Volume 1 Sarah Carlile In high school I really wanted to be a special effects makeup artist and was told I needed to learn to sculpt to be successful. I took the beginner ceramics class at my high school and absolutely fell in love with ceramics. In only about 2 weeks I was hooked and making new plans for my future. I have always loved throwing [on a potters wheel], however recently I have been embracing slip casting. All of my work is fired to cone 6 oxidation to showcase my vibrant color palette. I use a few commercial glazes, mainly celadons, and a few studio-made basics (clear, white, etc.), but the majority of what I use are underglazes. I love the boldness of the colors you get and the painterly way they can be applied. My favorite piece is “Bee Cup”. I have been expanding my color palette recently to include a wider variety of colors beyond yellows and oranges, and I think this piece is successful in showing my imagery well without relying so heavily on my standard colors. My work is almost all functional and mainly cups so I was excited to find a show for exactly that! My work can be found at: Saramicstudios.weebly.com Dentonceramicscollective.com Instagram - @Saramicstudios Etsy - Etsy.com/shop/SaramicStudios Michelle Coakes Michelle Coakes is a recently retired art professor who owns and operates Bad Wolf Pottery in Taylorville, IL. Coakes has been making pots for more than 40 years and holds a BFA, MA and MFA in Ceramics (all from Northern Illinois University.) She has done post-graduate work at Wichita State University and the University of Southern Maine. She has taught at a number of schools throughout the country, including the University of Louisville, Western Kentucky University, Juniata College (PA), Lincoln Land Community College in Springfield, Illinois, and two other community colleges in Illinois. She continues to teach pottery classes at Bad Wolf Pottery. Coakes is the author of “Creative Pottery: A Step-by-Step Guide and Showcase” published by Rockport publishers in 1998. I was lucky enough to attend at high school in the suburbs of Chicago that had a strong art department. After being “hooked” on pottery in high school, I began taking pottery classes at the nearby community college when I turned 16. I never stopped. After community college, I continued my studies at Northern Illinois University, eventually earning my MFA in 1987. I prefer to work with stoneware clay. And, I start almost every pot on the wheel. I often throw parts, alter them, and then, assemble them into the finished pieces. I have two options for finishing the work: some are fired in an electric kiln to cone 6, using my own glazes; and some are fired in a wood kiln to cone 9/10, using my own glazes formulated for that temperature. RinRiI like the contrast I created in the “Porcelain Capped Flask” by using a porcelain slip on the cap of the piece. It is actually thrown stoneware, but I applied a thick slip, which acts like a frosting. The lightness of the porcelain against the darker clay of the body of the flask provides a nice play of values. The body of the flask has a Shino glaze, which provides a warm, orange glow to the stoneware clay. The piece was fired in my wood kiln to cone 9. I am trying to challenge myself to get my work “out there.” When you teach full-time at a community college (where there is seldom emphasis placed on research in your field) as I have for the past several years, it is difficult to find the time to get work done in your own studio – and even more difficult to find the time to promote and exhibit your work. But, now that I’ve retired from college teaching, I am rededicating myself to my own studio practice - and that includes exhibiting my work, if I am so lucky. I have a website: www.badwolfpottery.com And, I have a Facebook page for my studio: www.facebook.com/BadWolfPottery/ Michelle's Ringed Shino Flask won the Overall Best in Show Award. Ramiro Diaz My artwork is about the connections that bring seemingly disparate worlds and ideas joyfully together. Animals and animalian humanoids appear frequently as whimsical characters. I feel a great connection to and influence from the world of dreams. Dreams are the mind’s way of processing and expressing intense emotions and experiences. These raw emotional connections seek to bring the viewer back to a place in childhood where the heart understood the world before the eye and mind did. Growing up in Cuba after the collapse of the Soviet Union, when being well fed was a rare luxury, nature was my toybox. Death and decomposition were a part of daily life. I remember feeling an innocent curiosity about animals rotting in the dirt, seeing beauty in their bones as I saw beauty in the creature that had been alive not long before. When I moved to New Orleans, I felt a deep connection to the way death is celebrated here as a part of loving life. The music and spirit of the places I have lived have deeply influenced me as well, and my work is frequently imbued with this music that is like a spiritual pulse. Ramiro's Coffee Mug won Best of Category for Coffee: Becca Dilldine I graduated from the Appalachian Center for Craft in December 2017. I graduated with a BFA in Ceramics and a minor in Social & Behavioral Science. I’m currently the Gallery Manager at the Craft Center and I also teach ceramics to high school students through the Appalachian Center for Craft’s Focus on Fine Craft Program. I enjoy spending time with my husband and our two cats and two rabbits. I also like to garden and explore the many waterfalls and state parks we have here in Tennessee. While in high school, my art class took several field trips to the Appalachian Center for Craft. From the first visit, I knew that I wanted to study at the Craft Center. It’s beautiful location and amazing facilities was the best place for me to pursue art. My forms are thrown on the potter’s wheel and then altered and pinched to leave my own touch, documenting my relationship to each vessel. I paint quick, expressive imagery using Amaco Underglazes, inspired by my perception of environments I’ve encountered in my life. I carve through my imagery to reveal my terracotta clay body beneath, providing contrast in each piece. This process is called sgraffito. My pots are then bisque fired to Cone 08 (1728 degrees), glazed in a clear glaze, and then fired again to Cone 3 (2106 degrees). I mix my own Stephenson Terracotta at the Appalachian Center for Craft. I also mix my own white slip and glaze recipes. I currently fire to Cone 3 in an electric kiln, but I enjoy atmospheric firing, and have fired our Salt, Soda, and Wood kilns at the Craft Center. Salt firing is my favorite. I enjoyed decorating my Red Flower tumbler, I don’t usually use red underglaze! I was a part of this show last year, so I wanted to apply again this year! Website: beccadilldineceramics.com Instagram: beccadilldine_ceramics Galleries: Appalachian Center for Craft Retail Gallery, Smithville, TN Allee Etheridge I currently live in Dallas, Texas, with my husband, two giant dogs, two cats, and a constantly revolving collection of foster animals. However, I grew up in the Twin Cities and also spent two years in rural Japan after college. I work out of my home studio and spend my free time rescuing animals and performing at the local renaissance festival. Though I grew up in a very sheltered and conservative environment, my work now talks about sex, sexuality, and how they intersect with politics and society. In high school, I was a ceramic sculptor, and I thought I would do that forever. I didn't think functional ceramics could possibly be art. That changed in college. On my first day of Introductory Ceramics, my professor, Peter Beasecker, spent the class showing us all how to throw a cylinder on the wheel. After the class, as the cocky sophomore that I was, I went up to him and said that functional ceramics was okay and all, but could I please just work on my sculptures? He laughed at me and told me in no uncertain terms that I would learn to work on the wheel just like everyone else. It turned out that I had a knack for it, and he introduced me to the work of all sorts of incredible potters. I soon realized that functional ceramics could absolutely be art, and I was hooked. I work mostly on the wheel and then alter the pieces afterward. I use porcelaneous stoneware because it has the best of both worlds: the beautiful white canvas of porcelain and the forgiveness of stoneware when I'm altering and cutting up/combining pieces when they're wet. After I've finished the form of my pots, I use the mishima process to draw erotic line drawings on the pots, and then I surround the images with commercially available decals (either underglaze tissue transfers or overglaze water-slide decals). I fire my pots in an electric kiln to ^5 and use commercial glazes. After all that, I add gold luster and fire the pots again to ^018. My favorite piece I have in this show is my martini cup. Technically, it was the most difficult piece to make of all four. I threw the cup in one piece on the wheel and getting the stem so narrow while still being able to flare out the bowl as much as I did was very difficult. Though I've made many martini cups and wine goblets in this style, I still struggle to get them right, and it's always hugely satisfactory when they come out well. Of all the pots I make and use daily, cups are my favorite. They are the most intimate of all pots. Cups are the ones that actually touch the user's lips. Cups are what deliver the two most fabulous things in existence: caffeine and alcohol. Cups are life-giving. For that reason, I love all cup shows. Website: http://www.alleeceramics.com Instagram: @alleeceramics Etsy: http://www.etsy.com/shop/alleeceramics Matthew Everett As an artist who is inspired by the natural landscape, I spend a lot of time outdoors whether it is hiking or attending the plants around my home. The natural landscape has always been a place where I can find solitude and direction during all moments of life. As a result, the work is both an encapsulation of emotion and a reinterpretation of the landscape produced from this immersion. I was first introduced to pottery when I was in high school, but