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What's in store for fall
As summer fades into autumn, our studio and gallery have reopened and classes will soon resume. Alex Pratt, master potter at Greenfield Village, rejoins us this term to teach a 14-week Advanced and Intermediate Clay class for both wheel throwers and hand builders. A 14-week Advanced / Intermediate Independent Study class awaits those who are ready to work on their own under the direction of Kay Yourist. We're also offering our popular Saturday Coffee and Clay class for hand builders at all levels and four Introductory and Continuing Wheel classes, giving you a choice of days and times for learning to work at the wheel. If you've never made pottery before, why not treat yourself to one of our monthly 90-minute Try It Once on the Wheel classes? The next class is set for Saturday, September 10, from 1:00 to 2:30 pm. Sign up for a class today. |
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Are you a potential potter?
Is making pottery the pursuit for you? Do you have pottery making in your blood? If you're itching to get your hands in some clay and find out, we have the perfect solution for you. Get a taste of pottery making at one of our monthly Try It Once on the Wheel classes.
Our next Try It Once on the Wheel class meets on Saturday, September 10, from 1:00 to 2:30 pm.
This inexpensive 90-minute class is a fun, gentle introduction that lets you try your hand at wheel throwing without making a major commitment of time and money. If you love it, you can take your interest to the next level by signing up for one of our six-week classes. For those of you who have already been bitten by the pottery-making bug, keep in mind that a Try It Once on the Wheel class is a great gift for those who have expressed an interest in making pottery but have hesitated to act on it. Enroll in our September 10 Try It Once on the Wheel class now. |
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Keep dried clay and glaze at bay!
As guru Jack Kornfeld so wisely observed about mindfulness meditation, "After ectasy, the laundry." No matter how uplifting your meditation session has been, you still face the tasks of everyday life afterward. The same is true for making art: after creativity, the cleanup. The resumption of classes in the fall seems like a good time to remind students and studio users alike that a thorough cleanup is an integral part of the practice of making ceramic art. It's essential to a healthy, welcoming studio environment and helps to stamp out sneezes and wheezes. The primary goal of studio cleanup is to avoid letting clay or glaze dry on any surface in the studio.
Of course the wheels, the hand-building tables, and the areas surrounding them must be cleaned and mopped thoroughly after use, but let's take a look at some of the more neglected areas of cleanup, where clay or glaze might linger and dry: * Sponges: Cleanup requires plenty of water, sponges, and elbow grease. Be sure to rinse those sponges well after use to remove all traces of clay or glaze. * Sinks: Remove clumps of clay from the sink, then wipe down the sink and the area around it. * Ware boards and bats: Dried clay easily accumulates on these items. Wipe them down well with a wet sponge before you put them away. * Water containers and other studio tools: Rinse off all the clay on these items, including things like rolling pins, yardsticks, spray bottles, and hand-building molds. * Slab roller and slab mats: Dried clay left on these items can contaminate other users' slabs, so remove your clay residue before it dries. * Wedging table and clay scales: Did you use the wedging table or the clay scale? Clean up your clay residue and don't let it dry. * Glaze splashes and spills: Wipe away all glaze splashed or spilled on the glazing table, glaze containers, floor, and other equipment. After you finish your own cleanup, look around for anything else that might need attention and give it a wipe down, too. You're sure to win the favor of the kiln gods. Let's all work together to bust the dust and keep the studio clean and free of sneezes and wheezes. |
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Studio calendar
Ready, load, fire
It's time to get your glazing done for our next gas kiln firing. Here's the tentative schedule for the next firing:
Loading: Tuesday, September 20. Firing: Wednesday, September 21.
Unloading: Friday, September 23.
This schedule could change depending on the amount of work that's ready for firing.
Tool time demo
Clay carving tools and tips. Sunday, September 18, 4:30 pm. Carving is one of the many ways you can express yourself on the clay surface. Kay will explain how to use various carving tools and give you tips on how to carve clay successfully. This demonstration is free and open to the public. No registration necessary. Just drop by the studio at demo time. Got an idea for a demo you'd like to see Kay present? Let us know. Upcoming classes
Fall classes are right around the corner. They kick off next week. Have you booked your class yet?
Advanced and Intermediate Clay
Tuesdays, Sep 13 through Dec 13, 6:30-9:00 pm, with Alex Pratt.
Advanced / Intermediate Independent Study
Wednesdays, Sep 14 through Dec 14, 6:30-9:00 pm, with Kay Yourist.
