Upcoming workshop – Adrian Arleo

by | Dec 24, 2010 | Uncategorized

March 5-6: Adrian Arleo – Transformations
Having worked with the human form for more than 25 years, I’ve figured out a few problem solving techniques and a lot of dos and don’ts. This two-day workshop will be chockfull of demonstrations for coil building the figure, and various surface finishes, both low-fired and non-fired . Anatomical perfection will not be addressed; rather, the demonstrations will focus on building techniques: how to use a base and rod for building tall standing figures, how to begin a seated figure, how to make a head and facial features, how to keep forms from slumping, caving in or cracking. If you’ve had a recurring technical problem, bring it up and we’ll try to remedy it.
The second half of the workshop will be about developing surface textures
and experimenting with different tools and found objects. I’ll share the low-fire glazes that I use, and discuss application techniques. Layering of Terra sigillata is a surface finish we’ll demonstrate, Non-fired paints can add amazing richness to ceramic forms; wax encaustic and casein (milk paint) are favorites that will be talked about as well. Registration form is available here

Warning – Too much information in this next post…

by | Dec 10, 2010 | Uncategorized

So it’s midday friday and I realized I haven’t yet had a chance to post a site 2 see friday.

We’ve been a bit distracted around these parts lately with ceramics of another kind. The little one is extending his education on all things clay to include the use of a toilet, so there you go, that’s where my mind has been the last few days. I figured rather than fight it, it was as good an opportunity as any to show some related work of Robert Arneson.

Sure it’s an old piece, and i’m sure many of you are very familiar with his work. For those of us, well some of us, growing up on the prairies of Central Canada work by Arneson becomes a part of our ceramic history. The influence of Arneson, David Gilhooly, and other artists of the Ceramic Funk Movement was strongly felt particularly in Saskatchewan where I live and grew up. It impacted not only a similarly aged generation of Canadian artists, but I believe aspects of their approach to clay, humor, satire; and arts and culture references still exists in a younger generation of artists here as well.

Anyway you can read more about this piece here.

And to read more about the Funk Years at TB-9 make sure to check out David Gilhooly’s website here.