Lynne Antone on mon 11 sep 06
Paul and I just spent a wonderful weekend in Seattle at the Northwest Pottery "40 Years of Clay" workshop and celebration. The presenters were artists involved with Pottery NW over the past 40 years. They were mostly demoing sculpture with a couple of potters thrown in. That's where I spent most of my time. They were Tip Toland, Beth Cavener Stichter, Akio Takamori, Jamie Walker, Patty Warshina, Doug Jeck, Frank Boyden and Paul Soldner.
Amazing to see all of them gathered in one spot and working all at once. Some of the artists worked in tandem and created one sculpture with all of their work together and others worked singly. I had never seen Paul Soldner work before, but it was enjoyable to see him work side-by-side with Frank Boyden. I think the biggest thing I learned from them was how they respected the clay, but also how to take it as far as they can and to not be afraid of it. Very different styles, but amazing what they can make the clay do. Paul Soldner is 85 years old now, so he wasn't actively throwing the whole time, showed his videos to do his talking for him. But broke in with comments here and there and answered questions from the attendees. His assistant would start throwing a large piece for him, then he would finish it, cut it off and set it aside. Then he assembled the thrown pieces with slabs and created a wonderful sculpture. Yes, he is just as off color as always, but looking beyond that, I w
as amazed at what he has done over the years.
Frank has moved more into casting and metal work lately, but still keeps his hands in clay here and there. The pieces he made were extraordinary and made me want to stretch myself like he stretches the clay. Scary stuff. Wish I knew how to get the pictures on-line for you to see. Frank threw a platter, prob using 25 lbs. of clay and then had Beth Cavener Stichter design the inside. She put a rabbit form to fill up the space with one ear going beyond the rim. They said they would have to dry it slowly, over a couple of months and then be able to fire it. Lovely piece.
Must get out to the studio and start applying,
Lynne Antone
--
"Some mistakes are too much fun to make only once"
Beaver Creek Arts
Olympia WA
USA
Brian O'Neill on wed 13 sep 06
On Sep 11, 2006, at 11:20 AM, Lynne Antone wrote:
> Paul and I just spent a wonderful weekend in Seattle at the Northwest
> Pottery "40 Years of Clay" workshop and celebration.
Lynne,
If I may - a small correction that I make only because Pottery
Northwest has been part of my clay family for a long time.
Pottery Northwest has been the ceramic "hub" of Seattle area potters
and the Northwest for, as the gala event says, 40 years. They've
hosted most of the notable potters across the country for their
workshops. I remember a large Volkos stack piece that was used for a
doorstop to the office before it was reverently moved from the floor.
Soldner designed and I think helped build their raku kiln. Wally Bivins
is the newest director after the founding director Gean Griffith
stepped down a few years back.
Check them out at: http://www.potterynorthwest.org/
A must stop for any traveling potters, as is the Northwest Crafts
Center. A clay centric gallery and retail shop in the Seattle Center
that also has been around for a very long time.
Seriously good clay happening here folks!
Cheers,
Brian
Brian Thomas O'Neill
Functional | Sculptural Ceramic Vessels
2985 Goshen Rd | Bellingham, WA | 98226
360 592 3164
brianoneill@cablespeed.com
Lynne Antone on sat 16 sep 06
I just have to say I need to meet Brian some day as he is such a gentleman. He didn't say, "You dummy, it's Pottery Northwest instead of Northwest Pottery". I was in too much of a hurry to get a bunch of posts out and put down the wrong title. Thank you, Brian.
He is right about it being a must see for anyone in the Seattle area. I have lived in the Northwest for over 40 years and this was my first time there. What a facility that so many hands had a part in. Speaking of hands, one of the studio potters is building a clay hand that is over 10 feet tall. I understand he has others that he has finished in the area with different "poses" I guess you would call them. Quite the undertaking.
Lynne Antone
--
"Some mistakes are too much fun to make only once"
Beaver Creek Arts
Olympia WA
USA
-------------- Original message ----------------------
From: Brian O'Neill
> On Sep 11, 2006, at 11:20 AM, Lynne Antone wrote:
>
> > Paul and I just spent a wonderful weekend in Seattle at the Northwest
> > Pottery "40 Years of Clay" workshop and celebration.
>
>
> Lynne,
>
> If I may - a small correction that I make only because Pottery
> Northwest has been part of my clay family for a long time.
>
> Pottery Northwest has been the ceramic "hub" of Seattle area potters
> and the Northwest for, as the gala event says, 40 years. They've
> hosted most of the notable potters across the country for their
> workshops. I remember a large Volkos stack piece that was used for a
> doorstop to the office before it was reverently moved from the floor.
