This is Chris Gustin and me discussing my work and my future plans in clay. He was tremendously helpful and informative. If you ever have a chance to take one of his workshops, do it!
PS-Check out Judi's shop, you'll love it!
Monday, July 27, 2009
A (mini) Clay Conference
Here's a little photo I grabbed from my new friend Judi's blog:
This is Chris Gustin and me discussing my work and my future plans in clay. He was tremendously helpful and informative. If you ever have a chance to take one of his workshops, do it!
PS-Check out Judi's shop, you'll love it!
This is Chris Gustin and me discussing my work and my future plans in clay. He was tremendously helpful and informative. If you ever have a chance to take one of his workshops, do it!
PS-Check out Judi's shop, you'll love it!
Sunday, July 26, 2009
Anderson Ranch: Day Five
Well, I came home from Anderson Ranch yesterday. Friday was a bit of a bittersweet day. Everyone in my class was a little sad that the workshop was already over. We all learned so many new things, and assimilated a ton of new information in a short period of time.
We spent Friday morning practicing design strategies by using india ink on greenware and bisqueware. The idea was to practice what we've learned in a commitment-free way, since the ink will burn off in the bisque kiln. We started by painting line drawings of our pots on newsprint. We turned up some music and all settled in to the rhythm of drawing the same pot over and over, until a certain jesture developed in the image, and we became comfortable with using the brush and the ink. After that, we took the whole pot image and painted it directly on the pots. I tried to use the jesture of my lines, because my pots were too small to fit an entire image. This was a very freeing exercise for the whole class. Knowing that the decoration wasn't permanent really allowed us to experiment more freely.
After a final lunch together, we discussed an assignment Chris had given us earlier in the week. He gave us a handout with a list of questions about how we work in clay. There were technical questions about clay bodies and firing atmospheres, and then questions about scale, intended location of finished work, and time use and management, among other things. This workshop was called Architecture of the Pot, but I think it should be renamed "Throwing the Dart," because so many of the exercises were about throwing a wrench in the works of what you've been doing by selecting a design strategy at random (hence, throwing the dart) and seeing where it takes you in the progress of your work. As Chris said many times, "All of our choices in clay are arbitrary. Change one thing and you change your work."
While I'm glad to be home, I will miss the immersive, supportive atmosphere of this workshop. It was a terrific experience and I'm already thinking about going back next summer!
We spent Friday morning practicing design strategies by using india ink on greenware and bisqueware. The idea was to practice what we've learned in a commitment-free way, since the ink will burn off in the bisque kiln. We started by painting line drawings of our pots on newsprint. We turned up some music and all settled in to the rhythm of drawing the same pot over and over, until a certain jesture developed in the image, and we became comfortable with using the brush and the ink. After that, we took the whole pot image and painted it directly on the pots. I tried to use the jesture of my lines, because my pots were too small to fit an entire image. This was a very freeing exercise for the whole class. Knowing that the decoration wasn't permanent really allowed us to experiment more freely.After a final lunch together, we discussed an assignment Chris had given us earlier in the week. He gave us a handout with a list of questions about how we work in clay. There were technical questions about clay bodies and firing atmospheres, and then questions about scale, intended location of finished work, and time use and management, among other things. This workshop was called Architecture of the Pot, but I think it should be renamed "Throwing the Dart," because so many of the exercises were about throwing a wrench in the works of what you've been doing by selecting a design strategy at random (hence, throwing the dart) and seeing where it takes you in the progress of your work. As Chris said many times, "All of our choices in clay are arbitrary. Change one thing and you change your work."
While I'm glad to be home, I will miss the immersive, supportive atmosphere of this workshop. It was a terrific experience and I'm already thinking about going back next summer!
Thursday, July 23, 2009
Anderson Ranch: Day Four
Wow, I can't believe my week at Anderson Ranch is almost over! It's gone so fast. I just have tomorrow and then I'm done.
Today, we took a field trip to Harvey/Meadows Gallery in Aspen. If you've seen the Artstream traveling art gallery at NCECA, then you've seen the precursor to this gallery. Owned and operated by ceramic artists Sam Harvey and Alleghany Meadows, this gallery features a wide range of contemporary sculptural and functional ceramic art, including some work by my teacher, Chris Gustin. Alleghany and Sam were so lovely to host us there. They talked extensively about their gallery's role in educating the public about ceramic art, as well as giving them the opportunity to purchase it. So many people have no idea what an amazing medium ceramics is, because it's dwarfed in the art world by painting and sculpture. But once people learn a bit about it and buy a piece or two, they're often hooked for life!
The main gallery space was full of amazing large pieces by Betty Woodman, Virginia Scotchie, Bobby Silverman, and numerous other fantastic artists. But my primary interest lay in the tiny backroom storage space. It was full of functional pottery, by every big name in the field right now. Andrew Martin, Julia Galloway, Christa Assad, Josh DeWeese, Lisa Orr, and many, many more, all there in one little room. As I looked through the cluttered shelves, I felt an awe and a reverence, as though I was inside the Notre Dame cathedral or viewing the Sistine Chapel ceiling. My love of pots is enormous at times!