it was not until I began attending a ceramics club in college that I began expressing a desire to explore this medium further. After a month attending the club, I changed my major so that I could concentrate in the Ceramic Arts. My preferences to making teacups is to throw them off the hump with either a brown or white stoneware. The Teacups accepted in this event have both been fired in a Cone 10 reduction. I also prefer to make my own glazes so that I can leave room for experimentation with the raw materials and how they respond to the clay. My favorite piece accepted for this show is the Teacup as the form has been shaped to welcome the hands. When those hands hold the piece, the texture is a reminder of the landscape from which it was inspired. I was inspired to apply to this show because the theme of the show is something I strongly connect with. The drinking vessel has been an invaluable tool throughout history. Appreciating this fact, I believe the work I make may contribute to this celebration. Website: www.meverettart.com Instagram: @mateoeverett Teresa Frisch I am 24 years old. I am from Illinois, which is also where I am currently working towards my Bachelors in Fine Arts, majoring in ceramics, at Southern University of Illinois, Edwardsville. In my free time I love playing with my two dogs, going on hikes, kayaking, and gardening with my significant other. I am also an avid traveler with a profound love for the Ocean, which is where I draw my inspiration. That being said, I will not be able to attend this show because I will be doing a work study in Italy this summer, which can be fallowed on my instagrams! I first got introduced to ceramics when I was in high school, and then took ceramics an elective in college and really fell in love with the wheel. After that I realized ceramics was my calling and have been pursuing it ever since! First Starting out I mainly used white stoneware, however these days I prefer porcelain. All things in this show are wheel thrown and then altered once they are leather hard. For the conch-shaped cups I cut them in half and reattach them to have an overhanging handle that is still a part of the pot. The reason for these handles is to hug the user's hand while holding it. Then the bottoms are removed and rebuilt using coils to create the spiraling base. The base for the Supported Cup, was a thrown bowl flipped upside down and then altered to fit that specific cup. The coral handled cups I squeeze coils to fit comfortably in the hand, then stipple them using 3 types of tools and attach them at leather hard. I create a variety of textures on all my pottery some are impressions from found objects and some are carved, but my most prominent texture is the barnacles. For these I had made a mold so that I can produce them a lot quicker, because each barnacle was tediously stippled. When glazing I use studio-made glazes, along with black slip and commercial under glazes. When firing I use cone 10 atmospheric salt kilns, because I really enjoy that the salt itself becomes a glaze. My favorite cup is most likely the Coral Cup, even though I no longer use stoneware, the glazes I used on this cup turned out beautifully and I love how it fits in the hand. My professor inspired us students to reach out to different shows. I make a lot of drinking vessels so when I saw the call for this show I felt like I'd be a perfect fit! I am still working on an artist website, but my art work can be followed at passport_pottery on Instagram and my travels and other adventures on @tempo381 Instagram! Katherine Gaff I am currently working towards my BFA in Sculpture are Purdue University Fort Wayne. I describe myself as a potter and a sculptor. I work primarily in clay, creating different vessel forms, as well as life size figurative sculptures. I intend to graduate in about a year and a half, then head off to graduate school. My ultimate goal is to become a ceramics professor and to be able to inspire my students to become successful and happy individuals. I was in high school when I first became interested in clay. I was the teacher’s assistant for the art teacher and she had me helping her with an introductory ceramics class. This was the first time that I realized I wanted to be a teacher. I began working with clay on an old stone kick wheel. There was just something mesmerizing and relaxing about the physical process of kicking the wheel, steadying my hands, and creating something out of nothing. I work with a brown stoneware made by Laguna Clay. I use this clay for both throwing and sculpting, making it highly versatile for me, which is what I love the most about it. We make our own glazes at Purdue University Fort Wayne. I have worked as the work-study lab assistant, so I have made every glaze that we currently have. We mostly fire to cone 10 and we have several kilns. I used to fire mainly in a Bailey gas kiln, but over the past two years, we have built a wood-fire kiln and a soda kiln. I now fire in all three kilns, it just depends on the desired effect that I am looking for. The three pieces that are within this show were all fired in our very first firing of our brand-new soda kiln. My favorite piece is the Sake Set that was accepted for this event. It was the first time that I was able to create a set such as this one. I am just incredibly happy with how the glaze turned out, and the way that the glaze pools around the foot of each piece. I also felt that the glaze fits the shape of the vessel well. I had a professional practice class with my ceramics professor. One of our assignments was to pick a few shows and apply to one. I picked five shows and applied to all five. This show also looked extremely exciting to me because I had just finished creating several different forms of drinking vessels and I thought it would be great to enter those pieces into the show. I also planned on getting an internship in Colorado, so I thought I might be able to attend the show! I post my work on my Facebook page ocassionally: Katherine Gaff Most of my work is on my Instagram: @katherinegaff John Randolph Hamilton III I am a studio potter living in Arvada, CO with my wife of 12 years and two daughters, 3 and 9. I am also currently an artist in residence and teacher at the Arvada Center for the Arts and Humanities. I have been working with clay for the last 16 years and began my professional career in 2012 after graduating from Fort Hays State University in Kansas. After learning the potters wheel and other ceramic techniques in high school, I decided that I wanted to be an art teacher, I then took my first pottery class in Junior College and began to pursue a second degree in fine arts specifically for ceramics. I currently sell my work in various art festivals in Colorado and the surrounding states, as well as Plinth Gallery in Denver. I work with many aspects of making things in clay. My Rocket cups, tumblers and mugs are all wheel thrown. I love making closed forms, which began my idea of creating the rockets. my handles are made using an extruder and sprig mold for the bolts. My glazing is pretty simple but tedious. I use under glazes applied by sponging hand cut stencils, apply wax to my images and dip in various homemade glazes. The actual rockets are fired in cone 5 oxidation, the tumblers and mugs in cone ten reduction. The shot glass was created specifically for this show using the slip casting method. I began constructing a model using found objects and made a three-part casting mold where the piece is cast in one part and the details added on by stamping and the use of more sprig molds. I love the process of found object sculpture and mold making, so I would consider this to be my favorite piece for the show. I was told about your show from one of your members, Deborah Hager. Gallery- Plinth Gallery, 3520 Brighton Blvd, Denver, CO 80216 Website- www.johnrhamilton3.com facebook- https://www.facebook.com/johnrhamilton3Ceramics/ Instagram- https://www.instagram.com/johnrhamilton3ceramics/?hl=en James' Rocket Show won the Best of Spirits Category award More potters in the 2nd installment of this Blog article.
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As I compile the responses from the artists in our current show, “Mushrooms”, I feel as though my office in the back of our gallery space is in the middle of a forest. I am surrounded by the most beautiful representations of mushrooms and fungus. This open call show has brought in so many different types of artwork—pyrography, alcohol ink, fiber work, photography, paintings, pottery, glass work, and the list just goes on. We have pieces from over 20 artists. Some of them have responded to a questionnaire about them, their artwork, and where you can find them and/or their artwork. But I’d like to introduce you first to the woman who made ALL of this possible. Kelly Green is on of our co-op members and has coordinated shows for us in the past. This show is her 2019 effort. -Juanita Canzoneri Kelly GreenI've been drawing and fascinated by art since I was very young. I really enjoy working in an endless variety of mediums from pen & ink drawings and painting on canvas to sculpting and customizing toys to photography and collage. Sometimes I use each on their own and sometimes they are all mixed up. It's very organized random chaos. My process depends on the piece since I work with so many different mediums, and time plays a big role in how I proceed with each piece. I always have a bunch of different pieces and/or projects going on simultaneously which means making constant messes throughout the house. From randomness happening in my studio, to framing on the dining room table and multiple projects belonging to me and to my very creative daughter on every other surface available, the whole house can easily be overwhelmed by the creation process, and I am usually scrambling to try and keep the art messes under control. I usually only paint, draw, or work on any detailed pieces when the house is completely quiet during the early hours before dawn. I cherish these rare meditative creative moments when the elegance and depth of silence can transform thought into spontaneous visual imagery. I am super excited to be