Come join us!
Fall classes are calling you . . .
. . . back to Yourist Studio Gallery. No matter how old I get, the approach of fall tells me it's time to go back to school. But now I take classes I choose and enjoy. And so can you.
Beginning on September 9, Yourist Studio Gallery offers a complete range of classes for clay lovers. There are classes on the schedule that will suit everyone, from the novice to the pro. Start learning in our Saturday hand building class or in one of our wheel throwing classes for beginners and intermediate students. Hone your skills in our intermediate wheel throwing class and, when you're ready, realize your artistic vision in our independent study for intermediate and advanced students.  For those who want to get a jump on the holidays and make gifts of wearable art for friends and family (and themselves, of course), our "beadazzling" Beads, Buttons, and Pendants class is back, starting October 18.
Last term we tried out nerikomi, mocha diffusion, and monoprinting techniques on our beads and pendants. This term we're adding sgraffito, slip trailing, and glass melting on pendants to the agenda.
Our final class session will meet at Findings bead store, where participants will learn how to make their beads and pendants into jewelry.How do you get in on the fun? Visit the Yourist Studio Gallery web site to sign up on line.
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Field trip
New tech meets old art form
Students came to the "Die Cutting and Clay: A Unique Surface Approach" workshop from North Carolina, Ohio, and all over Michigan to learn how rising ceramic artist Kip O'Krongly couples modern technology with the ancient art of ceramics to achieve the layers of decoration she applies to her work. The modern technology O'Krongly uses is the electronic stencil cutter, which eliminates the tedious work of hand cutting stencils and enables those with less than stellar drawing skills to add detailed illustrations to their pieces. As demonstrated by O'Krongly, cutters like the Silhouette or Cricut are easy to use and produce excellent results. O'Krongly showed how she combines her stencils with slips, sgrafitto, latex resist, and terra sigilatta to achieve her signature surface designs. And everyone learned the difference between a stencil and a frisket. The workshop, organized and presented by RNR Ceramics, began Friday evening, August 21, with an artist reception and talk at TrustArt Studio. O'Krongly discussed her background and the environmental, energy usage, and animal welfare concerns that inform her work. |
| O'Krongly advises a workshop student
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The workshop continued on Saturday and Sunday, August 22 and 23, with sessions at Yourist Studio Gallery. The two days passed in a whirl of activity as demonstrations and instruction by O'Krongly alternated with hands-on periods during which students were turned loose to try out what they'd just learned. Response to the workshop was uniformly enthusiastic. Here are raves from two students: ". . . a very well though-out workshop, with so much attention to detail, anticipation of the participants' needs, and a keen interest in sharing resource and materials." "It was the best workshop I have ever attended. Every detail from Kip's presentation to the supplies provided to the lunches was well thought out and well executed." For more comments and photographs from the workshop, visit the RNR Facebook page. And, at the end of this issue of the newsletter, see a video of Kip O'Krongly making her easy mix, no burnish terra sigilatta. |
Potter's quick tip
Respirators and masks for potters
Q. I'd like to use the studio spray booth and even try my own hand at making some glazes. What should I look for in a respirator or mask for spraying glaze and working with dry glaze and stain materials?
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Mug shot or
fashion statement?
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A. Check out Ceramic Arts Daily for this excellent article by Jeff Zamek about respirators and masks for potters. Although the article was published in 2009, a current review showed that the information it contains about mask and respirator types and model numbers is up to date as of 2015.
Readers, if you have a pottery question for Kay, ask away. And if you want to revisit a past tip, you'll find earlier issues in our studio newsletter archive.
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Brief notices
Clay community digestDates to know about
Save the dates for these upcoming events.
Wednesday, September 2:
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Grain elevators by
Mieke Zuiderweg
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Hand building with clay, an exhibit by The Clay Art Friends, opens on Wednesday, September 2, and runs through Thursday, October 15, at the downtown Ann Arbor District Library. Participants include Barbara Brown, Nancy Bulkley, Jeanine Center, Kim Scott, Caron Valentine-Marsh, Oni Werth, and Lineke and Mieke Zuiderweg. With the exception of guest artist Mieke, the participants have been classmates in Nancy Bulkley's hand building class at Yourist Studio Gallery for several years. They will show works produced with pinching, coiling, slab work, molding, extruding, slip casting, mixed media, and sculpting techniques. Kudos to Lineke Zuiderweg for arranging and steering this exhibition.
