Tom and Elaine Coleman Workshop

These photos were taken during a two day workshop with Tom and Elaine Coleman and hosted by Dan Finch Pottery. There were over 100 in attendance. The presentation was laid back and less formal, which made for great conversations with very useful information and some with great stories filled with laughter. Having attended lots of workshops, I would recommend going to see and learn from Tom and Elaine. They are very generous, very approachable . . . just down to earth potters with a huge amount of experience. They create some of the most beautiful post modern Art pottery being created in the world today.

Beatrice Wood

Takashi Nakasato

Contemporary Japanese Ceramic Artists

I have been watching video productions posted on youtube that document the works of contemporary and traditional Japanese potters. These two particular videos feature some forms that are truely insights into the simpliest of beauty while utilizing superb craftsmenship.

Southern Highland Craft Fair Visit

I went to the Southern Highland Craft Fair today in Asheville. Met with several wonderful and nationally/internationally respected potters. Met a really interesting potter with ideas that I had never seen before, Paveen "Beers" Chunhaswasdikul. You will be seeing more of this guys work in the future. Not only is he a fantastic Artist, but the guy is a cool character. He's got a sales pitch for his items like I have never heard before. His personality and pots will take him far. Paveen is fairly new to the guild and hasn't exibited much, but it want take long before the clay world will recognize his pots with personality. I Talked some with Kyle Carpenter as well. He is a nice down to earth family man with some fantastic pots, too. Really nice guy to talk to. Also spoke a while with Akira Satake about Japanese pottery traditions, Raku, Hikidashi, Seto Goro and ofcourse his other love, bluegrass (one of mine too). Akira has produced some albums for some mighty big names. He even produced a song with Earl Scruggs playing on it. He said that was a thrill. I can only imagine. Akira is another well respected potter and watched by many other potters world wide. Another wonderful Artist who took time to talk glazing was Doug Dacey. His experience with glazes sure shows in his work. He mixes all his glazes and has a wonderful pallette of colors to work with. I also enjoyed talking to Melisa Cadell who is not a potter but a sculptor. Her figurative works really spoke to me. I was reminded of Gustav Klimt's paintings. Romantic yet raw and real is the best way for me to describe her work. I got a box from her. Steve Louck's wife took time with me and explained his and her glaze processes and forms. Karen Newgard also took some time with me and talked much about other area potters that I might would like to visit. Other potters I spoke with and bought work from were Courtney Martin's husband, John Ransmeier, Chris Bauman, Jim Whalen and a pottery student from Haywood Community College who's craftsmenship was superb, Lydia Hearne. Below of some photos of the folks works I spoke to and bought. Visiting the Southern Highland Craft Fair is like visiting Seagrove, Penland, Bakersville, . . . . it is a Mecca for potters.

New Raku and High Fired Pieces

Below are some photos of new pieces that I hope to get accepted into some shows and competitions.

Quick Vacation

Each year my summer vacation is always to visit potters and to go see pots. I've known of the potters I went to visit for some time, however I didn't know where they lived until this past spring. A friend of mind told me that Ellen Shankin, Silvie Granatelli, Donna Polseno and Richard Hensley all lived in the Floyd, Virginia area. I looked it up on the map and it looked close enough for a day trip. So today I got up at 5:00 am and drove up there. I visited Ellen first. She was very nice and showed me around her studio and gallery. She was working on some pots and was nice enough to demonstrate how she alters her bottles and shaves them to get them thin. Needless to say I bought some of her work and in the gift giving tradition I gave her one of my bottles. She liked that it was squared and liked the carving. Later I, after seeing lots of deer, I visited Silvie Granatelli. She was in the midst of glazing. And if you know the mode we get in when us potters glaze you know we have to work hard and steady to maintain some fluidity in our approach. Silvie did pause though to give me a quick tour and introduced me to her studio assistant. Her assistant was very nice. She helped me purchase some of Silvie's work. Before I left I made sure to present both of them with one of my works. I enjoy giving my work. Then I decided to drive over to Donna Polseno's and Richard Hensley's pottery. After getting turned around a bit, I drove on the parkway and finally found their studio. They weren't home, but they use the honesty policy and leave their gallery open with instructions on what to do if you want to make a purchase. After browsing through their beautiful work, I settled on some pieces and made a purchase. I left the money, a note and one of my pieces. So, I saddled up and decided to trek back home. I enjoyed the outing and beautiful views as well as the cool mountain air. Finally I arrived home at 5:00 pm, with some great work in hand to add to my collection. After I had put the work up on my shelves, I packed two of my really good pieces to ship to the Crimson Laurel Gallery in Bakersville to be auctioned off at Penland to raise money for Liz Zlot Summerfield who is having some medical issues and will need some money to help with bills. Then I ate lite and went to the gym for an hour.

Visit www.16hands.com if your interested in visiting Ellen, Silvie, Donna and Richard.