Greenware_06/04.qx (Page 1) - Orchard Valley Ceramic Arts Guild

The Newsletter of the Orchard Valley Ceramic Arts Guild
Volume 4 Issue 5
April-May 2005
From the Bookshelf Speaking of Seconds...
THE POTTER’S
GUIDE TO
HAND BUILDING
By Josie Warshaw
Photography by Stephen Brayne
Lorenz Books
Seconds have
always been a
point of contention
with potters.
Reviewed by SUE VINCENT
The Potter’s Guide To Hand
building is a book every thrower should have in their library
just as a change of pace reference. It is well organized into 5
main sections with some basic
information such as clay,safety,
and workshop design & layout
to get your appetite whetted.
The book is chalk full of beautiful photographs showing the
techniques in detail.
What caught my attention
enough to buy this book was
the section on projects. There
are 13 projects that are easily
completed in most studios.The
techniques used in each one
have been thoroughly covered
in the previous chapters. Each
project has easy to understand
instructions along with step-bystep photographs to let you see
what it should look like.
The Equipment section talks
about everything from tools to
☛ page 10
Love ‘em or Hate ‘em!
By CINDY M. SARACCO
T
hey’re a bane to perfectionists but a boon to
bargain-hunters. Love
‘em or hate ‘em, they’re a byproduct of pottery. I’m speaking, of course, of seconds.
Let’s face it: glazes run, feet
chip, bowls slump, and platters
warp. So whether you’ve spent
a year or a lifetime working with
clay, chances are you’ve produced more than a few secondquality pieces.
While there’s no hard-andfast definition of what separates
a “first” from a “second,” most
potters and educated consumers consider pieces with
minor defects to be seconds.
Pottery with major defects –
cracks in functional ware, for
example — are something completely different. Indeed, most
potters consider them garbage.
But we’re speaking of seconds here – serviceable pieces
with slight problems. How you
deal with yours are up to you. If
you can’t decide, consider your
options. The most common
alternatives involve selling
them at a discount, smashing
and trashing them, donating
them to charity,or finding some
way to salvage them.
Sell ‘Em
Selling seconds has one primary appeal to potters: it
enables them to recover some
of the labor and material costs
associated with producing the
pieces.
For customers, the
appeal is slightly different: they
can’t pass up the chance to buy
a hand-crafted pot at a rockbottom price.
Unfortunately, many potters
find that selling their seconds
detracts from the sales of their
regular-priced ware. Why pay
$12 for a mug when a close
cousin is selling for a mere $6?
If you decide to sell your seconds,consider these guidelines:
Develop a coherent pricing
strategy. Most professional potters price their seconds at 20 to
50 percent off regular prices,
although at least one studio in
Maryland discounts its seconds
by 90 percent.
Clearly label your seconds as
such. This will help your customers understand the price
variations of your ware.
Group your seconds in a separate area of the display, preferably one that’s not highly visible.
Or consider having a “secondsonly”sale once or twice a year.
Don’t take orders for seconds
or “second-priced” ware.
Occasionally,potters will discount a first-quality piece or
even label it a “second” simply
because they don’t like it or
☛ page 10
Election Results are in!
From the President
Thanks to our past officers
By JUDITH ENRIGHT,
OVCAG PRESIDENT
P
By ‘THE TIPSTER’
No Warped
Lids Please!
When you need to fire
the lid to a mug or other
container separately you
risk getting an oval when
you made a circle.One way
to avoid this is to do a little
extra throwing/planning
ahead.When you make the
container which will have
glaze on the rim make a
second cylinder with the
same diameter (or just a bit
smaller) as the container.
When you fire the lid put it
in this unglazed cylinder
near the container.The lid
will stay round and still fit
the container it was made
for.Whew.
Galley Way to Go
The best way to make a
strong galley that doesn’t
change the size of the
opening is to make it
before you shape the body.
To do this make a cylinder
as tall and wide as you want
the finished pot to be.
Make sure to leave the top
wide enough to form a galley.Next,using your thumb
on your right hand and a
piece of chamois, form an
“L” on the rim of the cylinder. Smooth the edges and
don’t touch it again. Now
you can continue to round
out your pot.As you do this
the “L” will fall over to
form a galley.(Fig.1) The
diameter should stay the
same. If you go to far and it
falls in too much just lift it a
little from the inside.If you
always make the opening
of your teapot the same
size you can swap lids or
make extras you know will
fit after they have been
fired.
A Case For Buffalo:
Storage of
Trimming Tools
For the potter who has
one of those fancy Bison
trimming tools, I’ve found
that using a hardcase eye
glass case is the perfect way
to store the tool. It protects
the tool and is easy to find
in one’s clay tool box.
–Submitted by
Abby O’Connell
Thanks
for
your
submission!
Think you can out-tip the tipster?
E-mail your tips to: [email protected]
lease join me in welcoming
our new officers for the
upcoming year! Mark
Youmans,Vice President,Alison
Pangburn, Treasurer, Anita
Clemetson,Secretary,and yours
truly, as president. Thank you
Swanica,Heather and Sheryl,for
your term as officers this past
year — you each did a fine job,
and it was good serving with you!
It sure seems like there is
renewed interest in the ceramic arts! From what you’re
telling me and what I’m seeing,
many of you here in the Bay
area and surrounding locales
are experiencing an explosion
(a ‘bad’ work in our field!) of
activity on a variety of different fronts, from more sales
venues to increased interest in
teaching and learning, to more
commission work, and so on.
This growing awareness is
good news for all of us, especially for our emerging ceramic artists!
So as we begin our new fiscal
year, you can count on
OVCAG’s Sales, Exhibits, and
Workshop committees to continue producing quality shows
and workshops. The Steering
Committee’s plans for the coming year are still evolving with
respect to Outreach, Fundrais-
ing and other possible new
events, and your input will be
called for as we work to evaluate and develop programs
which you say are important.
Our next general guild meeting will be a special event as
OVCAG will be announcing
and making its first scholarship
awards to four high school students and their referring teachers! Please show your support
by coming to meeting: Monday,
May 16, 2005, in the Roosevelt
Room at the Campbell Community Center. Directions/map
can be found on our website.
