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.

Celebration of Seagrove Potters Annual Spring Kiln Opening

Visit the Seagrove Potteries, Seagrove, North Carolina

  There are 37 Seagrove Potteries collaborating together on April 26 and 27, 2014 for the annual Celebration of Seagrove Potters Spring Kiln Openings. Bruce and I will have a large selection of our crystalline vases here at our Bulldog Pottery shop.

We want to thank all the volunteers that are working hard at organizing the Seagrove Potters' spring kiln opening event.  And thank you to our sponsors, Heart of North Carolina Visitors Bureau and Life 103.1. We do appreciate your support! There will be a map that you can pick up at any of the participating potteries.

 The Seagrove Potteries that are participating are

Avery Pottery & Tileworks, Ben Owen Pottery, Blue Hen Pottery, Bulldog Pottery, Caldwell-Hohl Artworks, Coop of Seagrove Potters, Chris Luther Pottery, Crystal King Pottery, Dean & Martin Pottery, Dirtworks, Donna Craven Pottery, Eck McCanless Pottey, Freeman Pottery, From the Ground Up, Great White Oak Gallery, Hickory Hill Pottery, JLK Jewelry @ Jugtown, Johnston & Gentithes Art Pottery, Jugtown Pottery, Keith Martindale Pottery, Kings Pottery with Crystal King, Latham's Pottery, Luck's Ware, McNeill's Pottery, Michele Hastings & Jeff Brown Pottery, O'Quinn Pottery, Pottery by Frank Neef, Pottery Road Studio & Gallery, Pott's Pottery, Ray Pottery, Seagrove Stoneware, Smith Pottery, Snowhill Pottery & Tileworks, Studio Touya, Thomas Pottery, Tom Gray Pottery, Triple C Pottery.

Follow, Like, and Share our Celebration of Seagrove Potters Facebook page, there are many posts of all the different potters that are participating in this years spring kiln opening event.  We also have a Seagrove Potters Facebook page that is filled with images of Seagrove Potters.

Visit the Seagrove Potteries, Seagrove, North Carolina

News Alert - Watertower cleaning for "Cousins in Clay"

Water tower landmark for Bulldog Pottery, Seagrove, NC

It was a chilly weekend, and neither winter ice, or snow would stop the Montgomery County water tower from being cleaned and spruced up for "Cousins in Clay" this year, at Bulldog Pottery in Seagrove on May 31 - June 1, 2014.

During the past couple of weeks, intermittently through the snowy and rainy weather, our water tower has been prepped, cleaned, and now is being painted.  This has become the landmark for our pottery ever since its construction in 2002.  Sometimes it's such an enormous landmark, that folks can miss it when turning onto our gravel driveway right beside it's massive metal legs.

One of our honored guests, "Clay Cousin" Daniel Anderson from Illinois, has been long inspired by water towers. Water towers are wonderful structures, and are awesome inspirational architectural forms.  Daniel Anderson has done this form so very well, it has become an icon that is identified with him when done in clay.  He will be here at Bulldog Pottery early this summer, along with Blair Clemo and Michael Kline.  We are looking forward to "Cousins in Clay"!

Water tower landmark for Bulldog Pottery, Seagrove, NC

Water tower landmark for Bulldog Pottery, Seagrove, NC

Dan Anderson, Water tower Covered Jar, Illinois