I came across some wonderful videos, featuring artists from England talking about their work, how they make it, why they make it, how they fire it and all that.  Take a look at some of these when you have some time.  Each one is over 20 minutes long, but worth the time.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JSDhR5__kRM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=St5u94Wf5eg
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wKvjOeYWIn8
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yVglMHd0_YM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Er5PUXpo5c

The same gallery who made these videos has other videos of other kinds of arts too.  Very well made and interesting.

Cow Creek Pottery's new gallery space!

I'm so excited!  My renters moved out and I have moved my gallery into that space.  It was a lot of work, but it will be ready for my open house on Friday night.  Here's how it's starting to look:

Cup of Comfort International

Ceramic Biannual 2012

Angel Brame has two entries accepted into the 

Cup Of Comfort Show at the Swope Art Museum, 

Halcyon Art Gallery in Terre Haute IN.

The show was juried by Ray Chen, the current Halcyon Art Gallery Director.  The two cups shown, Slight Attitude, and Frosty Halloween

were the entries accepted. 

Two Teapots Chosen For The Show

100 TEAPOTS VI

Angel Brame had two of her teapots selected for the show "100 Teapots VI" at Baltimore Clayworks, Baltimore MD. There were 300 entries from 80 different artists, juried by clay artist, Jeff Oestreich. 

Angel Brame has teapot accepted in 

The 18th Annual Nellie Allen Smith Competition

This national competition was juried by John Brit, a leader in the glaze formulation world, with several books published in this area.  The gallery is located in Cape Fear, North Carolina. The show will run from the end of October to the 3rd week of November.

This is the teapot that was selected for the show.

"Morning Storm"

Back to Work

After spending most of the summer traveling to Alaska and riding our Harley Davidson motorcycle all over, I am finally working in my studio again.  These are a few photos of what I have accomplished the last couple of weeks.  I have been busy making coffee mugs, which are my best sellers.  Also have thrown a dozen bowls to be donated to Phoenix Fired Art for the fund raiser.   The two finished pieces are a new item that I have started making.  They are handbuilt.  They are cremation urns.  What do you think?  I also finished a set of dishes for my daughter that I have been promising to make for quite a while.  Six bowls, six small plates and six large plates.  She loves them!

GREG KREPPS WORKSHOP

Photo by Jed Schlegel

Hand Pinched, Stone Burnished Pit Fired Vessels :    September 7^th and 8th 9am-2pm with Sawdust Barrel firings to take place evening Third Thursday of October 18th.

Gregory Krepps has been creating hand pinched clay vessels for over 30 years. He is a graduate of Illinois State University and one of the founding members of Midwest Clay Artists.

From his studio in Pittsburg Kansas, he has worked to develop and refine the ancient techniques of stone burnishing and pit firing. It is a very peaceful and meditative process. Participants will create and burnish several vessels on Friday and then refine them and create several more on Saturday. Greg will be the featured artist at Phoenix Fired Art on October 18th for Joplin's Third Thursday Art walk and will bring his barrel to fire in.

Participants who create and burnish vessels in the September 7^th and 8th workshop will get to have their work fired in sawdust barrel firings at Phoenix on the October 18th.

Non Member Workshop fee (Includes Firing): $75

Phoenix Member Workshop Fee (Includes Firing): $60

 Call 417 437-9281  or stop by the Phoenix at 1603 S Main Joplin Mo to register.

Cone Box Show

Yes, it's official!! My "Just a Little Tea for Me", a tiny tea set complete with the teapot, 4 cups and tray, was accepted into the 10th International Cone Box Show.  For those of you unfamiliar with the show, it features works that can fit into a cone box and has to be primarily made of clay. The show will be at the Lawrence Art Center, Lawrence, KS from September 14th through October 31st.

Road trip!!

Mug Extravaganza

Angel Brame was just notified that she had all 3 mugs accepted into the Mug Extravaganza juried show at the Walnut Gallery in Gadsden AL. The show will run from Oct. 5-Nov. 16, 2012, good job, Angel.

It's always good to hear when any of our members works are accepted into a juried show. I know several are awaiting notification from the Cone Box Show, so please let us know when you have good news to share.

Here are the mugs Angel had accepted to the Mug Extravaganza.

Art Camp at Art Central

Student work from Art Camp at Art Central, Carthage, MIssouri

GREGORY KREPPS SHOW AT SPIVA

 Midwest Clay Artists member GREGORY KREPPS will be showing along with 5 other artists in a show called

 "Across Boundaries" 

in the Upstairs Gallery at Spiva in Joplin.  The show runs from September 4th to September 30th, with a reception on Friday September 21st from 5:30-7:30 pm.  

Participating artists are:

Gregory Krepps - Pinch Pot Ceramics

Ed "Fish" Dixon - Ceramic Fish

Priscilla Block - Printmaking

Vivian Brill - Photography

Bruce Lowry - Glass

Jeri Au - Contemporary Ceramics

 This is a group of artist friends who have been getting together for the past 31 years, usually in the St. Louis area,  to compete in their own private "Radish Growing Competition".  They get together for a dinner where they give out the seeds and another dinner after the radishes are all grown, about 6-8 weeks later.  

