use wood and salt firings with the initial use of varied celadon glazes. This will be a project to watch as it changes and grows. For more on Mo Cahill visit ocahill.womanmade.net. Different artists find a home at the Guild and form friendships, sharing opinions and ideas with one another. Dana Shearin, youthful and vibrant, successfully completed a BFA from New Yorks College of Ceramics at Alfred FRONT{lr}:LindaKramerandMarySeyfarth.CENTER:DanaShearin,Kimberly University, taught in Jones,MoCahillandVictorBoyer.TOPLEFT:JeffDonelan. three university settings
found the guidance of the more accomplished and formally trained potters at the Guild very helpful in turning his amateur endeavors into a professional status. You can see this Evanston, Illinois potters work at many popular Chicago land art galleries. As you can tell, the artistminded possess an array of different backgrounds and many incorporate their skills into their love of clay. Kimberly Jones, a photography major and printmaker from Evanston, loves to create one of-akind pieces, lovely to use and also silky and alive to the touch. A love for dance, Kimberly has incorporated this skill into her work, featuring flowing lines into her clay work for a dramatic effect. A tribute to the 36-yearold facility and loyal since its inception, Linda Kramer, an original and founding member of the Midwest Clay guild, is very passionate about most aspects of art. Born in New York City and raised in California, she has studied art most of her life. Continued next page
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Workby JillOberman
Jill finds the surroundings of the Guild to be a perfect compromise to create her structures. Chairperson of the Ceramics Department at Columbia College and twenty-five year veteran of teaching, Mary Seyfarth has traveled to many international locations, excavating and collecting findings to process in her present day Byzantine Wall. Presented for exhibit in Lincoln Park, Chicago, Illinois, Seyfarths work includes the sgraffito technique where she cut through colorful slips into damp clay with a stylus, causing the glaze to flow and run over sharp lines for colorful results. A member of the Guild for the past twentyfive years, she is proud of the cooperative studio and also the Evanston Art Center, which is closely linked and a direct outgrowth from. Ceramics, graphic design and art history were major
WorkbyJeffDonelan
studies of Anne Wirtz, of Chicago, who spends many evenings and weekends at the Guild compiling sculptures and pottery, representative of forms of nature. Her expressive style leans toward abstracted with emphasis on pronounced textures and repetitions of forms and patterns. The Midwest Clay Guild is more than just a haven for artists looking for a place to set up a studio. Throughout the years, members have grown both artistically and socially, preparing to emerge with a sense of confidence in their creativity. Past members include Jim Connell, successful potter and lecturer in South Carolina; Xiaosheng Bi, now residing in the Chesapeake Bay area and noted as a published ceramic artist; Bonnie Katz, a Fine Arts Coordinator for youth at the Evanston Art Center; Les Orenstein, now teacher at the Lill Street Art Center and the Evanston Art Center and Stephanie OShaughnessy, active member of the 20 Dirty Hands group of potters in Galena, Illinois. Atmosphere, comrades, and tranquility are but a few of the favorable aspects in deciding to join the Guild if you are serious about a career in ceramics. Visit their website at midwestclayguild.org for more information and how to obtain rates on space that may come available in the future.
WorkbyVictorBoyer
WorkbyKimberlyJones
WorkbyLindaKramer
WorkbyDanaShearin
WorkbyMoCahill
WorkbyAnneWirtz
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Daniel Semler says, "I am a half-time potter who creates various functional and decorative pieces in stoneware and porcelain. Coffee mugs, cups, bowls, plates, and decorative vases with a variety of glazes have become his focal points in his pottery works." His interests include classic form, simple but subtle forms which require time to design. "Tiles have provided me with some good experiments. I am trying more glaze combinations with oxide washes on stoneware and glazes with accents on porcelain." Daniel creates works with artistic content and individuality. "I don't produce in large numbers." However, he will do small sets using the same developmental approach with sushi dishes or an odd set of mugs. As a Computer Engineer, he includes many scientific and technical aspects in his pottery works. Ceramic research has taken a definite part of his life which he shares with others. www.clayosmos.com for much more technical information for potters.
