Video: Grayson Perry

Love this fantastic visit with Grayson Perry... One of my all time favorite artists and people.

All you have to do is put in the hours...

Pete Scherzer

Back to some regular programming, ay? How about some delicious pots from Pete Scherzer to start us off? I love everything about these pieces, they are so complete. Do you know what I mean? Every aspect of this pottery feels so intentional and integrated with the next. The color, the clay bodies, the texture, the shape, the patterning. I would love to take a workshop with this artist. Anyone been so fortunate?

(images via Schaller Gallery and artist's website)

Workshop Review: Sharon Virtue

Ahhh... Sharon Virtue. What a wonderful lady and talented artist. Yesterday we got to take a wonderful workshop with Sharon at Clay Creations and learn all of her lovely tips and tricks to design beautifully layered surfaces ripe with depth and color. I've been struggling to reach a quality of surface that I feel good about lately and this workshop definitely inspired me to try some new things. Sharon has developed a great method for layering imaged and color to create a uniquely collaged surface. Learning about the steps she takes made me think a little bit more about how I need to slow my work down a bit and take care to work my narrative into the clay at appropriate stages. I left thinking very differently about how to approach my work, which I think was what I was hoping for. :)

Some of my favorite Sharon Virtue tips?

-Think about what you want your work to do.

-It's okay to use the quickest and easiest way to do things, even if it strays from more traditional methods.

-Never leave any texture on a piece that you don't intend to put there... like canvas or sponge or clay gunk textures. Yuck!

Sharon said this was her very first workshop, though she's been teaching for many years. I congratulate her on a job well done and hope she continues to give workshops so more people can benefit from her fantastic ideas and inspiring energy. :)

Liz Smith

Look at the layering on these surfaces. What the heck? How awesome. Decals, glazing, carving, lusters- wow. I am totally drooling right now.

By the way... Lusters aren't food safe, are they?

(images via Charlie Cummings Gallery)

Victor Visockis

Do these want to make you master carving or what? So gorgeous. Anyone know anything about this artist? I couldn't seem to find any information.


(images via Charlie Cummings Gallery)

Lora Rust

Absolutely stunning. Please take a moment and stop by Rust's website to view a million more beauties in an array of fabulous glazes... I am so jealous of the skill and patience it takes to carve such beauties. I'd love to know how she does it.

(images via artist's Flickr)

Monica Ripley

I love Ripley's shapes and subtle carving, and her celadon palette is perfect for these pieces. Aren't those vases fantastic?

(images via artist's website and Red Lodge Clay Center)

Neil Patterson

It amazes me what some carving and spot on glazing can lead to in ceramics. I love the architectural feel of Patterson's work and the idea that holding any one of these pieces would bring such tactile enjoyment... I really hope to see these in person someday.

(images via artist's website)