I walked away today with a Sam Clarkson tumbler called "Speed of Life" and a Julia Galloway sugar and creamer set. I looked through tons of wonderful pots, but when I handled these pieces, I immediately fell in love. Especially when I discovered that the pillowy lid of the Galloway creamer has a tiny clay bead tucked inside, making it a little rattle! I love those little surprises in pots. And the Sam Clarkson tumbler was so lovely in the hand, I couldn't put it down. Sorry the photos aren't better, it's a bit dark here in my condo.
Tomorrow, I wrap up my workshop with an individual discussion with Chris about my work, and a group review of all the pieces we made this week. It's been an incredible experience, and I feel so lucky to have been here!
Today, we took a field trip to Harvey/Meadows Gallery in Aspen. If you've seen the Artstream traveling art gallery at NCECA, then you've seen the precursor to this gallery. Owned and operated by ceramic artists Sam Harvey and Alleghany Meadows, this gallery features a wide range of contemporary sculptural and functional ceramic art, including some work by my teacher, Chris Gustin. Alleghany and Sam were so lovely to host us there. They talked extensively about their gallery's role in educating the public about ceramic art, as well as giving them the opportunity to purchase it. So many people have no idea what an amazing medium ceramics is, because it's dwarfed in the art world by painting and sculpture. But once people learn a bit about it and buy a piece or two, they're often hooked for life!The main gallery space was full of amazing large pieces by Betty Woodman, Virginia Scotchie, Bobby Silverman, and numerous other fantastic artists. But my primary interest lay in the tiny backroom storage space. It was full of functional pottery, by every big name in the field right now. Andrew Martin, Julia Galloway, Christa Assad, Josh DeWeese, Lisa Orr, and many, many more, all there in one little room. As I looked through the cluttered shelves, I felt an awe and a reverence, as though I was inside the Notre Dame cathedral or viewing the Sistine Chapel ceiling. My love of pots is enormous at times!
I walked away today with a Sam Clarkson tumbler called "Speed of Life" and a Julia Galloway sugar and creamer set. I looked through tons of wonderful pots, but when I handled these pieces, I immediately fell in love. Especially when I discovered that the pillowy lid of the Galloway creamer has a tiny clay bead tucked inside, making it a little rattle! I love those little surprises in pots. And the Sam Clarkson tumbler was so lovely in the hand, I couldn't put it down. Sorry the photos aren't better, it's a bit dark here in my condo.Tomorrow, I wrap up my workshop with an individual discussion with Chris about my work, and a group review of all the pieces we made this week. It's been an incredible experience, and I feel so lucky to have been here!
Wednesday, July 22, 2009
Anderson Ranch: Day Three
So, I just got home from Paul Soldner's house. That's right, THE Paul Soldner, father of American Raku, first student of Peter Voulkos, and creator of numerous hilarious pottery equipment print ads. Soldner founded Anderson Ranch in 1968 and has a home in nearby Aspen. He and his daughter Stephanie host open houses in the summer about every other week, and all of the students at Anderson Ranch are invited. I got to sit at the dining room table with Soldner for a few moments, and when I left I felt like I'd just met Madonna. It's electrifying just to be in the physical presence of a man so important to American ceramics. By the way, this image is of a poster that was hanging in his studio. I'm sorry it's a bit blurry. The tagline reads, "Entertainment for Potters." Don't you just love it?Today was a busy day in the studio. With the open house tonight, we all buckled down and worked, worked, worked. I didn't even have any time to take any photos of the new work created today. Our only bisque kilns get loaded early tomorrow morning, so everything had to get transferred to the drying room, which is a wood shed of sorts loaded with heat lamps and fans. It's kept at about 95 degrees and a night in that room will sure dry out any pot! It's like a little pottery sauna.
I feel like I've made some tremendous progress in these three short days. Aside from the fact that I miss my husband, pets, and my own bed, I really don't want to go home! This is such a truly fabulous opportunity to drop out of daily life for a short period of time and really surround yourself with great teachers and fellow artists. I may just come here every summer!
Tuesday, July 21, 2009
Anderson Ranch: Day Two
Anderson Ranch is truly a fabulous place. After lunch today, I was sitting on a porch swing outside the studio, just feeling incredibly lucky and fortunate to be here. A beautiful campus, incredible teachers, happily focused students, good food, gorgeous weather. It's awesome.
Yesterday, we made some pots that incorporated two circles, either in shape (think foot or rim) or volume. After that, we were to choose one pot and draw the contour or profile line of that pot. This is much harder than it sounds! What you don't realize at first is that you're drawing what you WANT the pot to look like, not what it actually looks like. It took me seven sheets of large newsprint, full of contours, to actually draw what was there. After that, we were to pick a couple of contours that looked good to us and throw some pots with those contours. That's what we have on the right here. The original form is the bottle on the left, and the bottles on the right were thrown to the chosen contour lines.
