Diversity on display

 Snapshots of the show

Note: This link: Table of Contents 
          will help you find specific items of our work on previous posts.

The Blue Sage Center for the Arts did a beautiful job of hanging/displaying the extreme diversity of my work, several styles spanning over 30 years of working/playing with clay. Following are snapshots of the various displays, posted here especially for those who couldn't attend. The show ends on Saturday, June 18; I will be in the gallery on Friday afternoon from 2-5pm for conversation. The Blue Sage has a concert beginning at 5:00pm, so locals are invited to stop by before the concert.

Retrospective Show

Opening May 27, 5-7pm at the Blue Sage Center for the Arts

228 Grand Avenue, Paonia, Colorado and continuing through June 16 

I dove into boxes buried in the basement, drawn from works hanging in my own home, and am excited to bring some very special pieces out into the public. Work which has been in private collection all these years, from the 1990's to the present . Most of the pieces have be in special gallery showings or even art fairs over the years. 

This post will be published now, with more pictures added in the future.

Note: This link: Table of Contents 
          will help you find specific items of our work on previous posts.

Planters and Plants

My newest, and fun challenging project is to make planters--some of which have the value-added inclusion of houseplants! I have been propagating jade and other houseplants for some time, with stunning results, and offer them as a complete unit. Here is one with a blooming Amaryllis from last spring: 

Note: This link:  Table of Contents    will help you find specific items of our work on previous posts.
The other aspect of my planters is a result of what I like to call "the problem of the saucer." I have solved the problem by constructing the saucer on the side as part of the planter, a "side saucer." These planters are constructed with various techniques, allowing rich textures and fun finishing details.
This pair just came out of the kiln this morning and don't have their plants yet:

Some of my planters are still the traditional under-the-pot saucer:

And, just for fun, the following is a picture of the kiln this morning, in the process of unstacking. Note the various planters, including one in blue on the third shelf down:

The 47th Annual Carbondale Mountain Fair is July 27, 28, and 29, 2018 — This Weekend!

We will be showing our pottery (though not many plants) and you can find us on the map in booth #55, along Weant Street in the NE corner of the park.

The show opens at 12 Noon on Friday, July 29,

 10am on Saturday and Sunday, July 30 and 31.

Selling closes around dusk on Friday and Saturday; 5pm on Sunday.

For more information about the fun fair schedule, check out:

http://www.carbondalearts.com/mountain-fair/

See you at the fair!

What's in a Tray?

Note that this link: Table of Contents will help you find specific items of our work within this blog.

Serving tray, tea tray, ash tray, pipe tray, paint tray, jewelry tray, vitamin tray, teabag tray, spoonrest tray, business card tray, food try, mushroom sorting tray....

~How do YOU use a tray?~

My newest and most exciting (to me) work is a series of hand-built trays. Their forms are very free and the glaze in the flat bottom is over the top! with depths of glassy glaze in pools of colors and swirls. Here are a few examples:

This 9" tray has especially rich glazes:

2 1/2" x 9" x 4"

 I needed a wide shallow vessel for my big brush to dip water-based pigment; the smaller trays made handy brush holders for small brushes:

paint tray lg: 1 3/4" x 5 1/2" x 1 1/2" smaller ones 

When sketching--and erasing--the eraser will blacken with graphite. The bottom of stoneware pottery is a dry and slightly rough surface, perfect for cleaning the eraser. As a bonus, while doing art work you get to USE a sculptural little piece of art to hold your tools:

green one is 1 1/2" x 4 1/4" x 3"

One size small tray is perfect for business cards:

Amazing color under those business cards 1 1/4" x 4 1/4" x 3"

This 8" tray was just the thing for grading an abundant harvest of fairy ring mushrooms:

Fairy ring (Marasmius oreades) 

Wowza! Photos of the Creamery Show

Snapshots of my sculpture show at 
The Creamery Arts Center 

165 West Bridge Street in Hotchkiss, Colorado.
Gallery hours are 11-6 M-Sat.

The show remained on display until August 6, 2012.

Crone, Mother, Maiden - plus

Grounded

Orchid Women

Juniper

Fun to see them hanging all together!

Passionate Iris

Iris Reflection

Iris Reverie

Sweet Iris Faces

Pink Lady Iris

Blue Iris

Purple Iris

a rift in the sky . . . and even the egg is lost

Bruised and Battered

Two pieces: Pillow Peace
Sometimes   the Top of the Pillow    just isn't enough

Sometimes    the Top of the Pillow    just isn't enough
(sold)

Pillow Peace

Yes, but.... (sold)

Wowza! Sculpture show at the Hotchkiss Creamery

"Wowza! your pieces at the creamery are fantastic.  they are so original.  i love the little faces in the flowers,  the glazes are really well done."-comment from artist Erin Williams

Iris Reverie

It's almost a retrospective, the first time many of these sculptures have been seen all in one place. I'm really proud of this collection of my Ceramic Sculptures and hope to see lots of friends and patrons at the opening for refreshments (I'm bringing an awesome pesto dip) and maybe even a poetry performance (The Potter's Claim with the white gloves).
Opening in the Peach Gallery at the Creamery in Hotchkiss 
on Friday July 13 6:00-8:30pm.
Show continues through August 6.
If you know my work as only strong functional stoneware pottery: mugs and serving ware, you're in for a treat with this show of expressive botanical themes executed in Stoneware and Porcelain. Most items are for sale.

Fruit Baskets

Three examples of open structured coil built constructions, each 7" x 11" x 11".
On the left is a branching form glazed in spotted shino; the graceful form in the center is glazed in our popular multiple green blend, and on the right is a spiral form in red shino.

These stoneware "baskets" are functional as a fruit or bread baskets, or displayed as decorative objects.
High Fired to 2,300 F., they are very strong.


Two stoneware baskets showing their uses with fruit and vines. These are our more economical “garden” shape of repeating loops, available in many colors, here shown in turquoise and royal (cobalt) blue, 6" x 11" x 11"

Showing various expressions of the "basket" form: Top left, Sculptural "Grove of Trees" roots glazed in honey gold and multiple greens in the branches. Top right, "garden" shape glazed in strong royal blue dated with white accents. Lower row from left to right: "berry basket" shape in sky/sage; "Spiral" shape in multiple-green/teal glazes; two small "soap" baskets, wiggly in honey gold and flattened coils in royal blue.

Sam works on a basket in our basement studio.