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detail
detail
Raku with AMACO glazes/Old World Crackle series; Fog Gray, Satin White, Amber18 x 6 x 12
Spirit Markers
Works by ceramic sculptor Lisa Merida-Paytes of Cincinnati, Ohio are the unseen core of the various animals that may include mixed media. Powerful images of animal carcasses, in her fathers taxidermist business, have been the underlying influence in these ceramic creations. Lisa has created an unusual sculpture of a fish with acupuncture needles relating to three distinct influences. First, this work stems from her father who did approximately a thousand preserved fish mounts. Secondly, she was further influenced to buy a beautiful, stuffed blow fish while on a family vacation in Florida. This purchase inspired her because it embodies so many characteristics in combination of method and form in her own art. Specifically, the blowfish contains a beauty of inherent texture and color that is secondary to form. The third influence was her treatment from the accident that included acupuncture. Currently, Lisa is using stoneware, raku clay which is heavily gorged and contains kainite to give special strength to her pieces. The temper of this clay body becomes quite suitable as she carves deeply into a sculpture, such as, a fish with many thick and thin areas. This clay body has safer passages through raku firings with its thermal shocks due to extreme temperature changes. The artist's future plans is to keep experimenting with her sculptures to get more weathered effects upon them. www.lisameridapaytes.com.
Raku with copper matt and AMACO glazes/Old World Crackle series; Fog Gray, Satin, White, Amber34 x 40 x 37
HANGING DEAD Raku with AMACO glazes/Old World Crackle series; Fog Gray, Satin, White, Amber -
28 x 8 x 12
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"Art has always been a part my life. My mother was a graduate of the Julliard School studying piano, bassoon, and spent some time drawing," said Steven Branfman of Newton, Massachusetts . His great grandfather, a Russian immigrant who lived with them, was a tailor of fine clothing. A great uncle from Russia "who I was very close, painted landscapes while he made his living as a house painter." Steven had another uncle who was a talented painter and musician. In addition, "my parents saw the value in art and took me and my siblings to museums, concerts, and Broadway plays." On the other hand, Branfman was more interested in athletics than the arts and went to college to become a physical education teacher, but that career path didnt last very long. "There was never a conscious decision by me to do art or to become an artist. It was more like something that needed to be done. My movement towards art was natural and he knew it was right." In 1971, clay entered his life as a random encounter. His teacher, John Jessiman was a wonderful potter. "He mesmerized me with his fluidity and ease with clay. After seeing him throw, I decided I wanted to be a potter." At Rhode Island School of Design, "Norm Schulman was unforgiving, rigid, and set in his ways. However, I learned a lot from Norm and it was the most influential experience in my decision to work with clay. Since 1975, Steven has been making pots, teaching, writing, and operating his own studio. From his earliest introduction to clay, he has always been fascinated and excited about the wheel. It is not one, but all of the components of that tool that holds and keeps my interest; the speed, fluidity, and in particular, the sense of growth I observe and control during the process." His aim and ambition is to make good pots. "My work is about vessels and the characteristics that make the vessel come alive: volume, texture, color, and scale." One of his objectives is through his vessels is to preserve the connection between contemporary ceramic expression and potterys origins as functional containers. "I do not want to transform and abandon it. Though my forms are not functional as in domestic ware, they do suggest function and are certainly containers. For over 30 years, Raku technique and process has held Stevens