With appreciation,
Judith
Calendar 2005
SATURDAY,APRIL 16
Steering Committee
Meeting
MAY 2-7
Allied Art Spring Art
Show (CANCELLED)
MONDAY, MAY 16
General Guild Meeting
and High School Ceramic
Awards
SATURDAY, JUNE 4
Summer Art in Clay
Show/Sale
SATURDAY
& SUNDAY, SEPT. 25-26
Creative Extruder Uses
workshop, with
David Hendley
Bird House Bash
Save the Date!
Don’t forget about
the opportunity to make
and donate clay Bird
Houses for the Bird House
Bash 2005 fund raiser for
Child Advocates
(www.cadvocates.org).
Donations are due by
Saturday, May 12th and
the event is the 21st of
May, 2005. To donate,
contact Joyce Wies at
408.253.0964
April–May 2005 • GREENWARE 3
Treasure Chest Overview
Photo Courtesy of SVCN • www.svcn.com
Peggy Johnston was one of the presenters at the Treasure Chest
at March’s Guild Meeting. Her vibrant style speaks to children.
By LIDIA SEROUSSI,
TREASURE CHEST COORDINATOR
January Meeting
O
n January 19th, had the
privilege of having Nina
Koepcke present a slide
show of her extensive body of
work. It spanned from her
beginnings as a studio artist to
her present involvement in both
community and studio work.
One of the aspects she
addressed was the influence that
community work can have on the
development of new ideas for the
individual artist and the shift or
further maturity in can bring to
the body of work created.
the world of public art and her
humility about it as well.
We heard many anecdotes
from her past art residences in
Japan,Russia and France as well
as humorous recounts from her
work with hundred of kids in
several the school districts of the
area.These days besides her studio work, Nina is involved with
a mural project with the kids of
Olhone School in Palo Alto.
Thanks Nina for sharing from
your experience and being such
an inspiring role model to all of us!
If you want to search further
Nina Koepcke’s body of work
refer to:
w w w. s j l i b r a r y. o r g / a b o u t /
locations/willow_glen/exhibits.ht
www.svcn.com/archives/wgres
ident/08.30.00/tiles-0035.html.
www.svcn.com/archives/wgres
ident/08.30.00/tiles-0035.html
www.artsgenesis.org
Photo Courtesy of Nina Koepcke
www.themaingallery.org
www.themaingallery.org
www.sbawca.org
www.air-vallauris.com (then
click on gallery 2002)
www.svcn.com/archives/wgresident/08.30.00/tiles-0035.html.
Standing Georgia, Nina Koepcke.
Multifired ceramic, 30” x 32” x 24”.
Nina’s presentation was
vibrant and humorous; and
even though it was late and we
were all tired, she managed to
leave the audience with a sense
of “awe”for her contribution to
4 GREENWARE • April–May 2005
March Meeting
On March 21st, the Treasure
Chest presentation was lead by
three Guild members that are
working in the field of Education with younger ages.This is a
summary of their backgrounds-
☛ page 12
Java
Jive
Fresh roasted java,
delicious pastries,
great conversation
and creative pottery!
Submit your event to [email protected]. Space is limited and
not guaranteed, editor reserves right to refuse any entry.
AREAWORKSHOPS
NAKED RAKU WORKSHOP,with Wally Asselberghs.
Join us either Saturday April
30th or, Sunday May 1st 2005
for a special all day hands-on
workshop with the internationally known Flemmish raku
artist, Wally Asselberghs.
Wally’s workshop has been
featured in a Clay Times article, and his photos and recipes
are featured in the “Alternative
Kilns & Firing Techniques”
book by Lark books. Learn his
“Slip & Glaze” techniques for
creating unique “naked” raku
ware. Bring 4 to 6 bisque fired
pots, no taller or wider than 7”.
Burnished/smooth polished
pots highly recommended.
Workshop is limited to 12 participants per day.Workshop fee:
$100,includes all workshop supplies, and box lunch. Start time
is 10 am. Bring extra gloves,
tongs, or reduction bins if you
would like to use your own.
Workshop held at Clay Planet.
1240 N.13th St,San Jose,CA.Email [email protected] or phone 408.295.3352
to reserve your spot today.Visit
www.Clay-Planet.com for more
information & directions, or
visit
Wally’s
website
4300 Great America Parkway, Santa Clara
Looking for Exhibit
Location/theme ideas!
The Exhibits Committee is looking for a few more “good
men...eerrr...persons”. We will be meeting next
month to do some brainstorming on possible exhibition sites and show themes.
We usually schedule meetings as
needed, during the day. If you would
like to join us, or if you have ideas for
show locations or themes, e-mail Linda
Mau at [email protected].
☛ page 11
Slab Teapots with Sandy Kinzie
In this day and a half hands on workshop you will explore and
construct a hand-built teapot, Kinzie style.
The first afternoon Sandy will demonstrate texture techniques.
Then you will prepare and texture the slabs, make and cut out
templates, and cut out the body of the teapot. The second day she
will demonstrate construction of the body of the teapot using her
45 degree beveling tool, making the spout, lid, and galley, and
explore the handle choices. She will help all participants complete
one square teapot before the end of the day. Bring stoneware clay,
tools, and anything that will texture clay.
For more about Sandy Kinzie, visit her web site gallery at www.kinziestoneware.com.
May 14 (1 - 4 pm) and May 15 (11 am - 4 pm), 2005 $100
Blossom Hill Crafts Pottery
15900 Blossom Hill Road, Los Gatos, CA 95032
Contact: 408-356-9035 or [email protected]
More Information: www.blossomhillcrafts.com
April–May 2005 • GREENWARE 5
Looking for a Few Good Links?
On the Web
By CINDY M. SARACCO
P
rofessional, hobby, and
student potters can find
tips and inspiration
through a wide range of Web
sites dedicated to ceramics. In
this issue,you’ll learn where you
can view a diverse collection of
contemporary ceramics, keep
up to date on the Bay Area art
scene, brush up on paper clay,
and acquire new business skills.
Rudy Autio Collection
The Rudy Autio Contemporary Ceramics Collection features more than 150 pieces of
ceramic art produced since
1950. This site,sponsored by the
University of Montana Missoula campus, enables you to
view such diverse works as
“One Day in the Pot Shop,” a
sculptural piece by Douglas
Baldwin, and “Red and Yellow
Vase,”a functional piece by Carl
Martz. Of course, you’ll also
find works by Rudy Autio, as
well as Peter Voulkos, David
Shaner,Otto and Viviko Heino,
and many other popular artists.