Coffee and Clay
Saturdays, Sep 17 through Oct 23, 9:30-11:30 am, with Nancy Bulkley.
Introductory and Continuing Wheel
Mondays, Sep 19 through Oct 25, 7:00-9:00 pm, with Kevan O. Wilson. Thursdays, Sep 22 through Oct 27, 12:30 to 2:30 pm, with Nancy Bulkley. Thursdays, Sep 22 through Oct 27, 6:30 to 8:30 pm, with Kay Yourist.
Introductory and Continuing Wheel Sundays
Sundays, Oct 9 through Nov 13, 1:30-3:30 pm, with Shannon Nelson.
Try It Once on the Wheel
Saturday, September 10, from 1:00 to 2:30 pm with Nancy Bulkley.
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Like elephants, clay never forgets
Q. Some of the pieces I've made have warped in the bisque firing. I hear people in the studio saying that "clay has a memory." What does that mean? Could it be the problem with my pieces?
A. While clay is delightfully malleable, it also remembers what you've done to it. Watch this Two Minute Tutorial: Clay Memory and Warping video for a visual demonstration of clay's "plastic memory" and how it can affect your work.
Here's how prominent potter John Tilton describes clay memory and its possible effects, particularly on porcelain:
"All clay has what is called memory (the tendency to return to a shape previously held), and high-fired porcelain has it to a very great degree. I smooth the insides of my pieces because of this memory. (I have found, for instance, that throwing rings left inside a piece will be visible on the outside of the piece after glaze firing, even if the outside surface had been trimmed perfectly smooth before firing.)" Take note all you porcelain users!
John Tilton is especially known for his crystalline and copper red glazes, which is amazing when you learn that Tilton is color-blind. For details about Tilton and his work, visit his website. And treat yourself to this video about Tilton. You'll see how he goes about successfully firing crystalline glazes and also get a look at his pristine studio. This man knows a thing or two about cleanup.
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 digest
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Eastern Michigan University Ceramics Alumni Under the Tutelage of Susanne Stephenson & John Loree Resonance is a collaboration co-curated by Greg Tom at Eastern Michigan University and Steve Glazer at Henry Ford College. The exhibitions, which honor Susanne Stephenson and John Loree, feature the work of 30 artists that studied ceramics under them between 1962 and 1988, including Yourist Studio Gallery Resident Artist Darcy Bowden. Closing reception: September 30, 6:00-8:00 pm Exhibit dates: Now through September 30 Henry Ford CollegeSisson Gallery, Bldg F, the MacKenzie Fine Arts Center 5101 Evergreen Rd. Dearborn, MI 313-845-6485 Exhibit reception: September 23, 5:30-7:30 pm Exhibit dates: September 7 through 30Eastern Michigan UniversityFord Gallery, 114 Ford Hall Ypsilanti, MI 734-487-0465
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Clay-Art Friends This eclectic exhibit at Ann Arbor's downtown library is designed to inform visitors about the materials and processes involved in making ceramic art and perhaps interest them in giving clay a try themselves. Clay-art friends exhibiting this year include Nancy Bulkley, Jeanine Center, Jessica Krivan, Caron Valentine-Marsh, Oni Werth, and Lineke Zuiderweg. You can learn more about the exhibit here. Dates: Now through October 13 Ann Arbor District Library Downtown Library: Lower Level Display Cases 343 South Fifth Avenue Ann Arbor, MI 734-327-4200
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Ancient to Contemporary Ceramics, now through October 30 at the Flint Institute of Art
This exhibition explores over 3,000 years of ceramics and "features a glimpse into the many styles and functions of ceramics as well as the forming, glazing, and firing practices that distinguish the medium throughout history." Learn more about the exhibition here.
Dates: Now through October 30
Flint Institute of Art
1120 East Kearsley Street, Flint, MI
810-234-1695
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Riverside Arts Center presents an all pottery exhibit by the Ann Arbor Potters Guild. The exhibit includes functional pottery, sculpture, tile work, and wearable art by the 25 participating guild artists.