> Soldner designed and I think helped build their raku kiln. Wally Bivins
> is the newest director after the founding director Gean Griffith
> stepped down a few years back.
>
> Check them out at: http://www.potterynorthwest.org/
>
> A must stop for any traveling potters, as is the Northwest Crafts
> Center. A clay centric gallery and retail shop in the Seattle Center
> that also has been around for a very long time.
>
> Seriously good clay happening here folks!
>
> Cheers,
> Brian
>
> Brian Thomas O'Neill
> Functional | Sculptural Ceramic Vessels
> 2985 Goshen Rd | Bellingham, WA | 98226
> 360 592 3164
> brianoneill@cablespeed.com
>
> ______________________________________________________________________________
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>
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>
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KATHI LESUEUR on thu 16 oct 08
> I tried calling Northwest pottery to buy some "Wax that Works"/
> Neither phone number worked. Does anyone know what's happened to
> them and is there another place to buy this wax. I usually use hot
> wax but this liquid wax was great for resist over glazes.
Kathi
>
Ellen Currans on fri 17 oct 08
Dear Kathi,
I should know what happened to Northwest Pottery, since I live just=20
three miles from Newberg where it was located. However, it came and=20
went so quickly that hardly any of us knew it was there in time to=20
check it out. They went from a storefront somewhere, to just two phone=20
numbers, and then supposedly a website, but now just simply seem to be=20
gone. They did not take advantage of connecting to OPA, with its=20
somewhere around 400 members, which certainly would have been its=20
primary market. Someone called the day before your email asking if we=20
knew where they had gone to. Not a clue.
I also use hot wax for most of my glazing, but use diluted wax resist=20
when I want to paint wax over glaze. Some years ago I purchased a very=20
good wax resist from Trinity Ceramics. It was advertised as being the=20
same or as good as the old Mobil A Cer which went away sometime in the=20
late 80's or 90's. It is. If what they are selling now for $l7.25 a=20
gallon is the same, I would recommend it. It also comes in quarts. I=20
liked that it was shipped in a plastic jug enclosed in a cardboard box=20
just the size of the gallon, with a small spot to open and pull the=20
spout out.
if you google Trinity, be sure to click on the Clay Festival website=20
for a long list of artists and their pottery. You could spend all=20
morning checking out the good stuff. 20But then, I know as a working,=20
producing potter you probably don't have time for that at this time of=20
the year!
Yours,
Ellen Currans
Dundee, Oregon
-----Original Message-----
From: KATHI LESUEUR
To: CLAYART@LSV.CERAMICS.ORG
Sent: Thu, 16 Oct 2008 7:05 am
Subject: northwest pottery
> I tried calling Northwest pottery to buy some "Wax that Works"/=C2=A0
> Neither phone number worked. Does anyone know what's happened to=C2=A0
> them and is there another place to buy this wax. I usually use hot=C2=A0
> wax but this liquid wax was great for resist over glazes.=C2=A0
=C2=A0
Kathi=C2=A0
>=C2=A0
Lee Love on fri 17 oct 08
Art they in New Hampshire? ;^)
--
Lee Love in Minneapolis
http://heartclay.blogspot.com/
http://mashikopots.blogspot.com/
http://claycraft.blogspot.com/
"Let the beauty we love be what we do.
There are hundreds of ways to kneel and kiss the ground." --Rumi
Mike Gordon on fri 17 oct 08
On Oct 17, 2008, at 8:59 AM, Ellen Currans wrote:
> Ellen wrote,
>
> if you google Trinity, be sure to click on the Clay Festival website
> for a long list of artists and their pottery. You could spend all
> morning checking out the good stuff. 20But then, I know as a working,
> producing potter you probably don't have time for that at this time of
> the year!
>
> Yours,
>
> Ellen Currans
> Dundee, Oregon
> I heard from a friend that Trinity also carries CD's of David
> Hendley's band. Mike Gordon
>
>
>
KATHI LESUEUR on fri 17 oct 08
On Oct 17, 2008, at 4:12 PM, Lee Love wrote:
> Art they in New Hampshire? ;^)
>
>
> --
> No they were in the Pacific Northwest.
Kathi
Lee Love on fri 17 oct 08
On Fri, Oct 17, 2008 at 2:39 PM, KATHI LESUEUR
wrote:
>> No they were in the Pacific Northwest.
Ah! Pacific! Maybe I can see them through my kitchen window. ;^)
--
--
Lee Love in Minneapolis
http://heartclay.blogspot.com/
http://mashikopots.blogspot.com/
http://claycraft.blogspot.com/
"Let the beauty we love be what we do.
There are hundreds of ways to kneel and kiss the ground." --Rumi
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