attention. He has remained true to these never ending variations of applied technique and the spontaneity of the actual firing process. "The always present degree of surprise and serendipity in the results continue to fascinate me." He works simultaneously in the traditional method which was started in the 1600s in Japan and his own contemporary technique where rules are constantly in question."Raku firing is fast by its design and spontaneous by my nature. When the piece is ready to be taken from the kiln there is a lot of chaotic appearing activity for a very short time." Though there is always a degree of surprise, the success of the work depends on potter Branfmans ability to command and predict the variables of material and fire. "It is like a dance that when choreographed well that flows into a statement of beauty. It feels good when done right." Steven uses a variety of glazes including so called raku glazes stoneware glazes, commercial low fire glazes. slips, enrobes, stains, under glazes and over glazes. Glazes are applied by brushing, pouring, and spraying often with multiple thin layers of as many as 15 glazes. "I fire them without the use of cones or pyrometer while observing the glazes as they melt and removing the pots when the surfaces have melted and flowed to my satisfaction." However, post firing becomes a process all its own. "It requires the precise combination of forced cooling and smoking. Smoking is finally carried out in metal cans using coarse sawdust, wood shavings, and pine needles." This potter is also a noted writer, workshop presenter, and a pottery teacher at the Thayer Academy in Braintree. Besides his work appears in private, corporate, and museum collections throughout the United States and the world. www.americanpotters.com/gallery.tpl?ID=3099287941119
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"I was blessed with exposure to many different ideas and artistic endeavors,"
she said. With this to her advantage, Mayssan went to college to study both English literature and Architecture, and graduated from the School of Fine Arts at Damascus University. Mayssan came to the United States with her husband for his specialized studies, and remained because of career and freedom opportunities. "After two children, the empty nest syndrome prompted me to begin studies in pottery." Water flow captured her architectural tendencies, so she started making fountains and enjoyed the challenges they presented. Mayssan also started making gestures of figurines that she calls "clay beings" because they took on a life of their own. Today, she does not know what is next, but everyday is a new challenge and every work an opening into another. www.clayvillepottery.com.
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Location, location, location! Her studio and store is located where Greenville Creek gently flows through thirty-five acres of wetland, sowing generations of history along its path. The untouched stream offers generous fresh water, minerals and pristine air to its banks and islands, attracting substantial, active wildlife. Built in 1849 and in the middle of this natural retreat, stands Bears Mill, a four story building, sided with original American Black Walnut, held solidly in place with twelve-inch by sixteen inch, fiftyfoot long beams, unspliced and spectacular. Still in operation today and the National Register of Historic Places, this is where Julie Clark, a professional clay artist gains her endless inspiration, surrounded inside with the unchanged, with the outside modernized world not far away. Clay offers endless possibilities. My main interest is in the aesthetics of form. It is my desire to continue to learn, grow and change in pursuit of these aesthetics," said Clark In addition, her fascination with wood firing offers a natural finish that enhances her works. "There is an element of chance with wood firing that can be very exciting. My oxidation glazes are natural and uncomplicated as well, she added. With clay so soft, pliable and spontaneous, pieces are created that show that message in their finished state. www.bearsmill.com.