Friday, September 11:Where's Centurium Frost this month? Exhibiting at the Paint Creek Art and Apples Festival from Friday, September 11 through Sunday, September 13. You'll find Centurium in booth 48 at Rochester Park, Rochester, MI.
I'll bet you have a favorite mug--you know, the first one you always reach for in the cupboard. Well, Tool time returns today with a demo by Kay showing how to throw mugs that are certain to become the favorites with their users. This demo is free and open to the public. Just drop by the studio at 4:30 pm.
Monday, February 1, 2016:
The Dinnerware Museum in Ann Arbor has issued a call for entries for Cake, its second annual dinnerware juried competition. The goal of the competition is to "showcase the best in contemporary dinnerware as it relates to the theme Cake, either functional pedestal cake stands or a sculptural work of cake that could be displayed on a cake stand, as created by artists in all media from the United States and Canada." The entry deadline is February 1, 2016, and the exhibition will run from April 9 through September 4, 2016. See complete details here. Resources for potters
 What's the hardest part of being an artist? Many of you would say it's figuring out how to price your work. The Art Meets Business group tackled this question in June with a presentation on pricing by Nathan Rice, curator of the 117 Gallery Shop at the Ann Arbor Art Center. Rice and Art Meets Business have generously made the presentation slides available for download in PDF format. The slides provide several helpful formulas for pricing art work. You can download the slides here. Visit the Art Meets Business Facebook page for more information about the group.
Share what you knowDo you know of resources or upcoming events of interest to the clay community? We invite you to pass the information along to us so we can feature it here.
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Kip O'Krongly in action
Cooking up a batch of terra sig
Just imagine, a terra sigillata that requires no ball milling, no hour-long mixing, and no burnishing after it is applied. Watch as Kip O'Krongly demonstrates, silent-movie style, how to make a batch of easy mix, no burnish terra sig. (And notice her use of a respirator during mixing.)
Although this video is only 4-1/2 minutes long, it is packed with all the information you need to make this terra sig on your own.
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Next cone 10 firing -
tentative schedule
The schedule for the next cone 10 firing is
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Tool time demo
Tool time is back! On Sunday, September 20, at 4:30 pm, Kay will demonstrate how to throw mugs that people will prize and enjoying drinking from every day. This demo is free and open to the public. Simply join us at the studio.
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Upcoming classes
Registration is now open for fall classes. Enroll here.
Beginning/Cont. Wheel Throwing
Sep 14-Oct 19
Mondays, 7:00 to 9:00 pm. Instructor: Kevan O. WilsonSep 17-Oct 22Thursdays, 12:30 to 2:30 pm. Instructor: Nancy Bulkley Sep 17-Oct 26Thursdays, 6:30 to 8:30 pm. Instructor: Centurium Frost Oct 11-Nov 15
Sundays, 2:00 to 4:00 pm. Instructor:
Shannon Nelson Intermediate Wheel ThrowingSep 15-Nov 17Tuesdays, 6:30 to 9:00 pm. Instructor: Sarah Gelsanliter
Coffee and Clay
Sep 19-Oct 24Saturdays, 9:30 to 11:30 am. Instructor: Nancy Bulkley
Beads, Buttons, and Pendants
Oct 18-Nov 22 Sundays, 11:00 am to 1:00 pm. Instructor: Jeanine Center
Adv/Intermediate
Independent Study Sep 9-Dec 16
Wednesdays, 6:30 to 9:00 pm. Instructor: Kay Yourist
Try It Once on the Wheel
Sep 12 Saturday, 1:00 to 2:30 pm. Instructor: Shannon Nelson
Oct 10 Saturday, 1:00 to 2:30 pm. Instructor: Shannon Nelson
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Last month's news
Here are highlights from our July/August issue:  Yourist Studio Gallery at Art Fair. Yourist Studio Gallery takes
second place in
best gallery poll.
Video: Mold making with John Britt. A digest of coming events of interest to clay artists. Stay in the know on the local ceramics scene. Check out the July/August issue of our newsletter here.
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Yourist Studio Gallery
Inspiring classes and workshops for new and experienced students
Bright, modern, fully equipped community studio workspace
Comprehensive selection of pottery tools for sale
Gallery exhibiting the works of celebrated artists ceramic art
1133 Broadway Ann Arbor, MI 734.662.4914 |
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