Gallery

Anne Bailey's travel log of her recent visit to the Smithsonian Museums in Washington, DC.

A Look Inside: Funk You Too! Humor and Irreverence in Ceramic Sculpture

Anne & Jim Bailey's visit to the exhibit

From the very early years of its development Jim and I took an interest in Watershed in Newcastle, Maine. We have been “kiln gods”, giving donations in support residencies, for many of those years hoping to help build and strengthen our clay community. As part of our road trip to Maine last month we were able to not just visit Watershed Center for the Ceramic Arts but to participate in their fabulous fundraiser: Salad Days.

The maker of our Mystery Pot 43 is Helen Naha, the matriarch of a Hopi-Tewa clan of potters who sign their pots with a stylized feather. Our pot is a beautiful example of her Black on White pottery. The Awatovi star design was revived by Feather Woman over her lifetime. One of several designs she developed from shards she collected from the Awatovi ruins.

Read on for a detailed biography of this remarkable Native American Pottery Legend by Grey Wolf Gallery in Arizona. Visit their website https://greywolfgalleryaz.com/ for old and current Native American Artist.

In England, where Richard Batterham was born in 1936, he is considered the leading living maker of domestic stoneware. It’s a reputation that has been made by a life spent diligently working with discipline and talent to perfect his functional forms and lovely muted glazes.

Interested in craft and design from a young age, Richard studied at the Bryanston School. He was taught pottery by Donald Potter who had worked with Eric Gill and Michael Cardew. After his National Service, he apprenticed with Bernard Leach at St. Ives for two years. He married Dinah Dunn in 1959, and they set up housekeeping in Durweston, Dorset.

When Anne was at NCECA in Portland this year she bought this beautiful mug from artist Ben Jordan. "I was immediately taken with the balance of form and function in this piece. The floral decoration is integrated extremely well with the form. The handle is comfortable and fits very nicely in the hand. The clay is a rich rust red and the glaze reminiscent of a sepia photograph. It has a perfect high pitch ring when you flick it. Even the bottom is decorated! Beyond these technical things, it's just an absolutely gorgeous piece of pottery; so well considered in each and every way. I had to have it and brought it back to Kingston with me to share with all of you. If you do not know of Ben Jordan now you do. Here is a short interview with Ben Jordan." -Anne Bailey at NCECA 2017

Anne and Jim Bailey visit the community and facilities of the Clay Art Center