November Fun & Frolic!

Already a week into November, yet the real fun only begins later this week! In a nutshell (well, as much of a nutshell as my rambling allows..):

10-Week Adult Clay Classes at The Village Potters

I've started taking student registrations for my beginner and beginning classes. My classes will be available on an open enrollment, meaning that although there are start/end times to each session, new students may start my classes at any time when space is available, and their 10 weeks will begin on the date they start. For class descriptions and fee/registration information, check out the website!


Studio Stroll at The Village Potters!
Saturday-Sunday, November 12-13, 10am-6pm
If you've been by to visit the new studios, gallery and teaching center, you should come by again this weekend and see how much has changed! More of us have moved in, we're putting in a special area for our featured artists and adding new works from Village Potters to the Gallery, and the Teaching Center is getting ready to be in full swing! We'll be open later on Friday night to welcome preview guests, and we'll have demo's in front over the weekend. As well, you'll be able to decorate your own holiday ornament and enter to win some fabulous door prizes that we'll be giving away the following weekend (see below).

The Village Potters Grand Opening Celebration!
Saturday, November 19, 6-8pm

In a way, it feels like I've been celebrating every day since I moved into this fabulous new space with these incredible people, so it only makes sense that we needed to make a special event to share it with family and friends. We'll have live music, incredible edibles that include a chocolate fountain and nacho bar, fire dancing and the drawing for our door prizes: a beautiful piece of hand made pottery by each of the Village Potters. If you can't make it for Stroll weekend (or even if you do!), I hope you can make it to this great celebration!

And I know it's sneaking into December, but it's less than 30 days away and as much a part of my November madness as anything:

Holiday Home Show!

Sunday, December 4, from 12-4pm

Did you know that November 25-December 4 is National Buy Local Week? More like a week plus a day or two, but I'm not quibbling, as pretty much every day is Buy Local for me so I'm always glad to see a broader acknowledgement!
I'm thrilled to once again join talented jewelry designer Stephanie Onel in an intimate, warm setting to showcase our work. We'll be at the beautiful home of Kristin Fellows in north Asheville for a festive afternoon of a little nosh, a little bevvie, a lot of laughs and some pretty darn good jewelry and pottery! I'll have some specially packaged gifts that are perfect for teachers, office or host-giving among my offerings. Check our Facebook event page for details, or email me if you need directions.

Echo Gallery: images from the opening

Last night Biltmore Park threw Echo Gallery a grand opening celebration, and it was indeed a happy event! Roux restaurant (from the Hilton) catered, and wonderful Sarah from Biltmore Park made sure everything was perfect, right down to finding a coat rack/umbrella stand for the expected arrival of many umbrellas!

It was raining, and I think all of us at Echo had moments of 'deja-vu all over again!', as we had torrential downpours at the soft open that seemed to keep many people inside and away from the gallery. Well that certainly wasn't the case last night, as our gallery was filled with people and great energy throughout the reception! The new show looks great, and it was wonderful to share it with friends, old and new. I'm still a bit gob-smacked myself, and ever so grateful to be a part of this group.

I was also thrilled that my friend Anne drove up from Atlanta for the party and brought the camera with the BIG lens, and roamed the event capturing moments. Gallery member Laurie McCarriar (MC-Carry to those in the 'hood) also covered the party with her camera, so look forward to more pictures from her. Here are a few from Anne:

Echo Gallery members: me, Susan Webb Lee, Genie Maples,
Laurie McCarriar, Barbara Fisher & Anna Koloseike

the quiet before ...

Susan Webb Lee took one of my plates home,
and came back with this gorgeous table runner
that just transformed the display!

Barbara's husband sent beautiful flowers to wish us well

starting to get crowded...

Laurie talking about her photos...


Susan & guest artist Tekla


it was incredible to have trouble getting through the
crowd in this very generous space!


more crowd fun...


Barbara & I posing in front of
Laurie's very cool photo


pots were appropriately fondled...


Laurie, with Marty & Eileen, who happily
snapped up the two new pieces behind them


it was really a very happy crowd, and fun to be with!


the rain kept on, but so did the people!


admiring work by Barbara Fisher


sculpture by Anna looks on while more patrons
admire Genie Maple's beautiful paintings


Anna with friends


guest artist Heather Tinnaro (and Tekla in the back)
working the crowd


I don't remember the what, but I remember the laugh


Sarah from Biltmore, who helped make this a great party


Barbara, with guest artist Susan Finer


Guest Artist Alex Stevens, Anna & Heather
enjoying delish treats from Roux


Genie & one of her two beautiful daughters
(both were there)


got Anne out from behind her camera for one shot!

Echo Gallery Grand Opening this Friday!

This Friday, 6-9pm. Food & drink from Roux, new work from all core artists plus some new guest artists. Come and see us!

Fridays at Echo Gallery

If you've been following along, you know I've recently joined and helped open a new coop gallery in South Asheville: Echo Gallery at Biltmore Park. While we're open for business (2-8 Thu - Sat, 1-6 Sun and by appt), we're still putting things together, adding more work, adding new members, planning guest artists, etc. Biltmore Park, where we're located, will be throwing us a Grand Opening party on October 23 (more on that later!).