Visit the Riverside Arts Center here. Opening reception: September 9, 5:30-7:30 pm Exhibits dates: September 9 - October 1 Riverside Arts Center 76 North Huron Street Ypsilanti, MI 734-480-2787
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This upcoming exhibition at Pewabic has been curated by College for Creative Studies Ceramics Section Chair Tom Phardel and will feature sculptural ceramics by artists Thom Bohnert, Emily Duke, Chris Mayse and Yui-Keung Lee. It will also include a Visiting Artist Workshop with Yui-Keung Lee on October 22 from 1:00 to 4:00 pm. Visit Pewabic for more information about this event. Opening Reception: Friday, September 16, 6:00-8:00 pm Exhibit dates: September 16-October 24 Pewabic 10125 E. Jefferson Ave Detroit, MI 313-626-2000 |
Yourist Studio Gallery Holiday Sale
Oh my, now that September is here can the holidays be far behind? Be sure to mark your calendar right away to save December 9-11 for the 2016 Yourist Studio Gallery Holiday Sale.
As always the sale will be packed with delightful ceramic art and offer great refreshments and lots of holiday cheer. You can expect some special surprises, too. Watch for details in upcoming issues of the newsletter.
Sale dates: December 9-11
Yourist Studio Gallery
1133 Broadway
Ann Arbor, MI
734-662-4914
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2 cities, 9 venues, more than 150 artists . . . and an exciting new event for the holidays.
Plan to go on the Winter Art Tour to see the best art Ann Arbor and Ypsilanti have to offer and enter to win prizes.
Intrigued? Excited? Want to know more? Keep your eyes open for complete details in future issues of this newsletter.
Tour dates: December 9-11
Venues to be named
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John Glick: A Legacy in Clay
Cranbrook Art Museum is presenting "the first major exhibition and publication to survey the immense range of ceramic vessels, tableware, and sculpture that has made Glick one of today's premier figures in American studio pottery." The exhibition will feature nearly 200 pieces from throughout Glick's career as a potter. For details, visit Cranbrook Art Museum. View a catalog of the exhibit here. Dates: June 18, 2016-March 12, 2017 Cranbrook Art Museum 39221 Woodward Avenue Bloomfield Hills, MI 248-645-3323 |
Stop, look, listen . . . and learn
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The alchemy of fire
Pit firing in a metal drum
There are many ways to fire pottery, and they can all produce striking results. This video shows how Chris Dunn, a potter in Wellington, New Zealand, gets spectacularly colorful surfaces by firing his pots in a 44-gallon metal drum.
As Dunn explains,
"The pots are given colour first of all by the fire, and secondly from other organic and chemical materials that are put either in the fire or around the pots before they're fired. Different colours come from substances like salt, or seaweed, copper carbonate, copper scourer, sawdust, coffee grounds."
Learn more about Dunn and see examples of his work here.
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Obsessive or visionary?
Meet passionate ceramics collector Steven Korff, who was featured in the article, " Up to His Neck in His Obsession" in the August 18 issue of The New York Times. Korff has managed to fill every nook and cranny in his home with more than 400 pieces of coveted ceramic art. According to the article, Korff's collection, which includes "sculpural vases, bowls, sake cups and flasks," has "quietly made him one of the leading collectors in contemporary Japanese ceramics." The photo shows a piece by Matsui Kosei, one of the potters whose pieces are included in Korff's collection. Korff's love of ceramics may strike some as an obsession, but I suspect most potters would find him to be a discerning and visionary collector. |
Pantone color palette for fall
The Pantone color palette for fall, 2016, seems tailor made for potters, especially since it includes Pantone 18-1340, Potter's Clay, as one of the choices. The swatch at left shows the rich, autumnal russet of Potter's Clay. Other colors in the Pantone fall palette include Aurora Red, Warm Taupe, Dusty Cedar, Lush Meadow, and Spicy Mustard. You can see the rest of the colors in the palette and examples of all the colors in use here. |
Just for fun
Use your head when working in the studio
Have you ever wondered what kind of texture the hair on your head would make in clay? Well, your esteemed newsletter editor did.
Said editor is known for sticking lots of different things in clay to see what kind of texture they would make. She looks for texture everywhere and has amassed quite a collection.
So in the Saturday morning Coffee and Clay class, with the willing collusion of teacher Nancy Bulkley, she decided to use her head - literally - to make a hair bowl.
Surprisingly, it wasn't too messy (although she did wash her hair as soon as she got home).
What does the bowl look like? We don't know yet, but we'll show you a photo as soon as it's finished. Meanwhile, enjoy this photo of Nancy pony-rolling clay over your editor's head.
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Yourist Studio Gallery | 1133 Broadway, Ann Arbor, MI 48105 734-662-4914 | www.youristpottery.comInspiring 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 | Online gallery shop for the purchase of ceramic art |
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