Go to http://www.umt.edu/
partv/famus/ceramic.htm to
view these images. And just a
click away are links to other virtual art exhibits involving photography, painting, textiles, and
more.
Bay Area Art Scene
Turning a little closer to
home, Artsopolis offers an
online guide to art-related
events in the San Francisco Bay
Area. At http://www.artsopolis.com/,you’ll find listings of art
exhibits,museums,festivals,and
other activities related to music,
6 GREENWARE • April–May 2005
dance, visual arts and more.
Click on tabs such as “visual
arts” and “festivals” to browse
through events most likely to
feature ceramics. You’ll also find
links in the left pane that can tip
you off about art-related jobs or
help you find art-related classes.
Of course, if you’re in a hurry,
you can always use the site’s
search facility to quickly locate
pages containing keywords of
interest. “Pottery” and “ceramics”are two good starting points.
Finally, if you’re looking for a
way to publicize your work or an
upcoming public sale, consider
submitting an artist’s profile or
an event listing. Both are free,
although certain restrictions
apply. For example, profiles
must pertain to artists living in
Cone 6 glazes, check out Bennett’s numerous digital images.
You’ll find intricate decorative
vessels, as well as a variety of
teapots, cups, canisters, and
other functional ware.
Magazine for Artists
the Bay Area. Events must also
occur in the Bay Area, be open
to the public, and be submitted
at least two weeks in advance.
Paper Clay and More
Clay Studio resident artist
Jerry Bennett has created a Web
site dedicated to paper clay and
several related topics. At
www.jerrybennett.net, you’ll
find his workshop notes that
detail the properties of paper
clay (including how to substitute
materials other than paper to
formulate the final product),
storage issues, hand building
techniques, and firing issues.
You’ll also find similar notes on
terra sigillatta and Cone 6 glazes.
To get some idea of what’s
possible with paper clay and
Unsettled weather may leave
you longing to curl up with a
good book or magazine. Perhaps one designed for artists
can ward off rainy-day blues.
The Artist’s Magazine,accessible
at
http://www.artistsmagazine.com/, aims to help
artists build their skills as well as
understand the business basics in
the art world. Although the magazine focuses on drawing and
painting,you may find some of the
techniques and tutorials useful for
decorating your work. In addition,tips on marketing campaigns,
effective displays,customer interaction, and self-employment
apply to a wide range of visual
artists,including potters.
The site provides online access
to a number of articles, but the
full magazine is available only on
a subscription basis (for about
$20 per year). If it sounds
appealing, consider signing up
for two free issues.You’ll find a
link right on the home page.
If you have a favorite site
you’d like to see considered for a
future column, send me e-mail at
saracco_pottery @yahoo.com.
Photos Courtesy of the Butts Family
Influential Member
will be Dearly Missed
Butts’ clean, elegant lines are very distinct and recognizable in style.
A life dedicated to the Arts
J
acqueline Butts passed
away on January 17, 2005
from heart failure at age 80.
Known to her friends as Jackie, she was very active in the
ceramics community in the Bay
Area and Santa Cruz county.
Jackie held bachelors and
masters degrees in bio-chemistry, but left the field in the
1950s to raise her family. She
always had a strong interest in
the Arts. Living in Southern
California in the mid 1960s, she
tried several media, including
oil painting. After taking an
adult education ceramics class,
she realized this was her true
interest. She continued with
college courses at the University of Redlands and began developing her own style. She started
displaying and selling her work.
Soon she was teaching ceramics
and doing all the kiln firing at
the Riverside Art Center.
After moving to the Bay Area
in 1975, she continued her work
and her teaching. She taught
ceramics classes for many years
at the Sunnyvale Community
Center. She was active in several galleries in the area including
Sun Gallery in Cupertino, and
Gallery House in Palo Alto. She
was a founding member of Aegis
Gallery in Saratoga and had
been a member there ever since.
Jackie was an active member
Jacqueline Butts
of the Orchard Valley Ceramics
Guild. She was also a member
of A Gathering of Potters and
exhibiting member of the Association of Clay and Glass
Artists. She had many successful shows and sales. She was an
active participant in Santa Cruz
County Open Studios and
Hearts for the Arts. Her work
earned a number of awards and
in 2001, she received the Lifetime Achievement Award from
the Monterey Chapter of the
Women’s Caucus for Art.
She was an avid collector of
Ceramics especially Asian, and
Southwest Native American
ceramics. She enjoyed collecting the work of her friends in the
Arts Community and often
traded her pieces for theirs.
We will all miss Jackie’s warm
and friendly personality and her
willingness to help others.
Reprinted courtesy of the
ACGA Newsletter.
April–May 2005 • GREENWARE 7
Photograph by Daniel Dermer
Opportunities Abound!
Unique
Overseas
Workshop
Opportunities
A Once in Lifetime Chance
By LEE MIDDLEMAN
Paz Baram and Falline Danforth hanging out at last year’s Art in Clay June Sale.
Event Sales
June Sale Approaching
Written by DAN DERMER,
EVENT SALES CHAIR
S
pring is here,and opportunities for OVCAG members to show and sell their
work abound!
June Art in Clay
Mark the date on your calendars... OVCAG’s second annual June “Art in Clay” show will
be held on Saturday, June 4th,
2005. This large outdoor sale
will take place in the parking lot
of Palo Alto High School – an
excellent venue that allows for
maximum participation from
OVCAG artists, as well as maximum exposure to potential
new customers who happen by
the busy corner of El Camino
Real and Embarcadero Rd.
Last year, our one-day sales
total for June Art in Clay was
over $14,000 — bigger than the
first day sales total of any past
indoor sales.
Registration for June “Art in
Clay” 2005 began on March
21st. If you are interested in
participating, please go to the
OVCAG
web
site
8 GREENWARE • April–May 2005
(http://www.ovcag.org), where
you will find sale information
and application forms. Fill out
the application and mail it with
your check made out to
OVCAG to our show registrar,
Larry Wittman, 1286 Main
Street, Santa Clara, CA 95050.
If you do not have your own
tent/canopy or tables for outdoor-style art shows, you may
choose rent these item for the
day — details on the June Sale
application forms.
The show is open to all current OVCAG members on a
first-come-first-served basis.
The entry fee is $50 if the application is received by April 20,
2005, and $60.00 after April
20th. Two artists may share a
booth, with each artist paying
$30 before April 20, and $35
thereafter.We need to know if
we have a viable sale by April
20, and before funds are committed for advertising.