showing Bee and Butterfly Baths made out of recycled glass that I made with my amazing daughter Hali who is 8 years old and quite the artist herself already. She designed and stacked all of the glassware and I did all of the gluing. It was great fun, and they turned out really cool and beautiful. I applied to Commonwheel for this gallery show after, (like most of my brilliant ideas), it was suggested to me by our super insightful Marketing Manager Juanita. A lot of my artwork actually has a lot of mushrooms in it for various reasons. I enjoy drawing, painting, and sculpting mushrooms because their shapes and colors are amazing, I find them an incredibly interesting and vast organism. Sometimes I just try to recreate them and sometimes they morph into Octopuses and/or hold symbolic meaning in my art. I thought it was a brilliantly fun idea to have a whole show dedicated to this amazing Fungus so I went for it. I'm a proud member of Commonwheel Artist Co-op in Manitou Springs and Colorado Creative Co-op in Old Colorado City. I also have some art work available in the super groovy hippie and mushroom friendly Poppy Seed in Manitou Springs. My website: http://www.flyvisions.com/ On Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kellygreenhbaum/ Beatrice Trezevant I loved to paint as a child, and a career in the arts was the only choice I ever considered. My studies were in Textile Design, and I received a degree, LSIAD from Canterbury College of Art in 1975. I have always enjoyed creating patterns and was lucky to join the Hallmark team in Kansas City in the early eighties. My occupation as an Illustrator lasted for twenty-five years, most of them working as a freelance and licensing artist with major companies in the US. Presently, I am expressing my creativity in watercolor, as this allows me to work fast and in a spontaneous way. As I have retired from product design, I am able to devote my time to the pursuit of painting, which is a wonderful transition. Lately I have taken on painting without a sketch or drawing on the paper. On the one hand this offers greater freedom; on the other hand, this requires a lot of concentration, as you can’t alter watercolor much. In this piece I started painting the mushrooms general shapes and added the detail later. The piece I entered is called “Dancing Mushrooms”. I was trying to convey playfulness, while developing the many patterns that are present on mushrooms. I happened to be working on this particular theme and saw that “Commonwheel" was having a show depicting mushrooms. What a fun moment of synergy! My work can be found at www.beatricetrezevant.com, Trezevant Art on Facebook, beatrezevant on Instagram. Jerilyn Winstead I am a collector of hobbies and a jack-of-all-trades. I’ve painted, knitted, crafted, and written stories since a child. In high school and college, I delved into the performing arts, becoming a Dance and English major and choreographed an entire musical as well as original dance pieces. After college I dabbled in professional modeling and got very involved in the medieval re-creation society (SCA), where I learned medieval sewing, embroidery, knitting, and weaving, as well as medieval dancing and singing. I enjoyed knitting sweaters and making costumes for my four children as I raised them. Later I started my mermaid swim tail business, opening my small factory here in Colorado Springs where I designed, sold and shipped mermaid swim tails all over the world for seven years. I even got to choreograph a mermaid dance/swim solo – a fascinating challenge. After closing my business in 2018, I transitioned to being a full-time novelist, and I’m also learning to spin my own yarn. I’ve also gotten into LARPing (live-action role playing) instead of medieval recreation, which is a great place for improv acting as well as costuming. Above is my dryad character at my medieval-style LARP in winter, knitting a red cap in the round. I also spun the yarn to knit the medieval shawl you see here, with a turquoise crocheted edging. I’m drawn to knitting strange and unusual pieces. I also long for the days of my youth when I traipsed through the woods for hours at a time. Mushrooms transport me to mysterious forests again. I’ve been working off a template with varying patterns for caps and stems, which I can mix and match. I’ve begun to experiment off of the pattern, creating unusual shapes to the stems – making them bulbous then diminish to very narrow stems. For these pieces, I find special felting yarn. I knit the cap, then the stem. I use hot water and felt the pieces by rubbing them together – creating heat and friction. Once dry, I stuff and stitch them, matching a cap to a stem. I forage the woods for unusual weathered wood from nature, matching a mushroom to a piece of wood, then gluing the mushroom into just the right spot. Sometimes I take a single mushroom and tuck it into a plant, onto a homemade wreath, glue it onto a flat stone, etc. I love Redcap Path. This piece of wood has many tiny little “paths” eaten into it, leading to this mushroom with the flat, curly cap. The redcap is one of the most beautiful mushrooms – standing out like a spot of joy in the dark forest. I learned about the show from another writer/artist. I’ve been knitting these mushrooms for a while and am now getting requests for them as gifts, so I wanted to participate in this special call for mushrooms. This is the first time I’ve submitted and am selling my art! My author website will be including knitting patterns and progress on my various projects: www.jerilynwinstead.com. I also post my work on my FB page: https://www.facebook.com/jerilynmermaid Elizabeth Tapia Drawing and painting was a favorite activity for me as a child. Both of my parents were artists who met and fell in love as students at the Herron School of Art in Indianapolis, so looking back, I think they naturally supported and encouraged me. I learned so much from their constructive criticisms, which is so vital to the process. I also wanted to make them proud of me, so I tried really, really hard at getting better. My main focus was always drawing, but later on, I've taken an interest in alternate mediums and surfaces to include 2D & 3D. I enjoy making an ordinary object something beautiful and special. The first step in my process is the idea or inspiration, and usually, I know right away if it's something I can turn into an actual piece or image. I think about it quite a bit before I actually start, like what colors I want to use, or how I want it positioned on the surface. With my salt lamp art, I sometimes try to find an image in the salt crystal itself, and then work the design into the natural shape of the lamp. Next, I prepare the surface by hand sanding. I begin with a light sketch and then apply darker and more permanent paints and layers. I use a Dremel tool to sharpen and create more detail. Then I finish up with several coats of sealer. My favorite piece for this gallery showing is the salt lamp entitled, "Mushroom & Butterfly" due to its whimsical feel and vibrant colors. It makes me want to do a HapPy DaNce :) When I saw the Commonwheel's call for artists with a mushroom theme, I had two pieces that I had already completed. I had an epiphany and got busy submitting my entry form! It's hard putting your work out there, but I'm so glad I did, as should every artist. I love seeing other artist's creativity and work so that inspired me to apply as well. In the past, I've had my needle felting work in two shops; The Pink Tulip in Indianapolis and The HeArt Market in OCC, but currently you can find me on my Facebook page, Bittie's Shop, where I sometimes post videos while I'm working on the salt lamps or drawings. I'm an avid "Pinner" and have a large variety of visual interests and boards on Pinterest, to include a "Fungi" board! Just search for "Bittie's Shop" and I should pop up. I started an Etsy Shop about a year ago and add new pieces as often as I can. Here's my Etsy Shop address: www.bittiesshop.etsy.com. If you like my work, please consider giving me a like and a follow on all of the above! Delphine Peller I am a self-trained artist. Art was a found blessing in my life. Growing up, drawing and painting was just a rainy-day activity when I couldn’t be outside. However, after many years of unexplained illness, I was diagnosed with the chronic disease Lupus in 1992. During the difficult times trying to get my disease under control, I struggled with significant cognitive loss. For several years, I lost the ability to read or write…. but drawing was my life jacket. Since then a simple means to express myself has become my identity and a growing business. I am an active volunteer with the Wake Forest Guild of Artists and currently serve on the Wake Forest Public Arts Commission. I live in Raleigh, NC with my husband, two teenagers, and far too many pets. I often choose subject matter connected to nature because I love dramatizing saturated hues and shadowed forms. My unique mixed-media techniques are work intensive and use both de-constructive and building processes. Each canvas becomes its own anthology. I start with a slew of understudy paintings done on variety of papers and materials. Once I rearrange and set the patchwork of squares into a composition that will make a good foundation, I then overlay my intended image. This lends the work to have depth, texture, and just a tad randomness. The common thread for all of my work is the creativity joining representational, raw, tactile, and abstract elements. My favorite piece accepted into Mushrooms is “Humbled”. The painting is a reproduction of a photo I took while hiking in the Keweenaw Peninsula, MI. The intention behind this painting is a juxtaposition of how we view our life span versus that of the everyday life cycles of nature. “Humbled” is the stage of life when we have reached our maturity and we gain gratitude for even the smallest of blessings. In this case, a battered, leaning tree was giving way to a rich golden stand of mushrooms. Since I integrate multiple elements into each work, I find it challenging to pick out appropriate call of entries. However, my creative heart was so happy to see Mushrooms! I see beauty in