Friday is my day in the gallery, and while I have a quiet moment before the dinner crowd comes by, I thought I'd toss out a quick intro of my gallery-mates. If you haven't made it by yet, of course I'd love to see you when I'm there (come by for a rare chance to see me out of my clay-covered clothes!), but any time you come, you'll be greeted by a member artist, so come on by!

Genie Maples is a painter and has her studio in the River District:

works by Genie Maples, and admirers of the same, in her studio

Genie, working in her studio

Barbara Fisher also paints, and also has her studio in the River District:

one of Barbara's newer works

Barbara Fisher, at it...

Laurie McCarriar is an art photographer, who just got back from Ireland, by the way!

Laurie may have the nicest 'studio' of us all!

perhaps not Ireland - you'll have to check her site to see when she posts those pictures!

Susan Webb Lee is a textile artist who makes amazing quilts:

Susan, with her work

'No Direction Home'

Anna Koloseike is a ceramic sculptor who ALSO has a studio in the River District!

Anna

'Sleeping Stones'

And then of course there's me...

in my happy place...

part of the 'trees' series - hopefully some

decent pictures will be taken of the new work soon!

Open House, pt.1

Well the house is open, it's official! We had great weather for the open house on Saturday, and a nice stream of friends old and new come check out the new studio. This is part one of my report, as I took a couple of shots when I finished setting up, then promptly forgot the camera but for a few other random shots. Luckily, dear friends Anne & Steve drove up from Atlanta for the event, and I think it's a safe bet that Anne-the-professional-photographer got a few shots herself. I'll post those as soon as she sends them to me when she returns to the big ATL.

The studio cleaned up nicely, with all the elements working together: things on wheels pushed out of the way, new, portable slab roller (thanks Dan!) to easily roll out slabs for the tile project then move into a corner, fabulous risers and ware shelves (thanks Alex!) to use 101 ways and another fabulous table (thanks Annie & Dan!) to help show off the working space and still have a party feel.


I'm between firings, so there was probably more bisque ware out than finished!



The slab roller becomes a bar, wheels become welcome tables, toss a nice cover on the work table for the knosh and we're ready to go!

Thanks to good help from all corners for the big day: Heather and Michael who brought the flowers and the food processor for the dip, Judith who picked up the figs from Clingman, Cynthia who brought the platter just perfect for the truffles. My mom who sent me these fabulous white bread cloths that turned out to be just perfect for display and table covers before they forever become clay-spattered. And huge thanks to Anne & Steve who came early, brought the new stools, helped set up, helped throughout and helped shut it down. Going far above and beyond the call, they even came back this afternoon to help drink up some of the leftover beer!

The bowl decorating table got a lot of action from visitors - it was so cool to go out later in the afternoon and find so many beautifully decorated bowls. Hopefully Anne has some more pictures of artists from earlier in the day, but I'm glad I remembered my camera at least to capture some of the great work:

Busy at work: Anne and Teva on the left, Steve taking a break at the top,
and that's Karen Etheredge from Manna Food Bank herself making some gorgeous bowls!

A glimpse at some of the great works produced. All of these bowls will be available
at the Empty Bowls event on October 16.

Special kudos to our youngest artist, 3 year old Sam Rattigan, for his beautiful bowl that will be,
as he hopes, a 'nice surprise for somebody':

There were also a few hearty souls who took up the challenge to decorate tile pieces for the future 'Crazy Green Studios' mosaic sign. I think they'll be very nice as background pieces, although the 'nose' mold may be a bit of a challenge.

can you see the nose?

So now the studio is pretty much back in working order, and now that the opening is done, it's back to the calendar crunch! There are more bowls to make for the Empty Bowls firing, plus more of everything to make for my own firing to fill orders and for the Resident exhibit and the holiday art walk. And I'll be adding an evening hand building class in October, running down to Atlanta to do a show...much more to report, but right now the official dog of Crazy Green Studios is wanting a walk, so more reports and pictures to come from a very grateful girl! peace.

Upcoming Events, pt 2

GRAND-OPEN-HOUSE: SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 27, 2008, 2:00 - 7:00PM!

back to school...

It is that time of year, isn't it? I'm usually oblivious to days of the week, much less the seasons, but I do like the serendipity of starting classes at Crazy Green with all the other studious souls going back to their desks.








classroom all ready and waiting!






Miranda and Scott, members of the Thursday afternoon class gettin' down and dirty on the first day.







For any locals watching, there's still room in the Thursday afternoon and Monday morning class, and a third class will be forming soon - the votes are still coming in for the day/time, so if you have an opinion there too be sure to be heard!

I am happy to report, for anyone keeping score, that I managed to teach the entire class on Thursday, not kicking anyone out early. This was a great first week of class - everyone here so far is brand new to clay, but unafraid to dig in and they all have great attitudes toward having fun in the process. Emily joins the Thursday crowd next week, and she may even be brave enough to tackle the kick wheel!

Preparations are underway for the Grand-Open-House on the 27th, stay tuned for more details and if you're not already on the mailing list let me know and you'll get all the info.

As for me, back to the wheel to fill the next kiln. I'm actually looking forward to the glazing portion of the process this time, having had such good and interesting results with new combinations in the last load. It's not that I don't enjoy the glazing portion, but usually it's just what I gotta do to get back on the wheel. The slab roller will be housed in the next week or two, and then I can start the tile series I've been making notes about for a while. Just a little of everything going on here at Crazy Green! Stay tuned for more class updates and other events brewing!