We also are looking for volunteers to help with show activities on the day of the sale –
please contact Vicky Moore at
408.255.4873
or
[email protected] if
interested.
Spring Garden Market
Three cheers for Eileen Wolk,
who has single-handedly organ-
ized a showing of 10 OVCAG
members at the eleventh annual Master Gardeners’ Spring
Garden Market, was held at
Emma Prusch Park on Saturday,April 2,2005 from 9:00 a.m.
to 3:00 p.m.
How did this show come to
our attention? Eileen,who was
the coordinator for OVCAG’s
ongoing show at Roasted Coffee Bean, was approached by
organizers of the Master Gardener show,who became enamored of OVCAG members
work over coffee one bright Saturday morning ... and thus a
show opportunity was born!
For more information, surf to
http://www.mastergardeners.org
/events/2005/SGM_2005.html
JUNE SALE
APPLICATION
FORM
The application form for
the June ‘Art in Clay’ Show
and Sale is included in this edition of GREENWARE.
July 16 to July 23, 2005 8th International Macsabal
Woodfire Festival, Korea
Applications to participate in
this ceramic festival in Bucheon,
Korea are available.Work with
20 to 30 artists from Korea,
Japan,Canada,and USA. Transfers from/to airport, lodging,
food,and clay provided.Participants need only pay from travel
to Korea and incidentals. For
further details contact Lee Middleman
by
phone
at
650.851.0295
or
e-mail
[email protected]. Lee
attended the festival in 2004 and
had a great experience. Also visit
website:www.macsabal.co.kr.
August 1 to August 14, 2005 1st International Ceramics
Festival, Zibo, China
Applications to participate in
this new ceramic festival in
China will be available soon.
Over 100 artists will participate
from around the world. Transfers from/to airport, lodging,
food, and clay provided. Participants need only pay from travel to China and incidentals. This
festival workshop is designed to
promote an international
exchange of ceramic techniques
and culture. For further details
contact Lee Middleman by
phone at 650.851.0295 or e-mail
Lee@LeeMiddleman. com.
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April–May 2005 • GREENWARE 9
Seconds
Continued from page 1
don’t plan to make a similar
piece again. I learned the hard
way to avoid this practice.
Tired of trying to sell a lone
platter leftover from an old line,
I slashed the price to $16. Sure
enough, a customer bought it
and wanted to order five more
at the same price. She even
requested a further “volume”
discount!
Now I either give away such
pieces to family who admire
them, or I label them “close
outs.” This strategy enables me
to gracefully decline subsequent orders without offending
an enthusiastic customer.
Smash ‘Em and Trash ‘Em
Many potters bristle at the
thought of selling their seconds
and go to great lengths to
ensure that only top-quality
pieces reach the market. Such
potters opt to smash and
destroy their second-quality
pieces. They do so to preserve
their reputations and maintain
a target retail value of their
work.
Tom Coleman,an internationally exhibited potter and author
of several ceramic books, told
OVCAG members at a workshop last year that he follows the
smash-and-trash philosophy.
“As a craftsman, I guess I
make some things chiefly to
earn a living, but that doesn’t
mean I stint on quality . . . . (My
wife and I) never put out seconds. If a piece isn’t technically
as good as we can do, then we
bust it,nail it on the barn wall,or
feed the dogs out of it,” Coleman told biographer John
Nance, author of The Mud Pie
Dilemma.
If you opt to destroy and discard your seconds,plan to factor
these losses into your overall
pricing strategy. In other words,
if you’re trying to sell pottery for
a profit, plan to price your firstquality wares so that they
absorb the costs of your seconds.
And while you’re at it, try to
minimize the number of seconds
you produce due to sloppy glazing or craftsmanship, ill-conceived designs,or rushed work.
Donate ‘Em
Can’t bare the thought of
having your serviceable seconds cluttering up a landfill? If
you don’t want to sell them,
maybe you’re tempted to
donate them.
Many charitable organizations accept ceramic ware.
Examples include second-hand
stores as well as non-profits that
conduct silent auctions. You
might feel good about helping
out such groups by donating
your seconds. And you might
further like the idea of claiming
a small tax deduction for having
done so.
Keep in mind, however, that
the seconds you donate may
end up for sale in a public venue.
And you’ll have no control over
how they’re priced. If your
donated pots can easily be
traced to you – perhaps through
their distinctive appearance, or
perhaps from your signature on
the piece – you may want to
think twice about having your
work sold in this manner.
Salvage ‘Em
More than a few potters dislike all the options we’ve just
discussed. And some of these
potters have developed creative
ways to salvage,or recycle,their
seconds instead.
If the defect involves glazing,
you may be able to fire the piece
again and correct the error.
However, not all glaze defects
can be remedied in this manner.
And certain types of pieces,
such as large, high-fire platters,
are prone to cracking or warping the second time around.
Finally, kiln space and firing
costs can become an issue.
A number of artists who participate in ClayArt discussions
(http://www.ceramics.org/clayart/default.asp) have opted to
10 GREENWARE • April–May 2005
smash their seconds and recycle
the shards for mosaic projects.
Wall decorations, planters, and
outdoor tables are among the
first-quality items now festooned with the remnants of
second-quality pottery.
If making a mosaic isn’t your
style, see if a local crafts organization or class might like your
shards. Just be sure to warn
them that about the sharp
edges. Or, better yet, use a
Dremel (rotary hand tool) or
rock tumbler to smooth out
your broken bits. Who knows –
you may be able to bag up those
safe shards and sell them. Other
potters have.
From the Bookshelf
Continued from page 1
kilns. It covers mold making,
glazing & firing and Hand
building. These are all done in
remarkable detail with photos
to match.
Of course where would this
book be without a section
devoted to Hand building? You
learn all about pinching,coiling,
slabbing, extruding and anything else you want to know
about getting your hands dirty.
As a thrower I find it exhilarating to challenge myself with a
technique I am not as familiar
with. The decorating chapter
features techniques that could
be applied to thrown ware as
well as hand built ware.
For those who want to use
molds the section on Making
and Using Moulds is invaluable.It covers in great detail the
methods & plaster formulas to
make perfect molds. You will
also learn about humps,slumps,
jiggers & jolleys. If you like the
decorating part of pottery but
not the making part this may be
for you.