the unexpected…. So, I had mushroom art! Thank you for this opportunity. Website: www.delphinepeller.com Facebook: @ArtbyDelphinePeller Instagram: delphine_peller_art Wake Forest, NC : Southern Suds & Gifts 213 S.White Street Wake Forest, NC 27587 Stephanie Merchant My love for art started when I took Introduction to Art in high school, winning Second Place in a student art show with my very first painting. Being poor, I relied on teaching myself but would take college courses or private lessons as I could afford them. I mostly focused on acrylic painting but eventually added airbrush in 2008 and oils in 2009 (I had briefly worked with them in 1987). I’ve been doing murals since 1995. I’ve loved charcoal and graphite since high school, and I began working with pastel chalk in 2012 and colored pencils in 2014. I’ve been sewing since middle school and created “Bearing My Soul” Custom Teddy Bears in 2009. I’ve been whittling since 1992. My sister introduced me to pyrography in 2015, and I’ve been on fire for it ever since! (See what I did there?) It is very difficult for me to choose a favorite medium, which is why my art business is called “Stephanie’s Smorgasbord,” because I offer a little bit of everything. When I am working on a painting, I will picture the layout in my mind for days, weeks, sometimes longer. I gather several reference photos before I get started, then sketch the layout in my sketch book, then onto the canvas, erasing and redrawing many times until I am satisfied with the composition. Unlike many artists, I don’t like to “prime” my canvas—I prefer to work on a white background. I put down basic shapes and colors, quickly working my way around the canvas (acrylic has a fast drying time!) building up layers until the canvas is covered, most likely redrawing many objects that got covered up in the initial stages. Once I am satisfied with the background, I break out the small brushes to work on the fine details and foreground objects. I believe I have one of the most unconventional methods of painting on the planet! Most artists mix their paint on their palettes, then apply it to their canvas. I do that to an extent, but for the most part, I mix my colors directly on the canvas, adding layers until l I get the details right. Even as I go through the painting process, I may change many of the objects based on shape, color, or size until I settle on what looks good. Once finished, I let it rest for several days, then look at it with “new eyes” to see if I need to tweak any additional details that I hadn’t previously done during the process. My favorite piece for this show is “Fungi Fiesta” (credit for the title goes to my son Christopher Merchant). My 24”x48” acrylic painting of a forest scene with shafts of sunlight and mushrooms in the foreground. I birthed the concept when I was temporarily living in Maryland, which is when my obsession of mushrooms and appreciation of the forest began. I never realized how many different mushrooms there were! I spent hours photographing them and adding them to my Instagram feed (stepmercjohn), where I followed many other mushroom enthusiasts (machelspencephoto, yellowelanor, jill_bliss, and freymanbg are some faves!). I dreamed of doing a large painting for myself and began collecting reference photos, but it wasn’t until I moved back to Colorado in 2018 that I got serious about putting it all together. I bought a canvas but was so busy that it sat in my closet for over 6 months until my friend Carole Morrison (“Off the Leash Art”) sent me the link to Commonwheel’s Call for Artists. This was the kick in the pants I needed to get started! If it sells, I get to create another one! If it doesn’t, it’ll look fantastic in my new art studio! The painting took almost 80 hours to complete, and I loved every single mushroom I painted! My obsession with mushrooms inspired to apply for this show! I have mushroom jewelry, mushroom embroidery, mushroom pillows, mushroom art, mushroom wreaths, mushroom knick knacks, mushroom keychain, mushroom fabric, mushroom kitchen canisters, trivets, salt & pepper shakers, coffee mugs … the list goes on! Of all the things I have ever collected, my mushroom collection is the largest! (Hmmm … I may have a serious problem here!) I am so grateful to Carole Morrison for sending me the Call for Artists link—she said, “This is right up your alley!” I felt like the show was created “just for me,” but I know there are many others who love mushrooms as much as I do! Blog: www.stephaniejohnsonmurals.blogspot.com Facebook Business: Owner, Stephanie’s Smorgasbord Facebook Personal: Stephanie Merchant Instagram: stepmercjohnart, stepmercjohnart Etsy: StephanieSmorgasbord Email: stepmercjohn@hotmail.com Helen Smithwick I have always loved drawing and painting, but it wasn’t until I retired that I had the time for it. It was then that I started taking classes for certification in Botanical Illustration at the Denver Botanic Gardens. I discovered within myself a curiosity, love and wonder at the complexity of a plant’s structure and found that I wanted to record all that! Botanical Illustration is a precise form of art. It requires accuracy which can only be achieved by studying the plant where it is growing, measuring it, counting its components and noting their arrangement. Only then do I start to make preliminary sketches. I try to capture, not only the plant’s beauty, but also the accuracy of its make-up. This can result in several messy sketches! When I am pleased with a composition which shows as much detail as possible, I will make a contour drawing from it, showing only the outlines, by tracing the sketch. On a separate trace, I will make a value study, which shows only the shadows and varying degrees of shade. I will then transfer the contour drawing on to a clean, final piece of paper. I will set that aside, while I try to match the colors of the plant and mix up batches to use while I’m painting. Then the fun part starts, setting the plant in front of me, referring to my value study and my sketches, I start to paint – exactly what I see - with all its lovely details! I only have one piece in this exhibition “Sarcodon imbricatus”, or the scaly hedgehog mushroom. I remember doing the preliminary sketches, while sitting under a tree, getting a slightly damp behind, in the mountains! Fun memories! I have loved looking at all the exhibitions that have come and gone in the back gallery at Commonwheel. I have been interested in showing one of my pieces, but this is the first time I felt there was a “fit”. My work is displayed at the Commonwheel Co-op and I have my own web-site at smithwickbotanicals.com Amy Short I recently moved from Delaware to Colorado Springs to pursue my photography career. I got my first DSLR camera in 2010 and have loved taking photos since. My junior year of college I officially declared my major as photography and dove in head first. Landscape, nature, and wildlife photography have always been my "jam" as I like to say. Photography gives me a means to find myself. Sometimes it takes getting lost to be found. Even at the most remote locations, in solitude, as long as I am camera in hand, I’ve never felt lost or alone, in fact those are the moments in which I feel most alive. Photography completes me in a way nothing else can. I have been taking small steps to further my career since moving to Colorado and I could not be more excited to see what the future holds. First and foremost, I have to venture out into nature. Mother Nature is the ultimate artist and her inspiration is endless. I guess Photography is a bit of a different process than most mediums. I keep my eyes peeled at all times, constantly looking for interesting compositions (hint, they’re everywhere) but other times they jump out and smack me in the face. That’s one of the great things about Colorado, almost everywhere you look is picturesque. When I see a composition I like, I line it up through my lens to see how it translates through the camera. If I like it, I’ll go ahead and click the shutter. The editing process is a huge part of photography. I’m not big on Photoshop. I use Lightroom to adjust saturation, contrast, and highlights/shadows if needed. I like to bring out the bright, warm tones in a photo. My favorite piece accepted for this show is Chanterelles. I just love the contrast between the green and the orange. I also love how the composition of it leads your eye from mushroom to mushroom. When I look at my photos I am always taken back to the moment I took it. This one was taken while I was hiking through the Great Smoky Mountains. I am back in the lush, mountainous, serene forest and it makes me feel at peace again. This question is a bit ironic to me in this context. I was never big on mushrooms until I went on my road trip around the country last summer. Mushrooms are such a unique and diverse plant and I did not realize this until my trip. Traveling around the whole country I found countless different kinds and ever since I have loved mushrooms, so when I saw this mushroom-themed show, I knew I had to be a part of it! I am very excited to see the rest of the art on display. Website: www.amyshortphoto.com Facebook: www.facebook.com/amyshortphoto Instagram: @amyshortphoto Viewbug: www.viewbug.com/member/amyshortphoto Pinterest: www.pinterest.com/amyshortphoto Etsy: www.etsy.com/shop/amyshortphoto Becca Dilldine While in high school, my art class took several field trips to the Appalachian Center for Craft. From the first visit, I knew that I wanted to study at the Craft Center. It’s beautiful location and amazing facilities was the best place for me to pursue art. I graduated from the Appalachian Center for Craft in December 2017. I graduated with a BFA in Ceramics and a minor in Social & Behavioral Science. I’m currently the Gallery Manager at the Craft Center and I also teach ceramics to high school students through the Appalachian Center for Craft’s Focus on Fine Craft Program. My forms are thrown on the potter’s wheel and then altered and pinched to leave my own touch, documenting my relationship to each vessel. I paint quick, expressive imagery using Amaco Underglazes, inspired by my perception of environments I’ve