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eality
is artist's forte
Jeffrey Baxter has developed a realistic style of capturing fish with the permanent medium of fired clay. Inspired by the vibrant colors and forms of coral reef, he captures these dynamic elements in his sculptures. His works involve life size to large scale outdoor art. He studied, maintained and bred 27 different species of African Chic lids. Also has published 5 national articles on the care
and maintenance of these beautiful tropical fish. Currently, he is captive propagating, growing and raising corals in four marine reef tanks. His art has been featured at juried shows USA wide and to date has received 8 national and 4 international awards. In addition, Jeffrey is a charter member of the Potters Council of the American Ceramic Society in Columbus, Ohio and is a native or Rockford, Illinois. www.yessy.com/JeffreyBaxter
Beginning as a very young child and then in elementary and high school, "I have been a potter all my life," said Cindy Clarke of Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, who is now a professional doing all type of wheel thrown and hand built pottery items. In addition, she has web sites for the beginning and advanced potters: The How to Make Pottery and The Out of the Fire Studio which also provides a broader picture of the work Cindy has produced as a potter. "I share studio responsibilities with my husband Jim who has assisted me with developing many of the glazes and firing schedules, and my two children, Kaileigh and John." Basically, the family helps Cindy in a variety of ways. Kaileigh is a graduate from Victoria School of Visual and Performing Arts and is working on improving the web site designs. John has completed grade eleven and specializes in music and video arts and uses his camera and editing skills to add to the video information available. In searching through Clarkes web sites, people will find a YouTube video Centering Clay When Wheel Throwing. It is a learning experience just to watch Cindys graceful hand movements in this centering activity. She thoroughly explains the methods to this important aspect of wheel throwing skills. Readers may view all aspects of my pottery operation from the initial selection of clay to my finished pieces. I consider it important to share these practical tips and steps with others as my contribution to their own pottery insights and developments. ww.outofthefirestudio.com
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'Happy accidents'
Creativity is a passion with Kevin Lehman. "I enjoy the spontaneous and limitless approaches." His pottery works vary with functional, architectural, and sculptural. "My approach starts with an idea that I work through in developing a variety of clay objects." Kevin's process is open to "happy accidents" which lead to other possibilities. His results are products of self ideas, experiences, and the natural of the creative process. Kevin developed a love of clay in his hometown of Lancaster, Pennsylvania. It began in elementary school where he had his first experience using a potters wheel. This experience drove him to pursue ceramics in his education and life. After graduation from Millersville University, "I was eager to apply my skills. I started a pottery business in a small backyard shed with my home-built throwing wheel and a salvaged gas kiln." Today, his business is now located in a 5000 square foot warehouse which allows him to have ample room for teaching classes and engaging in clay projects, large and small. His focus is with large pottery colossal jars, tile fireplaces, grand wall dcor, and large exterior sculptures. www.klpottery.com.
Surrounded by towering mountains, flowing streams, fields of variety, rich vegetated forest, and with a nearby wetland habitat, many wild animals travel through Porcelain potter Lisa Ernsts place on Earth, a rural area where people can measure their own pace. "I am deeply inspired by these natural settings. My present goals are to create clay pieces with strong underlying vibrancy and to animate this tangibly." Born in Japan in the early 50s, playing with clay at an early age has become a life long pursuit. While in college, "I was influenced by Ken Ferguson at the Kansas City Art Institute. He deeply cared about the Japanese Folk Craft tradition which fostered an artistic bond with me." In the early 90s, Lisa began to use water birds and fish in her designs, however leaves and flowers are now more dominant in her porcelain forms. Lisa has been fascinated with surface design and its relationship to form. "My interest is in how they offer a transformable quality to everyday life. I thoroughly enjoy making functional objects that evoke a certain pleasure when used at meal times." These functional items are meant to enhance daily life. Large platters satisfy her painterly instincts while teacups and saucers bring about my desire for the intricate. "Drinking from one of Lisa's botanical cups and saucers gives me the pleasure of holding a floating Monet in my hands," said Jane Hayden, a Halter Museum volunteer. www.lisaernstpottery.com.
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underneath. It took me years of exploration to perfect this technique and my unique firing process." Working as a potter has taken Tom on a journey. "I am very eager to start each day. I love my life and creative works, and I know that I am a very fortunate." www.tomradca.com.
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entuckian
has many artistic outlets
Melvin Rowe is a full time potter living in Louisville, Kentucky. He has over 35 years in the clay arts and spends a full week creating his functional stoneware. Melvin delights in creating an everyday object to be special with
I have always tended to create works of art and objects that reflect my current interest in my personal life. In 2007, after a lifelong interest in horses, I finally found myself in a position to become a horse owner. This, of course, influenced me to create pieces with a horse theme.
every moment becoming special. My skills with the materials, which allow me to express myself the way I do, are a direct result of my ability to throw a form repeatedly with consistency and accuracy. These skills were honed as a production pottery in the early 1980s. Today, he places emphasis on gallery exhibitions and collections of private citizens and organizations. His studio is located within his restored Victorian-era home, where he also engages in amateur wine making, wood carving and leatherwork.
www.potteryrowe.com.
