Studio Visit with Renee Shearer

When I first arrived in Oregon (from Austin, Texas) October 15, 2007, I found studio space at Dorothy Steele's spot near the Ross Island Bridge. With seven clay artists in house, we changed the studio name to Ross Island Pottery and promoted our work together for awhile. This was a great space and resource to one new to Oregon and Portland. Needing more space for production after awhile, Meaghan Kunzmann and I moved to St. Johns into the old Columbia Sportswear Building - but the 17 mile one-way commute became a challenge for both of us even though we loved our space and the building community of multi-disciplined artists.

Then I broke my ankle in four places when I slipped on the ice during the snow storm in December 2009. Recovery took about 14 months and made claywork, markets and shows challenging. Needing to be closer to home, I posted an ad on Craigs List saying exactly what I needed, the preferred mileage radius to where I live, and how much Iwanted to pay - and within thirty minutes of posting I received an email from a woman who had a home and workshop/garage she had bought from alongtime potter - she welcomed me wholeheartedly and I'm very happy with my space.

My studio photos here show that it is the perfect amount of space for one person - with 220 and water - and I love the overhead door for load-in and out and natural light during the warm months of the year. The privacy of a residential neighborhood has afforded me good creative focus as well as a safe, great environment to teach adult students one-on-one. I have been throwing for 15 years and selling for 10. Mostly I produce wheel-thrown functional tableware with Armadillo Clay's (Texas) Cone 6 Buffalo Wallow(yes I ship it in - yikes) and predominantly Spectrum Glazes. Even though the clay is very "plastic" - I throw exceptionally thin and I chatter the outside surface and stain it with Chocolate Velvet Underglaze to evoke the look and feel of the bark of a tree. I also add three-dimensional characters and wax-resisted silhouettes (like a cast-shadow) which distinguishes my work from others. I promote my work as: Useful - Playful - Artful. In the summer of 2009, I purchased a small, used slab roller and a BrentExtruder (yes, I'm the one who got it at the estate sale) and have been tinkering with Georgie's Cone 6 Gmix and Georgie Glazes. So in 2010 I have a new body of work and experimentations with traditionally shaped vases and watering can shaped vases which have "ribbons" flying all over the place. Iuse balloons to suspend the ribbons until the piece is dry enough to fire. I'm having a lot of fun with this and the pieces have been selling very well. These are not items I will take to market because of the fragility of the construction - best to have them in stores instead of being transported constantly. Teaching one-on-one has fueled my ideas for creative bunny paths I'd like to go down this year - an unexpected gift from the ones I teach.

fixing cracks with gold

So I was watching the Sunday Morning Show and there was this man who hot glued everything! Which got me thinking about the cracks that had developed in my organic pods during the firing process and I thought, why not. So out came the glue gun and gold leaf flakes and I'm thinking that there is some potential here. I've tried using gold in so many different ways but it has always looked flat and well, forced. So, I'm really not sure about this - it is foreign but it isn't trying to hard - or is it? Let me know your thoughts / critiques / comments / or your experiences using gold to fill cracks.

berries

I'm waiting for my strawberries to ripen (they seem early this year) so that I can use Brenda's berry bowl that I got at showcase. What's next? more pots .....

What's next?

Ceramic Showcase has come and now I am wondering - "What's Next?" If you've got an upcoming show, Gallery opening, Studio tour, firing - whatever - we'd love to hear what you are up to, my fellow OPA members. I for one have been busy in the studio preparing for my Summer art show tour and I've been taking some time to tend to the garden. This year I've added 2 apple trees, 3 blueberry bushes, and another raised bed. I'm delighted that the seeds that I planted in early Spring are going gangbusters - sugar snap peas, heirloom beets, a mix of lettuces and spinach. And the starts aren't too much further behind. My mouth is watering in anticipation for the tomatoes, eggplants, squashes, cucumbers and the host of herbs that will be flavoring many dishes throughout the summer. Not to mention the canning that will be done to hold us through the winter. So, what are you doing?

Showcase all weekend

Showcase is in full swing of course ending 5:01 on Sunday. No time for photo's so here's just a peek. there's nothing better than a weekend with 200 potters!

SHOWCASE

Setting up the gallery space. just a quick snapshot of the beginning stages.

Something to be passionate about

Sacagawea Health Center is providing health care for children insured or not. Check out there website for more information on this wonderful organization. Our members have been donating art to there auction since the beginning. There will be more great donations this year also.

Speaking of Wood-fire

2009 OPA President Victoria Shaw finally had a chance to wood-fire with the crew at Soulgama in Brush Prairie, WA. It was great having Victoria's gentle spirit at the firing and she was giddy like a school girl during the whole thing, especially the unloading. The kiln gods were kind to all of us and Victoria got some wonderful wood-fire effects on her Stone Healers and Totem pieces. I look forward to seeing them all together at Ceramic Showcase.

Victoria will be featured in an article in the Portland Tribune next week. Keep your eyes open for that one, it's going to be a great article.

getting ready for SHOWCASE

I'm sure I'm not the only person looking for wing nuts and pliers, gathering lights, extension cords and duct tape in preparation for set up next week. Happy gathering everyone. See you at the show. (And those little plastic ties-can't forget those.)

The Allure of the Woodfire

If you look around in the ceramic world today, chances are you’ll find a good amount of wood-fired work out there. The popularity of this firing method seems to become greater each year. I noticed this and asked myself, “Why are so many people making wood-fired pots? What’s the big deal?”. Wood-firing is not exactly a new method; in fact it is just the opposite, so that can’t be why so many people are excited about it. It’s not a short-cut or easy way out by any means. In fact, as far as I can tell it is probably one of the most labor-intensive methods of firing, so that’s probably not the reason for such excitement either.

It wasn’t until I had the opportunity to join in an anagama firing at the East Creek Anagama kiln that I fully understood why people love wood-firing so much. Sure, some enjoy getting the most textured, ash-covered pots possible; but others enjoy a very smooth surface, colored gently by the fire and ash. The results from wood-firing are as varied as the potters that choose to do them. I think the greatest reason for participating in wood-firing is just that--participating. Wood-firing is such an interesting and enjoyable experience. Getting together with a group of good friends and fellow artists around a wood-kiln is the perfect mix of artistic collaboration and shared work. Sure it takes a lot of work, but it also gives you that precious time in which so many great conversation occur; time that helps to form strong and lasting friendships.

The end results of the fired work are always exciting and surprising, and ultimately enjoyable. But the results of time spent and work done together is equally exciting as well. All This being said, I would love to know why you do wood-firings, or why you do not, or why you never would or always will. Feel free to respond to this blog with your take on the wood-firing phenomenon.