Finally, the section on Glazing and Firing offers many exciting ways to finish your work. It
covers the standard bisque and
glaze firings as well as the more
unique crystalline, enamel,
reduction, raku, smoking and
vapor firing.There is an extensive table for firing times and
temps of various clay bodies in
the section as well.
I highly recommend this
book to children of all ages and
skill levels.
Ongoing Sales
SIGN UP FOR
OUR COFFEE
SHOP SHOWS!
Promote your work!
By TERESA KRULEE
Just a reminder that a sign-up
table for Mission City Coffee and
Roasted Coffee Bean will be
available at each General Meeting
for OVCAG members. Keep in
mind that the spring/summer
months are the best months for
promoting your work. We occasionally have last minute cancelations, so if you find yourself with
the time,and the inventory,just call
us! If you can’t wait for the next
meeting,contact Swanica Ligtenberg for RCB at [email protected], 650.947.8730 or Anita
Clemetson for MCC at
[email protected],
408.984.2616.
Volunteers
OPPORTUNITY
KNOCKS!
By LIZ KING, VOLUNTEER CHAIR
As always there are opportunities for interested members to
become involved in the many
activities of the Guild. After all,
if there were not volunteers
among our members, the Guild
wouldn’t exist.
As we go to press we are
looking for enthusiastic members to help with our Sales and
Shows efforts. Contact Event
Sales Chair Dan Dermer
(408.947.7444 or [email protected]) or On-Going Sales
Chair
Teresa
Krulee
(408.313.3276
or
[email protected]).
Also, Exhibits Chair, Linda
Mau
(408.446.2792
or
[email protected]) is looking
for additional personnel for her
committee.
You may always contact Liz
King about the possibilities listed above or about other types of
things you would be interested
in doing for the Guild. Liz is
available at 408.734.5313 or
[email protected].
Member News
Compiled By ALISON PANGBURN,
MEMBERSHIP CHAIR
Shimoda involved in
Ikebana Show ,
ACGA Show
Michiko Shimoda will be having an Ikebana Ceramic Vase
Show at Utsuwa No Yakata
inside Mitsuwa at 675 Saratoga
Ave. from April 29 to May 8,
2005. She will also have a piece
in the ACGA show at the Craft
and Cultural Arts Gallery State
of California Office Building,
1515 Clay Street,Oakland from
May 16th through July 1.
Swink accepted
into clay competition
Sara Swink’s work has been
accepted into the Sixteenth
Annual California Clay Competition.Exhibition dates: April 29May 28,2005 at The Artery,207 G
Street,Davis,CA 95616.Hours:
Monday to Saturday 10-6, Fri
until 9 pm,Sunday 12-5.Opening
Reception: Friday,April 29,7-10
pm.The opening also coincides
with over 25 clay exhibit openings in Davis that evening.
Middleman featured
in Ceramics Monthly
Be sure to check out the article in the February issue of
Ceramics Monthly featuring the
work of Lee Middleman!
What’s Going On?
Continued from page 5
www.wallyasselberghs.be.
SLAB TEAPOTS WITH
SANDY KINZIE. Saturday,June
23,1 pm to 4pm.Sunday,June 24,
11 am to 4pm. Bring Stoneware
Clay,Tools,and anything that will
texture clay.In this day and a half
hands on workshop you will
explore and construct a hand-built
teapot,Kinzie style.The first afternoon she will demo some texture
techniques.They you will prepare
and texture the slabs, make and
cut out templates and cut out the
body of the teapot.The second day
she will demo the construction of
the body of the teapot using my 45
degree beveling tool,the making
of the spout,the lid and galley and
explore the handle choices.She’ll
help all of you to complete one
square teapot before the end of
the day. To register, call Joanne
408.356.9035 or e mail to
[email protected].
Visit www.blossomhillcrafts.com.
HANDLES AND SPOUTS!
With Steve Salisian. April 23,
2005.Come learn from the artist
who practically invented decorative handles and spouts! Salisian
demonstrates how to make and
use texture stamps and press
molds. He will form handles,
spouts,feet and lids using coil and
slab construction techniques, in
conjunction with thrown bodies
resulting in very individualized
mugs,pitchers and teapots. In this
hands-on workshop, you’ll be
ableto try some of these techniques. $65 / $60 for OVCAG
members.Mother Earth Clay Art
☛ page 13
Mau at the Tsao
Linda Mau is showing ceramic sculpture at the Tsao Gallery,
Davis Art Center,1919 F.Street,
Davis, during the Ceramic Sculpture Conference. April 29-May
27. Reception,April 29.
Member’s Artwork
chosen for Sunnyvale
Art and Wine Logo
Member Cindy Couling’s artwork was chosen as this year’s
Sunnyvale Art and Wine logo.
WELCOME
NEW GUILD
MEMBERS!
Ritsuko Moore
Nancy Smith
Diane Cassidy
Jill Getzan
Paul Hummel
Linda Ferzoco
Rita Lewis
Janet Gaynor
Tricia Hemminger
April–May 2005 • GREENWARE 11
Photos Courtesy of Greg Pine • More photos:
Photo Courtesy of SVCN • www.svcn.com
Lee adds multiple layers of clay to her beachball pot.
In addition to teaching children, Susan Worley is also a
sculptress and runs her own face painting and henna business.
Treasure Chest
Continued from page 4
Susan Clare Worley – Artist/
Teacher/Mixed Media Sculptress
Phyllis uses natural objects to create natural textures.
Beach Ball Babylon!
Written by ABBY O’CONNELL
and ABBY FOSTER
P
hyllis Lee conducted
her first workshop,entitled Beach Ball Babylon,at Mother Earth Clay Art
Center on February 19th,
2005. It was well received by
the students who attended,
some of which had traveled
from as far away as San Francisco and Pioneer,CA.
For this hands-on workshop, participants learned
Phyllis’ techniques for building round pots, using a plastic
beach ball as an armature.
Various ways of decorating
the surface were explored
The ball’s plug — air is
released as the pot dries.
including use of sand and
ground bisqueware,as well as
shells and layering. A string
was attached to the beach ball
opening to enable deflation
once the work had dried to the
leather-hard stage.
12 GREENWARE • April–May 2005
“I have been working with
students of all ages since my
graduation from University of
Wisconsin-Madison in the 70’s.
