Here we come New York City

Inside the NYC Guggenhuim, looking up.

This week I traveled to New York City to visit a university with my daughter, Camille.  After visiting the campus, classrooms, and walking the area that it covers; I can see her there.  She will be stretched academically, give her a larger world view, and demand that she be organized in all aspects of her life.  It is the only school that she instantly became very excited to attend.  Previously, she had asked to take a gap year.  

Camille and I walked the streets of Greenwich Village, Soho, Little Italy, Union Square area, and more. Yesterday, we visited the Guggenheim Museum.  We were impressed by Frank Lloyd Wright's design for this collection of artwork.  Inside, we saw the Japanese Gutai collection. 

Motonaga Sadamasa's Work (Water)

When Camille was quite young, we played a game while visiting museums and galleries.  I asked that she look closely at each piece of artwork and tell me which was her favorite.  I always asked her why she chose a certain piece.  Her answers were always very different that what I anticipated.  Our favorite piece was by  Motonaga Sadamasa.

Gutai:  Splendid Playground

Many times, I was ready to move on and she was still looking.   I look forward to many future adventures with her in the Big Apple.  

I am heading home today.  In the next week, I will be organizing the GHHS student ceramic exhibit.  The students' work is just as interesting.  Sheri Greene, their teacher, works hard, throughout the year, to teach them many techniques.   Her enthusiasm for clay is evident in the students' artwork.  

2013 GHHS Student Work

I am looking forward to sleeping in my own bed tonight.  

Always Impressed by The Work

It's almost time for our Annual Student Ceramic Show.  This event will be our second year of hosting it.  My hope is to grow the event by including other area high schools in the future.  For this year, Grand Haven High School, is my focus for student work.  

Sheri Greene, GHHS art instructor, works with these students all year.  She teaches techniques to cause the students to really think about their clay work.  

The students learn a wide range of techniques from hand-building techniques such as pinch, coil, slab, solid and hollow, to basic wheel throwing and trimming of plates, cups, bowls, and lidded jars, to more advanced wheel throwing such as stacking wheel forms, donuts, spouts, different methods for lid making, adding pulled handles, etc. 

In terms of ceramic sculpture, the students work both realistically, particularly on the human face, and non objectively on altered wheel sculptures, extruder sculptures, etc. Students also learn a variety of surfacing methods-brushing, pouring, tape resist, wax resist, stains, underglazing, and glaze chemistry.  The advanced classes are challenged to make a glaze using non-toxic glaze chemicals.  Each student selected must write an artist statement to participate in the show.  This requirement further enhances their learning to provide skills if they choose to participate in future art exhibits and shows.  
I heard from my nephew that the students are very excited to exhibit at C2C.

The 3:4 Quartet, a student ensemble will be performing during the opening on Friday, May 3.

The 3:4 Quartet

I am looking forward to each of the students whose work was selected.  One of my to-do's before the third is to write a critique on each work selected.  I thought the artist's might like to know why their work was selected over other work.  

I love seeing their creativity and the efforts made to complete the projects planned by their teacher, Mrs. Greene.  

Visit to Vermont

Lochlin Smith's Vermont Studio

I got a chance to visit four Vermont artisans this past weekend.  I love visiting their studios and seeing how they fill their private spaces.  The picture above was taken in Lochlin Smith's studio.  Lochlin has been a craftsman for over 30 years, hand fabricating jewelry.  I brought many of new pieces home with me.  My carry on bag was HEAVY!  Do you see the mountain bike?  Lochlin is an avid biker.

After drooling over all of the lovely jewelry and other metal work at Lochlin's, I headed to Barre's Studio Place Arts (SPA).  I was thrilled to see that it is still thriving.  A new show was going up.  Sue Higby, a former Michigan resident, is the Executive Director.  Mark Waskow is her right hand man.  SPA is an arts organization that hosts exhibits, classes of many mediums, and individual artists studios on the upper floors.

Maggie Neale's Studio

I headed upstairs to visit Maggie and select newly dyed scarves for the gallery.  Her paintings were great to look at.  I couldn't help but think they were continued onto her silk scarves.  Bob Walma loves to take pictures of my work space when I have a chance to get messy.  Here is a look at Maggie's work space.

During the weekend, I received a surprise phone call from a potter friend, Elizabeth Roman.  Her studio is located at SPA, also.  Her call made my day.  I hadn't heard from her in years.  Maggie mentioned that I was visiting her and had no idea of Elizabeth and my friendship.  I was smiling hugely during that phone call.  Elizabeth is a special Vermont woman.  Over the years, she has shared her time, insights, wisdom, and treasured glaze recipes and pit firing secrets.  Taking the time to spend an hour with her was very special.

Polly Wellford

I headed to across the valley to Waitsfield and the Artisan's Gallery.  Polly Wellford was working there and had a selection of her pottery for me.  So much fun to see a larger body of her work and pick out new pieces to be shipped in the very near future.  C2C's tagline is Art for Your Every Day Life.  So, I wanted to show you how Polly's pots could be apart of your life.  

As you can see, I had a great visit.  Stop in to check out the new work from these Vermont artisans and all of our other artwork.