Work shown are the start to finish stages of her husband Gary. http://heidimaiers.com.
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I Love Lucy
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Wali Hawes was born in India and went to college in England. Pottery studies took him to Spain where he became more deeply involved as a clay artist. He continued his fascination with pottery by living in Japan, where this exposure gave him a very varied perspective on things. These early experiences influenced him to be eclectic without being confined to one particular style or mode. There is one very distinctive contribution that Wali has given to the clay world. He is an expert in non-traditional kiln construction that amazes people seeing the firing demonstrations. Hawes says, The development of Kiln Technology has historically been accomplished in China. These Chinese potters elevated kilns to higher temperatures and achieved dazzling results with their glazed pottery pieces. Thus, their kilns have been developed as a tool for decoration of these clay vessels. In addition, Wali has borrowed and further developed and simplified his kiln constructions. His kilns have the capacities to be tools for the creation of various atmospheres which will intervene directly on his clay surfaces. One very notable invention is his "tree kiln" which became a huge and varied vessel because he built it from clay. The kiln was fired through the same process as green ware which logically made it become a ceramic object. "I molded and shaped this mammoth clay structure to be like tree trunks with limbs from raw clay for woodfiring purposes. The kiln name became recognized as a Firetree." In kiln building and experimental firings, Wali has placed an emphasis upon de-mystifying the firing process. It has allowed him to launch into the unknown as these firings unleash the forces of nature in a controlled way. "To date, I have never purchased a kiln in my life! I just continue to construct more and more Firetrees." www.walihawes.com.
W
Artist's foundation is ways of the past
Cheryl Weisz was born and raised in the heart of Amish country where she learned to admire and use their ways with wood, metal and especially create in clay. Making pottery with children is one of Cheryl's fortes. The works exhibited, mouse wares and bear mugs, express wonderful memories of fun, laughter and family time. "They are keepsakes that are meant to be shared with loved ones." www.cherylweiszpottery.com.
Marie-Elena Ottman has experienced dual cultures. Her American father is from Indiana and her mother is Panamanian. Growing up around the Panama Canal, its natural blend of many cultures, floras and fauna in the tropical rain forest has been the main source of inspiration in her works, especially pre -Columbian artifacts. Today to overcome missing her roots, I began creating ceramic sculptures that are metaphorical self-portraits which portray my multicultural feelings. Colors, textures and forms are the essentials of her works which include a hybrid species, a blend two opposing forces into one living force. www.marie-elena.com.
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rof digs
mass production
Daniel Bare created an unusual clay piece titled: Green Tea Platter. There is a solid base of original thought behind this work. I began to collect teapots and saw a reality for the mass-produced ceramic objects. This visual impact emerged from viewing the large vendor displays in the streets of Chinese ceramic cities. A relationship to a single beautiful object changed, as Daniel was driven to re-present such tiny teapots in a new way. His technique changed to ready-made teapots. Instead of dipping the created teapots in a glaze, I began to encase, envelop, submerge, and cement the commercial teapots together. This formed a new image of his platter. Daniel developed a glaze that is thick, textured, and colored-like that of a frothy green tea. As the commercial objects became encrusted in thick glazes, he zeroed out the intended use of the unit. The result opened a whole new view of a beautiful artwork that is different from any other clay artist. He discovered another approach to clay - I found how fired clay objects that were encrusted in the earth at various archeological sites. Altered effects were noticed in the surfaces and forms of the objects. He began to develop new insights for a forthcoming tea platter. Saggars were made that would contain Daniels newly developed glazes which had textures for surface treatments. The saggars allowed me to almost feel like being at an archeological dig site as the finished glazed piece came from the kiln. Once he opened the sagger, I experienced the feeling an excavation as I gently brushed off the excess material. Bare is a ceramic instructor at Grand Valley State University in Wall-mounted blue and orange ceramic sculpture with a detailed Allendale, Michigan. portion shown. Made with 75% post-consumer found ceramics; 20% www.danielbare.com. porcelain; 5% glaze. 13H x 14 W x 6 D.