I received an Art Education
Degree and a certification to
teach art in the Wisconsin Public Schools to students in grades
K-12. It was a truly enjoyable
experience teaching students in
the Wisconsin public school system,as well as teaching evening
adult enrichment classes in
drawing and painting at the
local community college.
My public school teaching
ended when I moved to CA in
the eighties. I was no longer
interested in teaching large
quantities of young people at a
time with just minutes between
classes,and wanted to focus on a
more favorable student-teacher
ratio. I was fortunate to be hired
to teach at a clay studio run by
the City of Sunnyvale and also 2
local art schools. I now teach
after school art classes and summer art camps in various media
at Young At Art in Cupertino
and really enjoy the experience.”
Peggy A. Johnston
“I have been teaching students from ages 3-85 for over 30
years in Colleges,public and private schools, for non-profit
organizations,and in my very fun
and creative studio in Cupertino
California. I am a mixed media
artist who’s most favorite medi-
um since the age of 4 is clay;
pique assiette mosaic, papier
mache, wire, glass, PMC, watercolor and printmaking are also
classes/media I enjoy teaching.
My teaching philosophy is
based on the concept that we are
all born to be creative;the student’s
job is to decide what to make and
the teacher’s job is to make a psychologically safe and supportive
environment which nurtures that
creativity and provides the technical knowledge, tools, and equipment to solve the problems inherent in any creative endeavor.
Marie Franklin
“I have been a credentialed
art and elementary teacher for
40 years and have taught art in
grades K-6 at Stocklmeir School
for the past 25 years.I thoroughly enjoy the children that I teach
and the creative genius that they
share.I work in clay with the students and also present workshops with art and clay for the
teachers. Additionally, for 15
years I have provided art instruction for Stocklmeir volunteers in
an art docent program. My personal clay art is figurative sculpture and decorated wheel work.
One of the central points of
the presentation was the importance given to the process of
creativity more than to the
nature of the result.
Kids are generally trained to
think in terms of “ the right way
to do things and the wrong
way”.When working with clay
though, you can guide the students with options of construction to empower the child to
make their own choices.In that
☛ page 16
What’s Going On?
Continued from page 11
Center. See www.mamasclay.
com for info or call 408.245.6262.
MONOPRINTS IN CLAY
with Eduardo Lazo. May 7,
2005.An innovative technique
for creating monoprints using
colored slips. Lazo has developed this 2D art form from our
beloved 3D medium. Final artwork is more “painterly”rather
than sculptural. $65 / $60 for
OVCAG members. Mother
Earth Clay Art Center. See
www.mamasclay.com for registration info or call 408.245.6262.
LEARN TO PHOTOGRAPH YOUR POTTERY
with Mark Youmans. May 21,
2005. Would you like to learn
how to take slides of your pottery? This hands-on workshop
will cover basic setup of the camera, background, lighting, and
work placement.Opportunity to
try various lighting setups,backgrounds,and exposures to determine what works best for your
work and camera. $65 / $60 for
OVCAG members. Mother
Earth Clay Art Center. See
www.mamasclay. com for registration info or call 408.245.6262.
STORIES TO THROW BY
with Mel Jacobson. May 28-29,
2005. Famous Clayart Moderator,Mel Jacobson,will do a multiple level throwing workshop
with emphasis on learning to
throw the repeated form.Japanese hump throwing is taught,
along with using many kinds of
measuring devices.Audience will
be encouraged to ask questions.
Mel is an amazing resource and
inspiring teacher! $110 watchonly / $100 OVCAG. Meterials
fee of $25. Mother Earth Clay
Art Center. See www.mamasclay.com for registration info or
call 408.245.6262.
AREA SHOWS
SILICON VALLEY OPEN
STUDIOS. MAY 7-8 - San
Mateo County & Coast - Belmont,Burlingame,El Granada,
Half Moon Bay, Hillsborough,
Menlo Park, Montara, Pacifica,
Portola Valley, Redwood City,
San Carlos, etc. MAY 14-15 Northern Santa Clara County.
Cupertino, Los Altos, Monte
Sereno, Mountain View, Palo
Alto,Saratoga,Stanford,Sunnyvale, etc. MAY 21-22 - Southern
Santa Clara County & neighboring towns along Highway 17.
Campbell, Gilroy, Los Gatos,
Milpitas,Morgan Hill,San Jose,
San Martin, Santa Clara, Scotts
Valley, etc. For more info:
www.svopenstudios.org.
LES SCULPTURES EN VOYAGE.Gallery Blu.April 14-May
3,2005 New sculpture and paintings by French artist Frederic
Lanovsky.Please join us to celebrate the recent sculptures and
paintings that have been created
while Fredic has been living in the
Bay Area over the past few
months.. Free. Info Phone: 408249-7662.Wed-Fri:4pm-7pm .Sat
2pm-7pm.Sun-Tues:By Appointment. Gallery Blu, 2255 The
Alameda, Santa Clara,CA 95050.
LGAA ANNUAL OPEN
JURIED SHOW 2005. March
20-April 30, 2005. Artwork by
Northern California artists
selected for inclusion based on
review of actual artwork. Juror:
Karen Tsujimoto, Senior Curator, Oakland Museum of California. Six categories; painting,
mixed media,photography,pastel, sculpture, watercolor. Free.
Info Phone:408-354-0071.Museum Hours:Wed-Sun, 1pm-4pm.
Art Museum of Los Gatos,4 Tait
Avenue ,Los Gatos,CA 95032.
ARMEL /ZIVKOV - CONTEMPORARY GLASS. Noted
Palo Alto artists,Paul Armel and
Pete Zivkov,team up to present
a riot of color in this contemporary glass and photography show.
Large, abstract photo canvas
prints are paired with functional, multicolored glass designs.
Gallery House, 320 California
Ave.at Birch (through Printers’
Visions in Clay
Call for Entries
Co-sponsored by San
Joaquin Potters Guild et al
Over $3,000 in cash awards!
Categories: Functional NonFunctional (includes sculpture).
Deadline for Slide Entries: June
30, 2005. For info: Jeri Foppiano
209.933.9373 or e-mail Kathy
White at [email protected].
SOUP
SUPPER:
April 17th
The Alpha Omega Project is a group
of 12 churches that feeds, houses, and
helps to rehabilitate a select group of h o m e l e s s p e o p l e . They host the Soup Supper fund
raiser at one of their churches. Potters generously donate the bowls for the
event. The public attends, takes home a soup bowl of their choosing after a
delicious meal for just $15.
