Introducing "Clay Shares," "Potters Pick," and "Playing off the Instrument" - Chris Staley, Val Cushing, Jason deCaires Taylor

Clay Share Tuesday
Chris Staley

   We are going to try something new .....  One evening while working in the studio we brainstormed some ideas of what to post on our Bulldog Pottery Facebook page. We wanted to figure out a way to share with you the clay/art world that we work in, look at, and enjoy. These ideas coalesced into sharing some of these finds with you three days a week- we picked Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays.

On Tuesday: "Clay Share,"  Thursday: "Potters Pick," and  Sunday: "Playing off the Instrument."              We will gather the information that we share on facebook and group the shares together for a weekly blog post.  So we challenge ourselves to make this a ritual during our ever so busy lives as self-employed full-time artists.

Potters Pick Thursday

Val Cushing

"It is in nature that I find the rich colors, the dynamic textures and the harmonious forms I love to make" - Val Cushing

Val Cushing Soup Tureen and Bowls, Alfred, NY

   Val Cushing was our teacher when we attended Alfred University. I graduated in 1995 with a BFA and Bruce graduated in 1997 with a MFA.  This past summer we attended Alfred University's summer school and saw Val Cushing's exhibition in the Schein-Joseph International Museum of Ceramic Art. These are two images from the exhibition.  The exhibition was organized by Susan Kowalczyk, the museum’s collection manager, from pieces in the Schein-Joseph's permanent collection and on loan from the Cushing family. Beauty and function are themes of Val's work. Val Cushing (1931-1913) is a pottery legend.

Tomorrow, Monday December 1, 2014 at Charlotte, NC's Mint Museum Randolph, the Delhom Service League has scheduled a presentation about Val Cushing by Herb Cohen.

"I aspire to make beautiful pottery - some to be used and some to function visually as sculpture" - Val Cushing 

Val Cushing Vase

Playing off the Instrument Sunday

Jason deCaires Taylor

Image is from Jason's website

We have been aware of Jason deCaires Taylor underwater sculptures for a few years now. He makes the sculptures and then submerges them underwater. Over time they become an environment for marine life. He has a really good website with wonderful images of his public underwater art.  Sea life encrusts the sculptures and makes amazing colors and textures. We look at this and see glaze surfaces for ceramics.

Lots in the Works at Bulldog Pottery

Bruce Gholson working on trimming plates, Bulldog Pottery, Seagrove, NC

We are happily making pottery in the studio and finishing up one more round of pots just in time for our annual Holiday Kiln Opening on Saturday, December 13, 2014.  We like to ring in the New Year with one more Hurrah! We are making covered jars, platters, mugs, bowls, tumblers, plates, and cups.  All glazed and decorated with our Moka patterns. We will also have a select grouping of vases with our flowing molybdenum and matte crystalline glazes.  

We discovered a new podcast we enjoyed listening too last night for the first time called, Snap Judgement. It is a NPR radio show showcasing a conglomerate of folks telling stories about contemporary society.  We are looking forward to listening to more today.

There are a handful of Seagrove Potters also having special kiln openings on December 13th... the ones we are aware of are, Ben Owen Pottery, Johnston and Gentithes Pottery, Latham's Pottery, Jeff Brown and Michele Hastings Pottery, Westmoore Pottery and us Bulldog Pottery -- and that's more than a handful.

 Samantha Henneke signing her large mugs, Bulldog Pottery, Seagrove, NC

 Bruce Gholson's grouping of covered jars, Bulldog Pottery, Seagrove, NC

Below are my covered jars waiting for knobs to be applied to the top. I like having the freedom of adding differerent shaped knobs to the jars. It gives them their own personality.  

Tables full of pottery in process,  Bulldog Pottery, Seagrove, NC

Happy Thanksgiving

Samantha Henneke, Bruce Gholson and Luna Bella, Bulldog Pottery

Happy Thanksgiving!  