Today, we were to add a third circle to our pots, again as shape or volume. Here are the drawings I did before I sat down at the wheel. I'm realizing that it's much easier to work out these visual design issues on paper than on the wheel. I love this sheet of drawings. It may find a place on the wall in my studio at home.
The next goal was to throw some pots from these drawings. Here are mine. I never make bottles, so I'm pretty happy with how these turned out. I think they make a groovy little collection. I'm fortunate that we're working with a sandy stoneware body, because I had to push this clay around a lot to get these forms!
I'm beginning to see how this "design" process can be a fabulous tool in a potter's visual toolbox. It's important to learn from our teachers what questions to ask ourselves, and to learn exercises to help us move forward in our work. Most of us make good progress in classes or workshops, when someone else is asking the questions; the thing to take away from them is HOW to make progress when your work gets stagnant. I think these design exercises, combined with the "What grabs you?" exercise from earlier this summer, could support an artist for a lifetime.
Yesterday, we made some pots that incorporated two circles, either in shape (think foot or rim) or volume. After that, we were to choose one pot and draw the contour or profile line of that pot. This is much harder than it sounds! What you don't realize at first is that you're drawing what you WANT the pot to look like, not what it actually looks like. It took me seven sheets of large newsprint, full of contours, to actually draw what was there. After that, we were to pick a couple of contours that looked good to us and throw some pots with those contours. That's what we have on the right here. The original form is the bottle on the left, and the bottles on the right were thrown to the chosen contour lines.
Today, we were to add a third circle to our pots, again as shape or volume. Here are the drawings I did before I sat down at the wheel. I'm realizing that it's much easier to work out these visual design issues on paper than on the wheel. I love this sheet of drawings. It may find a place on the wall in my studio at home.
The next goal was to throw some pots from these drawings. Here are mine. I never make bottles, so I'm pretty happy with how these turned out. I think they make a groovy little collection. I'm fortunate that we're working with a sandy stoneware body, because I had to push this clay around a lot to get these forms!I'm beginning to see how this "design" process can be a fabulous tool in a potter's visual toolbox. It's important to learn from our teachers what questions to ask ourselves, and to learn exercises to help us move forward in our work. Most of us make good progress in classes or workshops, when someone else is asking the questions; the thing to take away from them is HOW to make progress when your work gets stagnant. I think these design exercises, combined with the "What grabs you?" exercise from earlier this summer, could support an artist for a lifetime.
Monday, July 20, 2009
Anderson Ranch: Day One
Man, I am behind on the blogging. I've been working hard on a dinnerware order for my dear friend Alanna, and have been holed up in the studio working away. I was trying hard to finish it before I left for my workshop with Chris Gustin at Anderson Ranch.
So here it is, Day One at Anderson Ranch! My workshop is called Architecture of the Pot, and it's focused on the underlying design of pots (or architecture). Chris spoke today about how you can have great ideas and context for your pots, but without using good design, those ideas won't be expressed as well as they could be. Chris called design "the dirty little secret of art." It gets de-emphasized in school, regulated to freshman level design courses full of exercises that seem to make no sense. But design is the language by which objects speak to us. We approach all objects in relation to all objects we've experienced before them. Good design (which incidentally, is found everywhere throughout nature) makes one's pots speak on their own.
We spent a lot of time today looking at slides of historical and contemporary pots, pointing out their design strategies, such as division (into halves, thirds, fourths, and so on), framing, movement, scale, etc. After that, we headed into the studio to start throwing and then analyzing our pots. I'll explain a little more in the next few posts, I'm not far enough into this workshop to quite know where I'm going yet!
The Anderson Ranch campus is just beautiful. It's truly a lively, vibrant artists' community, full of excited, energetic students. I'm looking forward to a great week!
So here it is, Day One at Anderson Ranch! My workshop is called Architecture of the Pot, and it's focused on the underlying design of pots (or architecture). Chris spoke today about how you can have great ideas and context for your pots, but without using good design, those ideas won't be expressed as well as they could be. Chris called design "the dirty little secret of art." It gets de-emphasized in school, regulated to freshman level design courses full of exercises that seem to make no sense. But design is the language by which objects speak to us. We approach all objects in relation to all objects we've experienced before them. Good design (which incidentally, is found everywhere throughout nature) makes one's pots speak on their own.We spent a lot of time today looking at slides of historical and contemporary pots, pointing out their design strategies, such as division (into halves, thirds, fourths, and so on), framing, movement, scale, etc. After that, we headed into the studio to start throwing and then analyzing our pots. I'll explain a little more in the next few posts, I'm not far enough into this workshop to quite know where I'm going yet!
The Anderson Ranch campus is just beautiful. It's truly a lively, vibrant artists' community, full of excited, energetic students. I'm looking forward to a great week!
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