Last year Greg suggested that they all have a show, so he put this one together!  Along with their work, they be displaying some of their unique past "awards" that they have created over the years to acknowledge the winner of their radish competition - The Largest Radish, the Nixon Award (the radish that looks the ugliest), the Smallest Radish, the most Beautiful Radish, and a Radish Bowl that travels to the winner of the Culinary Award each year.  

Please plan on visiting this wonderful show!

BEDE CLARK IS COMING!!! BEDE CLARK IS COMING!!!

Bede Clark, a Professor of Art at University of Missouri who shows his work worldwide, will be at Phoenix Fired Art in Joplin for a workshop on Saturday, October 13, 2012 from 9AM - 5PM. Cost is $100 for non Phoenix members. This will absolutely be a great workshop. Don't miss it! Here is a link to his web site in case you want to drool over his work:

http://www.bedeclarkestudio.com/bedeclarkestudio.com/pots.html

Contact Phoenix for more information:

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Phoenix-Fired-Art/250317528347379 

Daria Claiborne Pottery featured at Maple Uncommon

Come down to Maple Uncommon, Columbus, KS this Friday for an opening reception.  Steve and Cindy Head will be showing their bright and cheery paintings as well.  Hope to see you there?

Midwest Clay Artists during the downtown Joplin "Third Thursday" artwalk on July 19th.

Members of the Midwest Clay Artists during the Joplin Downtown "Third Thursday" artwalk on July 19th.  Twelve artists represented the group that evening at The Mystery Church located on Main Street in downtown Joplin.

Here are my two entries that were accepted by the Best of Missouri Hand's Silver Dollar City Exhibit which will be on display at the Frisco Building on site in September...

The next 3rd Thursday to be held in Downtown Joplin will be July 19th from 5:30 to 8:30.  Come visit members of the Midwest Clay Artists who will be showing their latest creations at the Mystery Church.

Sponsored by the Downtown Joplin Alliance
See you there!!

Summer Mud Camp at Phoenix

Phoenix Summer Mud Camp 

There are sessions in the Morning from 9:00- 11:30 or  
in the Afternoon from 1:00 pm-3:30 pm.

We will be doing handbuilding projects and the kids 

will get to experiment on the wheel as well.

All instructors are background checked. 

For more information, contact Phoenix at

603 S Main Street

Joplin MO 64804

417 437-9281

phoenixfiredart@gmail.com

Gregory Krepps workshop at Phoenix

Paul Pfrehm workshop at Phoenix

Just a quick notation....for you art lovers in the Joplin area. There will be an opening reception at the Mosaics Art Gallery located at the northeast corner of Indiana and 20th Street.  That is the combined space for Dr. Richard Reed DDS and Debbie Reeds' gallery.  Debbie is a very talented artist whose primary love is 2D work especially watercolors. She, also, is  a clay artist with a style all her own and a Midwest Clay Artist member!  The reception will be held Friday, July 13th from 6 to 8pm.  Refreshments will be served.

This event will be hosted by Debbie, Daria Claiborne and yogi master, Connelaine Gustad.  Connelaine has be conducting yoga classes at Mosaics and will be continuing to do so in July starting on the 9th, MTWT, either 7:30 to 8:30am or (for the not so early risers) 5:30 to 6:30pm.  Individual classes are $10 each, but there are packages available for multiple classes..see Connelaine for more details.

Hope to see you there!!

Clay for Tots--Toad Houses at Spiva Center for the Arts

Today we finished up our "Clay for Tots" class at Spiva Center for the Arts in Joplin, Missouri.   Last week we assembled and decorated the houses.  Phoenix Fired Arts bisque fired the houses for us and today we painted .  As you can see from all the smiles, everyone had a great time!! So proud of these little artists!!!

I need to brag about fellow clay artist, Melody Knowles!! She participated in the Art Central Membership Show and WON FIRST PLACE! So proud of you, Mel.

As an added note, several other MCA members also participated in the show: Angel Brame, Daria Claiborne, Sue Colgin and Greg Krepps. So our group was well represented....hope I didn't leave anyone out.  Great job,!

Cake Boxes at Spiva Center for the Arts

Super fun class at Spiva Center for the Arts in Joplin Missouri this week.  We made very colorful "Cake Boxes"!!!  The idea is based upon the paintings of California artist, Wayne Thiebaud and his "pop" culture paintings of desserts.  We changed it up a bit and made clay boxes out of cone 06 paper clay and  used acrylic paints after they were fired.  It was amazing to see all the different colors and ideas each student came up with. 

Cone Box Entry - maybe

Here's (probably) my entry into the Cone Box Show.....I have a little more time, so it could change a bit, but the concept is here...a big thanks to Melody Knowles for her advice on the surface decoration.