encountered in my life. I carve through my imagery to reveal my terracotta clay body beneath, providing contrast in each piece. This process is called sgraffito. My pots are then bisque fired to Cone 08 (1728 degrees), glazed in a clear glaze, and then fired again to Cone 3 (2106 degrees). I enjoyed making my Mushroom Bud Vase! It’s different than what I usually make! I came across the call for entry for this show on Instagram and I thought it would be a fun show to enter! Website: beccadilldineceramics.com Instagram: beccadilldine_ceramics Galleries: Appalachian Center for Craft Retail Gallery, Smithville, TN Julia L. Wright My love of Nature and being outdoors has been part of my life as far back as I can remember. Creating art in many forms has been the basis of my life starting with theatre when I built sets and directed others in High School and college. After college, I created fiber-based crafts that often incorporated found objects. For about 20 years, I traveled to art shows, participated in RenFests and showed in many galleries. Feathers have always been part of my art creations and that evolved into my creating feather masks, earrings, hairclips and pendants. I have taken thousands of photographs on my hikes and in many gardens. About seven years ago I started using my realistic nature and other photos to illustrate my books and journals. And more recently, I began to use my realistic photographs to create different types of decks of cards for children and adults. Original versions of my photographic Nature-based images are just one way I express my love of Nature. Mushrooms have often been subjects of those photos in late summer and early fall when the pop up out of the Earth to delight folks that look closely at the ground. A few years ago, I “fell down a rabbit hole of creativity” and began using my Nature photos to create abstract, kaleidoscopic and mandala style images by taking a little part of a Nature photo and playing with it in Photoshop. Two of these styles of images can be seen in this show. When I am sitting at my computer, I get totally lost in the process and my imagination can run pretty wild thinking about how to take the images I captured and create something totally unique and fun or hone in a specific element found in a photograph, such as a mushroom. It uplifts my spirit to honor the beauty of the amazing places I get to hike and glorify Nature in various artful ways. All art involves an artist taking up some media and transforming it into a new form or image that comes from their vision and imagination. I try to transform what most people see as ordinary into something extraordinary with a unique way of seeing the world. Working in my feather studio or on a computer or taking photos on my hikes always has my creative juices flowing. I am constantly looking for some new way to use the images I captured in the wilderness or a garden to create a bit of awe and wonder when someone sees the finished art. So, my favorite piece in this show is the one that I played with and abstracted. “Meet Me at the Vortex By the Orange Mushrooms” is my favorite image I submitted to this show. It incorporates bits of bark to look like a couple of adventurers thinking of stepping into another realm. A group of brilliantly orange mushrooms marks the place for them to meet and contemplate where they might go next. Nature is my most powerful inspiration. When hiking or passing a beautiful garden, I often stop to take in the amazingly beautiful natural creations that surround me. A driftwood stump or a rock formation or some fungi popping up out of the ground can be as enticing to my eye as a beautiful wildflower. Each one makes my heart sing and my spirit soar with joy when I take the time to really look at the beauty others pass by each day without noticing it. I have a great respect for the pristine areas found in our surrounding mountains. And I have respect for folks that hunt for edible mushrooms in a consciously sustainable way. The often share this fun adventure with friends and family members to increase awareness of what Nature offers to us on many levels. So glad to be part of a show that celebrates this often-misunderstood types of flora. I have the hope when people view photos expressing the beauty of Nature, the might become a bit more aware how they can take actions to keep where they travel as pristine as when they arrived and look closely at some fun fungi that may be overlooked for their less showy aspect than wildflowers exhibit. Stores/Galleries: Commonwheel Artists Co-op Manitou Art Center in the First Amendment Gallery Web sites: www.commonwheel.com http://julial-wright.pixels.com/ https://www.hierographicsbooksllc.com www.hempearthart.com My books are also on Amazon under the brand name of HieroGraphics Books. https://www.etsy.com/shop/Fantafaces Lorraine Capps I’ve dabbled in many artistic media, but I’ve found that fused glass is the one that gives me the most joy. I love experimenting, and particularly enjoy creating 3-D pieces in the kiln. This requires a number of firings at varying temperatures, all taking between 9-20 hours, with 4 or 5 hours of cool-down time. My inspiration comes from nature, including both the mountains and the sea. I have been working in fused glass for over 14 years, I have four kilns, and have taken over every inch of available space in my house and garage for my studio! I create the components of my pieces individually, which requires cutting glass, finishing the edges, and firing to create each one. Then they are fired flat in the kiln, fired again together to create the piece, and fired slowly a final time to drape over a form which creates a 3-D piece. My favorite piece for the Mushrooms exhibit is my Mushroom Luminary. The idea for this piece has been brewing in my mind since I first heard about the exhibit. It turned out just as I imagined it, and I’m very pleased with the result. I’ve loved mushrooms since I was first introduced to Alice in Wonderland as a child, so I was thrilled when I heard the theme for this exhibit! My work can be found on my Facebook page, LoLo’s Paloozas (www.facebook.com/LoLosPaloozas/), and is currently sold in the Strictly Guffey Gallery in Guffey, Colorado. I exhibit at many other venues in the Colorado Springs area including the MAC, the Modbo, Cottonwood Center for the Arts, and others. Jon Murray I have been making glass art for 25 years. Inspirations for me come from everything around me. I look for interesting patterns, textures, and colors from nature and try to depict those inspirations in glass. For this mushroom show, I have made some really fun lampworked glass mushroom beads which have been strung for necklaces. The process for making a glass mushroom starts by melting a pencil thin rod of glass in a torch. I then wind the hot glass onto a mandrel and squish the glass into the form of the top of the mushroom. The stem of the mushroom (a bit of a rod of glass) is then delicately placed on the underside of the mushroom top. Once I’m happy with the form, I anneal the glass, cooling it slowly over time. This annealing process assures that the glass is molecularly sound, and the glass mushroom will be just as beautiful in 10 years as it is now. All of the mushrooms that I have made for this show are favorites for me in different ways. I have made a variety of styles of mushrooms for this show, and each is very unique! I was inspired to apply for this show because I’m a “fun guy”! My work can be found at The SideDoor Gallery in Old Colorado City, The Poppy Seed in Manitou Springs, and Commonwheel Artist Coop at which I am a member. Rebecca hullI dabbled in just about every media before discovering pyrography, also known as wood burning. I was drawn to the arts because it’s a language I can understand. As a deaf individual, I connect to the details of the visual world. My art is largely inspired by my passions. I adore animals, nature, science, and I also don’t mind smelling like campfire! Pyrography has been around for centuries. It’s an age-old technique where a heated metal pen is used to burn wood. Each burn begins with selecting a wood slice and studying its character – the knots, grain, texture, and size. Next, I practice design ideas in my sketchbook. When satisfied, I draw in pencil the base sketch to the wood slice. I use a Razertip (10 amp detailed burning system) to burn the wood slice. The detail of each burn is achieved using a variety of wire tips and a range of heat settings. Each burn is unique because each wood slice is unique, which in turn affects how the wood is burned. My favorite part of my process is burning – it’s a slow, smoky art. I also love mixing my medias, after burning I will add watercolors or dried flowers to the wood slice. Deciding which piece is my favorite is a tough choice – I really enjoyed burning complex mushroom gills in some of my other pieces. However, I would have to say “Moon Shrooms” is my favorite. I loved playing with rocky and smooth textures to bring imagination to life. Mushrooms are such a fun subject matter – they are imperfectly perfect. Nature’s reminder that flaws are beautiful. I was also inspired by Commonwheel’s charm and cooperative mission: community. On social media you can find my art by searching Woodstove Studios. Woodstove Studios started in my childhood home which was built in the late 1700s. My warmest family memories are gathered around our wood stove. Wood and wood burning will always smell like home. Etsy Shop: Woodstove Studios Instagram: @woodstovestudios Email: woodstovestudios@outlook.com Tony Heslop I enrolled in my first pottery class in 1975, I have not put clay down since. I love that I can take this malleable material, "clay" and move, manipulate, and form creative pieces to oneself and hopefully to many others! I've been throwing mushrooms on the wheel for 8 years. I made these unique to this show, as they are "salt fired". A process where, when the kiln reaches 2400 F you add rock salt which instantly vaporizes and glazes the pieces with salt vapor. The finished piece has an "orange peel" texture, and an earthen or woodland appearance My favorite piece for this show is the tall spiral mushroom that has the orange