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Laura McLaughlin is like most artistic minds: daily events influence them and with their medium, images are created. Clay sculptures, vessels, linoleum prints, or a combination of clay and prints are Lauras forte. I apply swirling brush strokes to the clay or linoleum surfaces, and then I imagery techniques to express my true feelings. Imagery that represents human psychological struggle, chaos and violence, are weaved into her works. Also, animal figures are revealed with metaphors, such as, a moose may represent the clumsy, awkward, and strong individual living in a beauty conscious society. The chicken and bird are like individuals who want to fly, but are somehow caged in by society. Many of her works tend to be very busy with closely packed composition. The chaos stems from the constant bombardment of information, mainly with structure, being, family, religion, and the media. In any given day, we find confusion with our abilities to process what is right and wrong in our choices. Artist McLaughlin strives to lend a common understanding through her works, using a basic object such as a ceramic cup. www.laurajeanmclaughlin.com.
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www.judygeerts.com
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Before moving to Western Massachusetts in 1986, Mark Shapiro was been living in New York making sculptures and supporting himself as a carpenter. His turn to pottery was an answer "to my vexing problem that I had been unable to resolve with sculpture: is there a place for sculpture that allows intimate connection and engagement with the viewer?" On the other hand as a potter, Mark's work would be held and used. Also, his pottery would stay in the main places of peoples lives. As his work evolved, I continued to be compelled by the challenges of domestic potter. He became interested in larger scale works appropriate for abstract gallery space and making pots for the kitchen and table. When Mark moved to rural Massachusetts, "I bought a shipwreck of an old place that had an unusual feature from which I took for the name of my pottery a stone pool." It was built as a landscaping feature by Russell Conwell, who founded Temple University in Philadelphia. Several years later, Mark began working and firing with Michael Kline, who was the only one with a degree in ceramics, and Sam Taylor. "We all learned from one another by bouncing around ideas. There was much camaraderie and competitive playfulness." The end result of this trio association, produced exceptional works as well as into full-time potting. Michael, Sam, and Mark found a turning point when they all took Michael Simons workshop at the Penland School. Simon gave them greater understanding of profound and expressive possibilities in pottery vessels. The dozen or so pots that Simon placed on the table for participants to see just blew me away. In spite of their modest size, they seemed to have great scale and power. "Simons work continues to inspire me, as does the work of octogenarian potter, Karen Karnes, whos sculptural vessels seem to synthesize European modernism with Mingei aesthetics." www.stonepoolpottery.com.
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Onion Eater
"I believe clay vessels are based on the use of hands as a decorative tool." Ceramic sculptor Vipoo Srivilasa takes this approach which allows him to create, relax and enjoy many varied clay adventures. "Knowledge becomes my key to refinements in my finished works. My inspiration evolves as I explore innovative uses of clay and glazes." Hand building is incorporated in his works with the techniques of pinch, coil and slab methods. "I like to do aquatic creatures and sometimes will use press-molding with paper clay with these animals. It is much visual, this artist uses basic tools to design creatures with delicate decoration. Another sculptural feature is Vipoos decorative tea sets. He uses slabs, coils and press moulds that are pierced and textured. Colorful applications by glaze-on-glaze techniques add to lush and exotic effects to his works. www.vipoo.com.
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fragile looking, but the teapots are very functional and deceptively strong.
www.spyroterra.com
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Elizabeth Lurie
John Stephenson
Mark Chatterley
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Janelle Songer
Nate Tonning
Susanne Stephenson
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