Donating potters are invited to attend as guests but MUST reserve a
FREE ticket so we have enough soup and chairs for all.
Please e-mail [email protected] to reserve and buy tickets for family
and friends.We encourage you to reserve your free ticket and purchase
additional tickets early! Call 650-967-2189 or e-mail [email protected]
TO DELIVER BOWLS OR FOR INFORMATION:
Joyce Wies: 408-253-0964 • Floyd Phillips: 408-739-9686
THE 14TH EMPTY BOWLS SOUP SUPPER WILL TAKE PLACE:
SUNDAY, APRIL 17, 2005 • 4PM-6PM • Mtn. View Seventh-Day Adventist Church,
1425 Springer Rd., Mtn. View, CA • Phone 650-967-2189
Tickets are $15 • Make Checks payable to: Alpha Omega-Empty Bowls
The chairpersons of the Empty Bowls Project thank you!
April–May 2005 • GREENWARE 13
Photos Courtesy of Sue Vincent
Martell Workshop a Huge Success!
the hardware store,because they
hold a lot of slip coloring when
dipped in the container. He also
used hair dye applicators purchased from beauty supply stores
to do fine detailing on his pieces.
Craig graciously shared his
glaze recipes,slip recipes and clay
body recipes with those in attendance. We enjoyed the pot luck
dinner at Barbara Brown’s home
in Sunnyvale on Saturday night.
It was,as usual a very relaxing
evening. We had a number of new
Martell demonstrates to workshop participants his slip trailing and decorating techniques.
Martell does ‘His Thing”!
By JUDY LEE and JOAN RIDINGS
T
hirty-three artists gathered to hear and watch
Craig Martell “do his
thing” throwing and slip-decorating porcelain. The first day
was spent with Craig throwing
the pieces he would decorate on
Sunday. Although we were anxious to see the decorating portion,we listened with interest as
he shared his tips and secrets to
working in Porcelain. No matter how long you have been
working in clay, there always
seems to be one more “tip” that
we can add to our arsenals.
• Use one of the large, wide
rubber bands from broccoli in
place of a chamois
• Use the bat pins as markers
for quartering or marking pots
for decorating
• When a pot starts to get weak,
scrape slurry off the sides (both
inside and out) to help strengthen
• Use the rib down from the
rim to get a better contour on
bowls
• When making platter rims,
throw/pull it out rather than
pushing out and down. Pushing
tends to let it come back up to
where it was…e.g.clay memory.
• When the rim is sturdy
enough (before leather hard
stage), lay another bat on top
(with your pot in between like a
sandwich) and flip it over to cut
bat from bottom of piece.
• Save the slurry from scraping the sides for making slip—
just add colorants.
• Make your own damp box
using a roller cart with shelves,
by taping plastic sheeting to the
sides and back. Then put a curtain of plastic on the front,making it tie up out of the way when
checking pots or adding more.
• Craig makes his own clay
from formulas developed over
the years. He also makes his own
glazes and slips. An important
take-away from this first day was
that all the little, tiny finishing
touches you do on your work
enhance the appeal of the pot. To
make the slip, use the same
(white) clay body you are throwing, save the trimmings. Let dry
completely to get an accurate
weight. Measure out 500 grams
to get one quart of slip. Add
approximately 10% colorant,
depending on the color desired.
• When glazing the finished
14 GREENWARE • April–May 2005
pieces,it is good to use a translucent glaze rather than transparent,unless you want the bold colors and sharp lines of the slip decoration. The translucency or
satin matt effect tends to soften
the coloring. Craig used the coloring beautifully and boldly on
the pieces. We watched as he
carefully and methodically
applied the slip decoration so
easily on each piece. He used
various widths of the foam paint
trimming brushes you can get at
Martell throws a lid.
workshop attendees who drove
quite a distance to attend. So we
made new friends and enjoyed
the two days together. The venue
Ginger Yee checks out Craig’s lovely finished pieces.
☛ page 15
Developing your own Artistic Voice
in Well Crafted Ceramics
subhead to come
Written by EDUARDO LAZO
T
Close up of tea bowl with
slip decoration applied.
he art and craft of clay
grabs you and never lets
you go. Once you are
“bitten” the passion seems to
grow and propel you in a lifetime
of discovery. This article is meant
to review the phenomenon of
ceramic artistic development
and perhaps shorten the learning curve. Since we all have dif-
ferent professional and artistic
ambitions,I define success in the
field as the “progressive realization of a worthwhile goal.”
We all spend years learning
our craft. Experience shows
that it takes at least 10 years of
working in clay to “master” the
craft of ceramics. We patiently
and painfully learn the “how to”
of working with clay by attending classes, workshops, seminars, and by being mentored.
Concurrently, we express our
artistic ideas, the “why.” Some
say that artists are born with the
talent. That gift and ability can
be honed but seldom taught.
We learn ways of expression but
it takes real introspection to
develop the art of clay.
After much investment of
time,effort and money we learn
to throw proficiently,hand build
with skill, do all manner of glazing and firings from raku / low
fire to high fire reduction. Some
of us are self taught, most are
products of some form of teaching system. Someone teaches us
‘It is remarkable how many different paths clay artists
travel, each in his or her own unique way. After all, there
is only one of us and we all have our exceptional way of
expression and communication. I love it.’
The formed piece before any
decoration was applied.
Martell
Continued from page 14
at Mother Earth Clay Art Center
was pleasant and comfortable.
The workshop was full and everyone stayed to the very end.
We would both like to thank
everyone who attended and
made the workshop a success;
we really appreciated all the
help from everyone. A big
thank you to Dorothy Christman and Marilyn Austin for
keeping the coffee pot full and
providing all those lovely morning goodies;Barbara Brown for
hosting Craig Martell and giving him a potters tour of the bay
area; and to Cinda Mefford for
helping with taping the workshop. We both owe a big hug to
Robert Thomas from Mother
Earth; he was always ready to
help with anything we needed.
Now that our 1st workshop
as co-chairs is over,we look forward to David Hendley’s workshop in September.
to develop our own glazes,glaze
freely, paint with deliberation,
multifire,grow crystals on ware,
perfect our forms and market
our products. At some point we
will look at a piece and say:“that
looks just like so and so’s work.”