peel texture and some movement. I wanted to participate in the show to see the public reaction to something unique. My work is available at Hunter Wolff Gallery - 2510 West Colorado Avenue www.hunterwolffgallery.com Hedy DuCharme I work primarily in acrylics and my favorite subjects are florals, landscapes, fall scenes, animals, (especially lions and cows), mountains, abstracts, and now "mushrooms". Both paintings* accepted for this show were inspired by a hike on the Pancake Rock trail 10 years ago during the height of the mushroom growing season. I had taken several photos and selected 2 that I very much enjoyed because of their location, natural color, texture of their surroundings and light. Creating new paintings for this show was a challenge as I had never done a mushroom before, and I remember still the excitement of finding these lovely shapes of nature that were so unique and fun to look at, almost playful. I applied because I like the challenge of a new theme for me and knowing the colors of the forest floor and colorful mushrooms would complement my style. I hoped I could give the subject new life and style on canvas. I sometimes post my work on Facebook. I currently have 2 paintings at First Pres. Downtown and 3 locations that are part of the "Art Aloud" art and poetry shows: Hooked on Books (downtown on Bijou), Academy Art and Frame, and Pikes Peak Market Place on E. Pikes Peak. *I would say this is my favorite of the 2 because I experimented with more variety of color and the angle was harder to work with. The variety of colors are a more Impressionistic landscape. Michael RyderMichael Ryder graduated from Metro State in Denver with a focus on large acrylic or resin paintings. Having spent a lot of time with some Navajo silversmiths he switched to jewelry, but presently enjoys both painting and silver work. Paint application is very important to achieve the effect he’s looking for.
This show, “Cheers! Drink Up! Celebrating the Clay Drinking Vessel” took the efforts of several people to come together. Deborah Hager and Nicole Copel, to of our potters, pitched the concept for this show last year when we were scheduling this year’s gallery events. They brought in Vicky Hansen, ceramics professor at CSU Pueblo, to round out the planning group. Then, working in conjunction with ICAN (International Ceramic Artists Network https://ceramicartsnetwork.org/subscription-offers/ican/) we launched the call for entries on CaFÉ (www.callforentry.org) and waited. . . Postcards were handed out at the NCECA conference in Pittsburgh, PA, personal contacts in the clay community were badgered, and we finally got enough entries to mount the show. As is often the case most of the artists waited until the last few days to submit their entries. Denver, CO potter Peter Karner (peterkarnerpottery.net) was enlisted to jury the pieces for the show. Here are some statements and artwork from some of the artists whose work was juried into “Cheers! Drink Up!” Amber Aguirre Kailua-Kona, HI Tell us about yourself. I am first generation Hungarian/American, child of an Auschwitz survivor. Growing up with all the baggage of having a mother with PTSD gave me a unique perspective on the "human condition". From a young age I was drawn to ceramics and I use my talent to express and resolve issues in my life. How did you get interested in pottery? I had the luck of experiencing hand building with clay in kindergarten. The entire class was given clay to make an "ashtray", so necessary for all parents at the time (early 1960's). Since those were the "old days" when kids went to summer school for "fun and enrichment" (as opposed to because they flunked a class), I took ceramics every summer. In high school I was introduced to the wheel and I fell in love. I produced and sold pottery and also enjoyed sculpture for many years, and received my BFA from U.S.C. under Susan Peterson, and then my California high school teaching credential. As a single mom I needed a more lucrative income than art fairs, so I taught public high school ceramics. Many years later, after my daughter went to college, I retired from teaching and we moved to Hawaii where I pursued my dream of being a gallery represented studio artist. For the last 18 years I have been successfully pursuing that goal with both pottery and sculpture. Tell us about your process. My preferred clay is porcelain. I love the Helios from N.C., but it is problematic getting it shipped to Hawaii, so I tend to use a more available clay such as Coleman's. Throwing porcelain is like cream cheese (BTW, if you haven't tried that yet, it is almost the same and you can eat your pot. It also makes a great thrown fruit platter, just make sure the bat is clean first😉). What is your favorite piece accepted for this event? Why? My piece is called "Flesh Mug". I have been sculpting the figure and wanted to develop a technique that looks like skin. I was playing with the human body and decided to modify a mug to look like parts of the human body. What has inspired you to apply for this show? It seemed like a fun kind of show... Where can we find your work: website, social media, local galleries. My sculptures are online at my website: www.amberaguirre.com, as well as in many galleries on the mainland (see website). My pottery can be found in many local galleries across the big island of Hawaii and also Cedar Street Gallery on Oahu. (though at the moment Volcano Art Center is closed due to LAVA🌋...it's been wild over here)! My work has also been collected and can be seen at the Honolulu Museum of Art as well as the Hawaii State Foundation of the Arts. You can also find me on Facebook Ron Dehn Pueblo West, CO In a short paragraph, tell us about yourself. I am retired from CSU-Pueblo where I spent a combined total of 42 years as a full time IT Professional and part time recruiter. My college degree (1970) is in mathematics with an emphasis in computer programming and a minor in the sciences. My wife Chris and I have 4 children and 9 grandchildren between us. How did you get interested in pottery? I always admired pottery and many years ago, I found out that Pueblo Parks and Recreation was offering a community class in pottery. I took that class and the instructor encouraged me to sign up for a course at Sangre de Cristo Arts Center. After several years there, I signed up for a course at USC (now CSU-Pueblo) and continue to study under Professor Vicky Hansen. In addition to Vicky, I’ve had several amazing teachers and colleagues who continue to inspire and encourage me. I’ve been making pots for over 35 years. With your pottery, tell us about your process. The last several years I’ve been using Laguna clay, both the CA-2 409 and B-mix. Almost all my work is fired to cone 10 in a gas or wood kiln, but I occasionally enjoy raku. Most of my glazes are studio made, but I sometimes use commercial underglazes in decorating. What is your favorite piece accepted for this event? Why? The “Beer” Mug is my favorite piece in this show. I like the texture and the soft interaction of the three glazes on the piece. I also like how the glaze subtlety emphasizes the texture. In addition, the form of this piece is “stout”. (pun sort of intended) When you pick it up, it responds to you much like a firm handshake. What has inspired you to apply for this show? First, I applied because some of my favorite mentors are the primary organizers of the show. Secondly, I applied because I believe that mugs are easily the most important pots I make. They are the most personal and intimate of pots, second only to burial urns. I have given away literally hundreds of mugs. I give them as gifts for birthdays, weddings, and similar occasions as well as thank-you gifts to people like the mail man or the person who repaired our furnace. I consider the gift of a mug as an expression of gratitude. Where can we find your work: website, social media, local galleries. My work is rarely sold. I give nearly all of my pottery away as gifts or as donations to various fund raisers. Becca Dilldine Cookeville, TN In a short paragraph, tell us about yourself. I was born in Hinsdale, Illinois, a small suburb of Chicago. I spent most of my childhood moving from place to place due to my dad’s military position. Being an only child, I took comfort in my pets and exploring outdoors each time my family moved. While in high school, my art teacher took our classes on field trips to the Appalachian Center for Craft in Smithville, Tennessee, a satellite campus of Tennessee Technological University. It was then that I knew I wanted to become a part of the Craft Center and study ceramics. I graduated in December 2017 from Tennessee Technological University, with a Bachelor of Fine Arts with a Ceramics concentration and a minor in Social and Behavioral Science. I am currently pursuing a Post-Bac in Ceramics at the Craft Center, while working as the gallery assistant at the Craft Center Gallery I live in Cookeville, Tennessee with my husband, Jonathon, our cats, Felix and Marvin, and our rabbit Padfoot How did you get interested in pottery? My high school art teacher is the one who inspired me to go to college for fine arts and who introduced me to the Craft Center’s ceramics program. After taking intro to clay with my ceramics professor, Vince Pitelka, I fell in love with clay and knew that I had found my medium. With your pottery, tell us about your process. First I mix my own terra cotta clay body. Each pot is thrown on the potter's wheel and then altered and pinched to document my own relationship to the vessel. Then I dip each piece in a white slip to provide a light background for my paintings. I use a combination of Amaco & Speedball underglazes to paint my imagery. Once dry, I carve out my drawings, which reveal the clay body underneath. My pots are all electric fired to cone 3 (2134 degrees). What is your favorite piece accepted for this event? Why? My favorite piece would be my “Floral Beer Stein.” When I think of beer steins, I typically think of darker colors, and strong, heavy forms. But I like this take on it, being more feminine and light. What has inspired you to apply for this show? I found out about this show while at NCECA this year