Repost worth reading!

https://www.edutopia.org/blog/reaching-quiet-disengaged-struggling-troublemaking-students-david-cutler?utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=socialflow

American Pottery Festival and more!

Here are a few shots from APF and a MN NICE outing at Minneapolis Institute of Art. Summer is definitely over and the #mnnice calendar it full!

Catching up!

A lot has happened since my last post, so I'll let the pictures tell the story!

MN NICE Block 3 Week 3

Snap shots from the week!

I was stopped at a long light for enough time to capture this building on Franklin Avenue agant the blue sky.

We celebrated Amy's birthday and Brenda's photo can be found on my Instagram feed.

Block 3 week 2

Chemical shenanigans, misty bowl from my soda firing and a studio visit to Steve Rolf's in River Valley Wisconsin.

A full week!

Life after NCECA: A Whirlwind!

April Block 3 Week 1

Home to Greensboro to a first spring! Cobweb Head and his papa Aldo both managed to squeeze onto my thinking chair. And, Cobweb Head really did look sad when I was loading up to head back to Minnesota.

Once I got back Audrey, Marta and Alex and I loaded up the small soda kiln and I fired all my test pieces, 50 tiny canoes and a few that I had high hopes for along with the rest. As you can see Haiko, our canine helper was so excited we were unable to get a clear post loading group shot!

...a few post firing samples.

Audrey and I also had our portraits taken by the incredible Joe O'Leary.

We had our first class session and worked on artist statements and revealed our triaxial blend results.

Is it nap time yet?

#NCECA2016

50 years ago the first Conference for the National Council on Ceramics in Education in the Arts met in Kansas City, Missouri.

In 2016 there was more to see, do and learn than ever before!

Only in Minnesota

White Bear Lake, Minnesota, to be precise.

Where else would you find a pedal powered polar bear on a day where high 50s in February is considered inclement weather?

Break out #planbeach and move the festival  off the ice and onto the shore.

MN Nice week 7

This week was pretty intense! Ursula lead us on the search for the quintessential vase, the weather was gorgeous, lovely nights and blues skies through the studio windows.

Amy's test test tiles of native clay almost got nibbled on - no they aren't graham crackers- and I've been working on bowl studies.

Lots of us have had our meetings with guest artists - a BIG SHOUT OUT to the lovely Kate Maury

For taking the time out of her intense schedule to push me to ask myself the leading "what if" questions. (Sound familiar teaching artists)?

So now I'm thinking of these bowls as I would the quick studies back in life drawing, and focusing on form, volume, and how the push and play of surface creates volume.

Relating that to the time and surface interplay that will come in to play with the atmospheric firing process later and finally my curly-headed stubbornness let it all sink in...

Well I continue to ramble on as the great song says so back to my other writings as I get ready to head outside before I hit the studio again.

Take a peek at my Intagram video, first one with a soundtrack= fun!

Week 6 MN NICE

This week I was able to put some test tiles in a soda firing with Leila Denecke and get some hands on time with the smaller of NCC'S two soda kilns. The MN NICE crew visited Emily Murphy's studio here in Minneapolis and got some great tips on the business of ceramics and staying organized. Some of us volunteered for the NCC'S Chili Cook Off  Fundraiser. It was a fast and furious week!

Here are some links for you to enjoy!
www.leiladenecke.wordpress.com

www.emilymurphy.com

Week 5 N NICE

Studio visit: Willem Gebben:
Our group traveled to Colfax, Wisconsin to visit this wonderfully humble wood fire potter. He shares his studio space with his wife who is a printmaker and painter.

Week 4 MN NICE

Artist talks,  demonstrations and glaze tests... oh my!

Week 3 MN Nice

In the photo block below Erin is placing her extruded text tiles on the shelf to be fired, the next 2 images show my work area- calendar, test glaze, tiles and tile rack all ready to go. A big thank you shout out to MN NICE graduate Robin for sharing the pothos plant to help green up my work station! The last picture on the bottom right is the very well attended reception for the artists receiving fellowships and residencies in 2015. 

The little pot below is waiting to be fired, inspired by marks made by hammering on metal. Rather than handles, this piece has 2 faces, each struggling with a secret question...

This bowl in progress is in its second stage waiting for the glaze firing to cone 10. It's a continuation of the dysfunctional function concept.

That's it for now!

MN NICE

Two weeks into the MN NICE ( I've learned that here we say it like one word sounds like "mahnice" ) and I have to say it's been a whirlwind!

The first session was an overview the history of Imperial Chinese pottery, review of the get to know you assignment "If your house was on fire what 10 things would you grab as you ran out the door?" And a look at the first group's glaze test tiles.

The next day we visited the Frederick R. Weisman Museum of Art and discussed the Ceramic exhibition curated by Warren MacKenzie.

My meeting with the incredible Ursula  Hargans set me on the first steps in my course and I am working with a fresh focus in the studio I share with 3 other Nice People.

During Week two we had a presentation by Gary Erickson of Macalester College of his travels in Jingdezhen, China and a hands on demonstration of underglaze decal applications. And back again to more time in the studio!

Tales from the Side of the Road

Some snapshots taken on my trip from Pennsylvania to Minnesota. Traveling through PA, West Virginia, Ohio, Indiana and Illinois on Day one. Headed to the Northern Clay Center in Minneapolis for a new fork in the road in my journey in clay.