We want to thank all of you for making our artful adventure fun and fulfilling.  We love making pottery---And we appreciate all your support.  Good wishes to everyone on this wonderful Thanksgiving Day.

Gloria and Ed are fixing turkey today (thank you Fresh Market!) --- Bruce and I are working in the studio towards our Holiday Kiln Opening.  We will take a break in the afternoon for some yummies and then back to the wheel to make a few more pieces for Saturday, December 13. We are attaching labels and stamps to our Kiln Opening postcards and mailing them to you this week. 

Best to you and your families,

Samantha, Bruce, Ed, and Gloria  

Samantha Henneke, Bruce Gholson, Gloria Henneke, Edmund Henneke

7th annual Celebration of Seagrove Potters, November 21-23, 2014

Celebration of Seagrove Potters, Seagrove, North Carolina

We are excitedly looking forward to the Celebration of Seagrove Potters this year. It is coming up soon, and will be here before we can count to three. Well I hope not that fast, many pots to be glazed and fired yet.  We will have a new selection of our decorative crystalline vases for the Celebration event, and then on December 13, 2014 we will have a fresh kiln load of our functional pottery for our Holiday Kiln Opening here at Bulldog Pottery.  

Every year, we the Seagrove Potters, gather under one roof at the Historic Luck's Cannery just a short distance from downtown Seagrove. This weekend is a good opportunity to see the diversity of pottery that we all have available throughout the year. The Seagrove Potters are open to the public just about every day of the year (except most of us are closed on major holidays). We all have individual shop hours and each shop is unique in its own way.  The Seagrove Potters website is a good way to get in contact with individual shops.

The Celebration of Seagrove Potters

November 21, 2014 is the special Gala from 6:00pm - 9:00pm

November 22, 2014 9:00am - 5:00pm

November 23, 2014 10:00am - 4:00pm

At the Historic Luck's Cannery 

798 Pottery Highway 705 

Seagrove, North Carolina 27341

Gala tickets (includes Friday night dinner, $45 per person) can be purchased online by visiting the Seagrove Potters website, and this ticket is good for the entire weekend. The Friday evening Gala is a great time to shop the Seagrove Potter's booths. You get first selection of the potters work and participate in the special collaboration auction. 

Saturday morning the Celebration opens up at 9:00am and Sunday at 10:00am.  On Saturday and Sunday, tickets ($5 per person) can be purchased at the door of the Historic Luck's Cannery.  We are always amazed at just how many pots there are to choose from for this event, under one roof at the Historic Lucks Cannery on Pottery Hwy 705. There is pottery for everyone here, and we hope you make it out to our little town of Seagrove in central North Carolina.

You can follow the Seagrove Potters on facebook at Celebration of Seagrove Potters, and Seagrove Potters. This is a great way to keep up with all the pottery and activities that the Seagrove Potters are working on.

  

List of Seagrove Potteries Participating in the 7th annual Celebration of Seagrove Potters

Avery, Ben Owen, Blue Hen, Blue Stone, Bulldog, Caldwell-Hohl, Chad Brown, Chris Luther, Crystal King, Daniel Johnston, David Stuempfle, Dean & Martin, Dirt Works, Donna Craven, Dover, Eck McCanless, Frank Neef, From the Ground Up, Gingerbread House, Great White Oak Gallery, Hatfield, Hickory Hill, JLK Jewelry, Johnston & Gentithes, Keith Martindale, King’s, Koepnick, Kovack, Latham’s, Levi Mahan, Luck’s Ware, Lufkin, Matthew Kelly, McCanless, McKay, McNeill's, Michele Hastings & Jeff Brown, Nelda French, Nichols, Old Gap, Patrick Rowe, Pebbles, Potts, Ray, Riggs, Rockhouse, Seagrove Stoneware, Snowhill, Southern Spirits, Studio Touya, The Hutch, Tom Gray, Triple C, Turn & Burn, Whynot, and Windsong.