But what about developing our
own unique style? For some,
this realization comes early in
the process, for others it may
take years to reach this awareness. One day you decide that
the time has come to bring all
this education to fruition or quit.
This is the point where we
remember
Shakespeare’s
words:
This above all: to thine own
self be true,
And it must follow, as the
night the day,
Thou canst not then be false to
any man.
So we turn to introspection,
quietness and meditation. We
look at our past life experiences
for inspiration,ideas and trends.
We look at what we want and like
to do. We stop jumping through
someone else’s hoops and think
about “marching to our own
drum.” The time of being mentored is over. Our time has come.
It all starts with a feeling deep
within us. This takes the form of
an idea. Now we have engaged
body and soul. So let’s start.
Without deliberate intention or
thought,let the clay take form in
your hands. There should be no
conscious effort, no preconceptions,no thought. Let your self go
with the feelings. Let your spirit
guide you. Do not think about it.
Do not judge it. Just do it.
When a form takes shape, set
it aside and meditate. Let the
idea “rest”for a while before you
come back to it. Look at it with
the discovery eyes of a child. Let
your emotions rule. Then contemplate its “presence.”
The next step is to repeat the
form over and over again to
develop the concept and the
form. Work out the problems of
construction. See what works
and what does not. Gain proficiency in its realization. In my
experience, it takes me at least
20 repetitions to begin to “see
the light.”
Now set your series of
attempts aside for a period of
time. Do something else.
Return to the series with a critical, judgment eye and heart.
What do you think about each
attempt? What emotions do
they evoke? Show the series to
others,right and left brain types.
What response do you get?
Take photos of each piece in the
series from different perspectives. Study the photos.
Do a second series incorporating all your feedback and repeat
the process until you are satisfied
and the last piece tells you it’s finished. Test the final product in
the market. Enter it in shows and
sales venues. Evaluate your feedback. If necessary,develop a new
series. This process will help you
in expressing your self through
your art as you walk down your
own path. Make this a spiritual
journey. Forget about the competition,about comparing yourself to others,just focus on yourself, your experiences and emotions. You have nothing to prove.
Put you ego aside and just be. Let
your clay art touch others with its
simplicity, honesty, and reflections. Art is the progressive realization of self.
Footnote: I just returned from
the NCECA conference. It is
remarkable how many different
paths clay artists travel, each in
his or her own unique way. After
all, there is only one of us and we
all have our exceptional way of
expression and communication.
I love it.
April–May 2005 • GREENWARE 15
Treasure Chest
Continued from page 12
NEXT
MEETING
MONDAY,MAY 16,2005
at 7:00 PM. This will be the
Scholarship Awards ceremony night, as well as jobassignments for participants
in the June sale, so it’ll be a
packed night!
in a beautiful Nature Preserve in
Los Altos.650.941.5666.
POTTER’S
WHEEL
LESSONS in Ben Lomond.
Cinda Mefford, specializes in
teaching beginners and troubleshooting problems. Like
working with a coach,her methods are exact, maximized, and
easy to follow. 20 years of experience. Artistry of Touch.
www.artistryoftouch.com or call
831.336.8021.
FOR SALE: 6 FOOT
FOLDING TABLE. Perfect
for exhibitions — $25. Please
contact Vicki if interested:
[email protected]. Must pick
up in San Bruno.
LOOKING FOR several
(eight) potters to make 20-40
planters each for a new retail
plant store in SF.I am also looking for a potter willing to make
roughly 50 planters for a plant
stand I designed and am having
built. These planters are slightly
smaller... 6 inch diameter, 61⁄2
inches tall. Planters need to fit
into the prototype which is
available to the potter who takes
the commission. Contact Al
Turpin [email protected].
416.664.8352
CERAMIC
STUDIO
SPACE AVAILABLE. Share
work area,slab roller,gas,electric
& raku kilns.Open 24/7.Located
CLASSIFIEDS ARE FREE
for members.Non-members,this
space is only $10. Send your ad
to:[email protected].
Contact Us:
Website - www.ovcag.org
Membership - [email protected]
Shows & Sales - [email protected]
Workshops - [email protected]
Website - [email protected]
Volunteers - [email protected]
Library - [email protected]
General Info - [email protected]
Outreach - [email protected]
Publicity - [email protected]
Exhibits - [email protected]
Fundraising - [email protected]
Sponsorship - [email protected]
Subscriptions - [email protected]
The GREENWARE Team is:
Cindy Couling, Sue Vincent,
Falline Danforth
We welcome your submissions and
story suggestions! Next deadline for
submissions is May 15, 2005.
Contact GREENWARE at:
[email protected]
Snail Mail: Orchard Valley Ceramic Arts Guild,
PO Box 1046, Sunnyvale, CA94086-1046.
Phone: 408.998.3014
Classified ads: Free for members • $10 for all
others. Insert and display ads: Contact the
newsletter editor for prices.
Many thanks to our contributors:
Dan Dermer
Judith Enright
Abby Foster
Liz King
Teresa Krulee
Judy Lee
Lee Middleman
Abby O’Connell
Alison Pangburn
Greg Pine
Joan Ridings
Cindy Saracco
Lidia Seroussi
‘The Tipster’
Sue Vincent
Joyce Wies
16 GREENWARE • April–May 2005
© 2005
way her or his work is unique.
The three artist/teachers
stressed the relevance of a supportive environment .That will
lead to the development of the
kids ideas.The adult is there to
facilitate the techniques needed to implement the kids ideas.
Rules are important when
working with younger populations but they have to be set to
avoid judgment and comparisons between kids. On the
other hand,it is positive to have
the child compare his work
through time,that will make
her/him feel accomplished.
For us as a group, it was quite
fun to have a piece of clay to
work with and make our “clay
monsters”while listening to the
presentation.
Everything
explained made more sense
since we could experience with
our hands and brain at the same
time and become more
involved in the listening. The
samples brought from students
work were also important to see
and some of tem were very
impressive. Kids are amazing!”
Thanks to Peggy, Marie & Susan
for the insightful presentation.
Your membership renewal date is on your GREENWARE mailing label.
MONDAY, MAY 16, 2005 AT 7:00 PM AT:
Campbell Community Center - Roosevelt Room • 1 West Campbell Ave #C-32, Campbell
WINNER
Return Service Requested
P.O. Box 71046
Sunnyvale CA,
94086-1046