in Pittsburgh, and I truly love making functional vessels for everyday use, so I felt this show was a great show to enter and I’m happy to be a part of it. Where can we find your work: website, social media, local galleries. You can find my work on my website www.beccadilldineceramics.com and on my Etsy page https://www.etsy.com/shop/BADCeramicsShop. My Instagram is @beccadilldine. I am also represented by the Appalachian Center for Craft Gallery in Smithville, TN. Caroline Elliott Burnt Thistle Ceramics Seattle, WA In a short paragraph, tell us about yourself. Magical, mystical & metaphysical. Handmade and hand-carved with intention, fraught with symbolism. Burnt Thistle Ceramics showcases the art of Caroline Elliott, who specializes in metaphysical motifs and ceramic carving. The designs woven throughout much of Caroline's art capture the intrigue of ancient carvings of Asia and South America, the Henna designs of India, and the Spiritual revival. How did you get interested in pottery? Ladue High School is where my life-long love of pottery began. I went from making cracked slab bowls to intricate teapots under the guidance of Guy Sachs and Victor Bassman. They were my greatest supporters and inspired me to aim high. Sachs helped me submit my work for the NCECA K-12 award where I won my pottery wheel, which I still have today. That little bit of validation went a long way to propel me towards my current pottery business, Burnt Thistle Ceramics. With your pottery, tell us about your process. Each item is handcrafted in my studio in Magnolia, Seattle. I use a carving technique called sgrafitto, which is an intricate and detail-oriented process. Each of my designs is completely unique, resulting in one-of-a-kind pieces of art made with intention and fraught with symbolism. Frequent symbolism and motifs found in my work: spirit animals, element signs, zodiac signs, palmistry, crystal balls, moon phases. I use a mid-range white clay body and commercial glazes. Lots and lots of black underglaze and clear glaze! What is your favorite piece accepted for this event? The Queens of Tarot jug has a special meaning for me. The Queens Tarot suite is the powerful representation of the divine feminine; of strength, courage and intellect. Each of the Queens on this vessel represent different things: Queen of Wands: A courageous leader, the Queen of Wands uses her strength and independence to guide her. Queen of Swords: Not easily fooled, the Queen of Swords uses her intellect and composure to make critical decisions. Queen of Pentacles: Ruling with warmth and compassion, the Queen of Pentacles is lovable and approachable. Queen of Cups: Secure in her intuition and inner voice, the Queen of Cups trusts her own eyes and mind as she senses the world around her. Along with symbols of the elements, zodiac and more, if you look close you will see crowns and “Q”s in each of the representations of the Queens as well as gems. What’s a Queen without some diamonds and bling! What has inspired you to apply for this show? As a big supporter of functional art, I loved the concept of this show. I also happen to be a big craft beer drinker, so the title piqued my interest! Where can we find your work: website, social media, local galleries. You can find my work through my website: burntthistleceramics.com and recent updates on Instagram @burntthistleceramics I also have my work in select retail stores that support small makers and women entrepreneurs: Liten in Seattle and Modern Mystic Shop in Atlanta. Wendy Iaconis Colorado Springs, CO In a short paragraph, tell us about yourself. My husband and I both grew up in Colorado Springs and are raising our teenage boys here as well. I have focused my passion on artistic and functional wheel-thrown pottery for over 20 years, finding joy and inspiration turning a ball of clay into an artistic vessel that someone will use and enjoy. I received my formal training in the arts, focusing on photography and ceramics, earning a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree at the University of Denver. I continually refine my pottery skills at workshops and conferences around the country. How did you get interested in pottery? Art has always been my passion. In college my focus was photography, and my senior year at DU I took a ceramics class. I had an amazing instructor, John Balistreri, and have been throwing ever since. With your pottery, tell us about your process. I work primarily in mid-range stoneware (Laguna B-Mix), firing to cones 6 and 7. I have an electric kiln in which I currently fire my functional ware and horse hair pieces. My color palette consists of commercial glazes that I combine for my desired affect. What is your favorite piece accepted for this event? Why? I would have to say my brownish/pinkish tea steeper is my favorite. It just turned out great. I love the shape, color and feel. The spiral is an important component in all of my work. It represents new beginnings and peace. On this tea steeper it’s very prominent (on the inside and out), which lends to the overall warmth and makes my soul happy. What has inspired you to apply for this show? Drinking vessels are fun and sometimes challenging to make depending on the piece. I have also found that they are very personal. Achieving the perfect piece that someone connects with and uses in everyday life is an honor and something that should be celebrated. With that said, “Cheers! Drink up!” is a celebration of the drinking vessel and the chance of participating, with the hope of allowing my pieces to find their perfect place in the world, was my inspiration. Where can we find your work: website, social media, local galleries. www.wlrpottery.com Instagram: @springspottery Facebook: @springspottery Gallery 113, 125 1/2 N Tejon St, Colo Springs, CO 80907 Elizabeth James Duluth, MN Elizabeth James, assistant professor and ceramic studio area head brings a westerner's perspective to Minnesota. She received her BFA from Boise State University and MFA from Kansas State University studying under the direction of Yoshiro Ikeda. She concluded her graduate degree with a teaching residency at Glasgow School of Art, Glasgow, Scotland. Liz’s interests include functional and non-functional ceramic forms that represent a confluence of observations of human behavior, life cycles, and forces of nature. Her work has been in galleries and exhibitions globally and is included in both public and private collections. Originally, I started college as a drawing/painting major and then took a ceramic class my sophomore year in college and have been passionately involved ever since! Most of my work is wheel-based porcelain that has been fired in a mid-range reduction kiln. My favorite piece that was accepted in the show would be the 4 pc. "spirit cup set" I had the wonderful opportunity of firing with my friend Nicole Copel last summer and this set was my favorite out of her soda kiln! My website is: lizjamesceramics.com and you can find my work in Colorado at the LaVeta Gallery on Main, LaVeta, CO. Tracy Hartman Jensen Avondale, CO I’m a native Coloradoan and live with my husband and menagerie of pets in our solar adobe home in eastern Colorado. Our home and studio sits on an ancient Indian site overlooking the Arkansas River. Much of my inspiration comes from living here. Observing the ebb and flow of the river and the wildlife that is dependent upon it, it is forever changing yet constant. It’s like working with clay. The material stays the same, but the forms are ever changing. I was first introduced to the ceramic process in the mid 70’s while attending the University of Southern Colorado, where I earned my art degree with an emphasis in ceramics. After my husband and I built our home, we built our first wood fired kiln. I have since been seduced by the wood firing process. The rich earthy colors of alchemy and ash that permeates the clay and enriches the senses, it truly is a labor of love. I currently wood fire with a small dedicated group of potters composed mostly of woman. I enjoy the camaraderie and physicality of it all. However, the older I get I’m not so sure about the physical part. My favorite piece that was accepted into this show is the: Wood /soda fired Tea bowl and tray I applied to this show because I liked the theme it sounded fun. Who doesn’t like to drink? Some of my work is currently on display at the: La Veta Gallery on Main In La Veta ,CO Etsy: Magpie Pottery Works Bernadette Larimer White Sands Missile Range, NM (Ed. Note: I wouldn’t usually include the first paragraph she sent, but I loved it so much that I felt you needed to see Bernadette’s comments in their entirety.) I am sorry I did not get this to you earlier. I am traveling in China following the porcelain trail and I lost my phone with all my electronic connections in a taxi cab in Jingdezhen, China. I am a BFA candidate at NMSU my emphasis is in ceramics. I love the stark beauty of southern New Mexico and I am inspired by the animals and nature that surrounds me. I also am deeply interested and inspired by the ancient goddess religion and mythical creatures. I enjoy creating my own mythical creatures and anthropomorphic beings (such as the Antelope goddess) love to hand build sculptures using coil technique on earthen ware and high fire stone ware. I enjoy throwing on the wheel and decorating my pieces with underglaze. I use commercial glazes and I make my own glazes. I love all the pieces accepted for this show and I am excited to be a part of it! Naomi Peterson Laramie, WY I spent the majority of my life growing up in Quincy, IL, and moved out to Laramie, Wyoming to pursue a bachelor's in art at the University of Wyoming. I started my college career with a focus in painting, but after taking a hand building class, I couldn't stay out of the ceramics studio. Because of my interest in painting and ceramics, I love to combine the two in the objects I create. I find my inspiration in art history and anthropology, bringing together ideas about craft, culture and history. In the fall, I will be continuing my focus in ceramics at the University of North Texas as a graduate student. I think of each piece as an individual canvas that usually starts out as a thrown vessel that I alter through color, imagery or form manipulation. I enjoy combining both thrown and hand built components using a variety of different clays, usually a porcelain/stoneware mix. I also prefer to reduction fire my work, although because I use primarily underglaze, I often fire in oxidation as well. All of the glazes I use are studio-made, and my favorite underglazes are made by Amaco. My favorite piece that was accepted in this show is "Cabbage Flower" partially because it’s funny that it looks like both a head of cabbage and a flower, but mostly because it was the first in a series that I made just for fun. One piece in said series is the "Floral Mug" that I included in the show, but that I didn't submit to the juried portion of the show. Because I am in a transition period between undergraduate and graduate student, I am using this time to make work for fun and to push myself outside my comfort zone by trying new processes and techniques. I use shows and exhibitions such as this one to challenge myself to work within the project parameters and deadlines. You can find me on the interwebs at: https://www.instagram.com/n.ceramic/ www.naomipeterson.com Current and upcoming group shows: June 22-August 5 "Amuse Yeux" Juried by Eriq Hochuli with the FAC Board of Directors, Foothills Art Center, Golden, CO June 1-July 21 "Flora and Fauna" Juried by Shoko Teruyama, The Clay Center of New Orleans, New Orleans, LA September 7-29 "Vitreous" The Clay Center of New Orleans, LA Lora Rust Atlanta, GA In a short paragraph, tell us about yourself. Since 2008 I have been a studio potter and pottery instructor in Atlanta, GA, selling my work at my studio, local and regional art sales, exhibits and galleries. Sharing my love of working in clay, I teach beginning and intermediate pottery classes at the Callanwolde Fine Arts Center in Atlanta with concentration in the soda firing process and workshops nationwide demonstrating my unique texturing process of pushing the clay. How did you get interested in pottery? My mother was a collector of pottery. We had loads of pottery all over our house and used it daily. When I had to take an art class in high school, I chose pottery. With your pottery, tell us about your process. I use porcelain, a cone 6 porcelain by Laguna clay. I throw, alter and texture my pieces. My stylized technique of creating my designs and texture is a unique process of striking and moving clay with personally designed tools. Porcelain allows me to sponge the marks after I make them at soft leather hard, giving the designs a lush and flowing feel. I fire my work to cone 6-7 in my soda kiln in Blue Ridge, GA. Sodium vapors glaze the exterior of each vessel, interacting and uniquely highlighting the form and surface. I make my own glazes. This allows me to get the exact effect that I want for my pieces in the soda firing environment. What is your favorite piece accepted for this event? Why? The Swam Mug. This is one of my newest patterns. I find that one pattern starts to inform another, and the designs evolve. I have enjoyed solving how to put a new pattern on different forms. With this particular mug there is an undulation to the rim. The bare clay and swan feathers react nicely with the soda spray and interior copper glaze. What has inspired you to apply for this show? I liked the collaboration with ICAN and a strong local co-op. Where can we find your work: website, social media, local galleries. My newly re-designed website LoraRust.com has expanded background and biographical information as well as an online shop. I also have a presence on Facebook - Lora Rust Ceramics and Instagram @lorarust. I am represented by Charlie Cummings Gallery, Gainesville, FL; Ember Gallery, Chattanooga, TN; The Bascom Gallery, Highlands, NC; Macon Gallery, Macon, GA. Shana Salaff Fort Collins, CO I live in Fort Collins and have been a studio potter since 1998. I am an educator as well as a regular contributor to both Pottery Making Illustrated and Ceramics Monthly magazines. I make useful ceramic vessels that are designed for aesthetic pleasure as well as utility. I am attempting, via my work, to enter into the very personal space of the viewer/user’s home, thus participating in the intimate (and very necessary) rituals of another’s daily life. From the consumption of food to the decoration of the home, function and aesthetics can co-exist in all aspects of life. My work runs the gamut between traditional or historically significant forms and inspirations and a more postmodern pastiche of style, colors, and decorative patterns. I see the items that I make as being useful “jewels” - shiny, small in stature, and made with as much care as possible. I love beauty and elegance as much as quirkiness and playfulness, and my vessels seek to allow the user to share my passions. Decoration versus content, beauty versus pragmatism; these are the dialectics that inform my work. My favorite piece in this show is my mug with orange leaves in the decoration. I like the playfulness of the color orange on an elegant form. My website is www.shanasalaff.com Instagram @shana_salaff shanasalaff@gmail.com C.A. Traen Memphis, TN In a short paragraph, tell us about yourself. C.A. “Cat” Traen is an American sculptor and illustrator born in September 1980 near Fargo, North Dakota. Traen earned her BA and MEd from University of Nevada, Las Vegas and for over a decade she instructed a public educational ceramics program for secondary students at the Rancho Ceramics Studio in Las Vegas, NV. Recently Traen relocated to Memphis, TN to build a studio gallery with a community outreach program. Traen has taught workshops, exhibited, and is collected in the US, Europe, and Asia. How did you get interested in pottery? My initial contact with ceramic clay began at summer camp and continued into casual usage in high school art class, but it was when I studied ceramics as a required course in university, I fell in love with the responsive malleable nature of the material and saw sculpting as an opportunity to draw in three dimensions and I was hooked. With your pottery, tell us about your process. I work in a broad variety of ceramic processes, but for pottery making my preference is hand building due to the ability to manipulate form and apply layers of texture. Specifically, I prefer soft slab construction where the flat clay is impressed with various textures and found objects to develop a narrative, then assembled into a three-dimensional form and manipulated to further emphasize volume and rhythm. I am fond of B-Mix clays for their versatility as well as certain mid-range porcelains for my typical studio practices, but when travelling I look forward to using regional clays and favorites of my friends. I appreciate the individual qualities of varied approaches to firings and kilns. Every opportunity to fire with new people, places, kilns, and techniques are amply welcomed and I tailor my work to each firing situation when possible. In my typical studio practices, I love a variety of commercial glazes, but just like firings I appreciate the opportunity to explore studio-made glazes formulated by friends and colleagues. What is your favorite piece accepted for this event? Why? I sent a pair of mugs from a series titled “Mediterranean Memoir”. These works are special to me for the objects pressed into the soft clay were found or given to me on my first European workshop tour with my fiancé, ceramic artist Robert LaWarre III. It was a tremendously romantic and powerful time for me and my development as an artist and a person.
Additionally, I have only shown 4 pieces from this series as I created them with the intention of only gifting them to dear friends and family exclusively as a sort of “souvenir” of my experience abroad. So, exhibiting this design is rare and even more special to me due to the nature and intention of their creation. What has inspired you to apply for this show? As a member of ICAN, it is my pleasure to be considered for any of their juried opportunities as well, establishing connection and presence with new galleries and locales helps gain exposure for my work and possibilities for my career. Where can we find your work: website, social media, local galleries. I am currently active on Facebook as C.A. Traen and IG @catraen. My website is frequently updated with new events and features, the newest to be an online store for my product line. You can find my work at Mojo Coffee Gallery in Minneapolis, MN and a broad selection of museums and galleries in Europe and Asia. Zane Tillinghast Rochester, NH Hello! My name is Zane Tillinghast and I am a potter out of southern New Hampshire. I got my BFA in ceramics from the Maine College of Art in 2016. Outside the studio I spend a lot of time on the water, in the woods, or working in the garden. I originally got interested in pottery when I was sixteen years old. I took a couple of clay classes in high school and really enjoyed it. It wasn’t till I was a senior in high school that I began a semester long independent study with the potter’s wheel. It is one of the most difficult tools to master but I think that is sort of where my passion for clay began. I like a challenge, from then I was hooked! I create functional work with red earthenware clay. I fire all my pots in a 1976 Skutt electric kiln. I do an oxidation firing and the mature glaze temp is around 1987 degrees Fahrenheit or cone 03. The charm found in irregularity inspires the forms. Slip, red clay, and the interaction between glazes is key to the decorative aspects of each pot. I make my own slip and many of my own glazes. I use some commercial underglaze and glaze. My favorite piece accepted into this event is this uniquely shaped mug. I love the funky little handle and the way that the surface came out. I was thinking about an abstracted landscape while decorating this mug and I am happy with the result. I applied to this show because of the focus put on clay drinking vessels. I love how intimate drinking vessels are, to make and to use. My work can be found on Instagram @zanetceramics or on my website: zanetillinghast.com |
Juanita Canzoneri
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