HANDBUILDING
May 28-30, 2010
Atlanta, Georgia
Hosted by Spruill Center for the Arts
Take Your Work to the Next Level!
The
HANDBUILDING conference will bring together a diverse group of ceramic
artists to demonstrate, share and answer any questions you have. Each
presentation will involve all steps of the process, from the type of
clay, to forming, finishing and firing. This conference will help you
build upon your existing skills and learn new techniques that will take
your work to the next level.
SOLD OUT!
If you would like to be placed on the waiting list, please call 800.424.8698
Featured Artist:
Chris Campbell, Marko Fields, Patz Fowle, Mitch Lyons,
Sandi Pierantozzi and Kathy Triplett





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For more information and to register, click on a link below:
Schedule of Events | Presenters | Host & Sponsors
Hotel and Venue Information
Travel & Directions | Visitor Information
Registration Information
What will you learn?
- Learn how to make colored clay patterns,and how to use it in several different ways.
- Develop these techniques to add to your resume: utilize thrown & altered elements, coils, slabs, incising, sgraffito, ‘poor man’s Mishima,’ slip-trailing & inlay, carving, press-molding, texturing, tearing, slumping and bumping.
- Participants will learn the innovative, straightforward *Patz Process Ceramic Technique* which is a method of connecting clay forms to make creative animal sculptures or figures in clay. Attendees will also learn how this technique is used to attach clay appendages to traditional pottery such as; pinch pots, slab work, coil built pieces and wheel thrown pottery.
- Learn the broomstick technique that shows how colored clays and textures can be added to the form while the clay is taking shape.
- Learn how to hand build functional pots
which have good form, function well, and have a sensitivity to the
human touch as well as other senses.
- Understand how to apply texture to soft slabs using found objects, cut out inlaid shapes, clay stamps and bisque molds of textured surfaces which the clay is rolled on, producing a full slab of texture.
- Learn how to make various pottery forms starting from a basic cylinder of clay, which is altered by cutting darts or pinching, and pushing out the clay to round out the form. Alternate ways of treating the bottom of a pot with regard to added feet or foot rings will be included, as well as various types of handles made from slabs and coils.
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Saturday and Sunday Presenter Demonstrations
The
schedule is set-up so that attendees can pick and choose which classes
to attend over the two day event. Attendees will sign-up during Friday
and/or Saturday morning registration. Attendees will be asked to choose
one presenter for AM and PM for Saturday and Sunday. Each attendee will
see four of the six presenters.
CHRIS CAMPBELL
Let’s Color The Clay
Chris
will be showing you how to feature colored clay and colored clay
patterns in your hand built pieces to make them unique and collectible.
Colored clay can be the entire piece, an eye-catching part of the whole
or a surface decoration on the pottery. Chris will demonstrate some
quick patterns, and then show several ways of using them. The
possibilities are endless and the process is not difficult to duplicate
on your own. She will be bringing her starter kits for sale.
Additional Information:
I
fell in love with colored porcelain in 1991 during a workshop taught by
Jane Peiser. Adding color quickly turned into the only thing I wanted
to do with clay. Now, after almost 20 years of working with colors, I
am still finding new avenues to travel. I have yet to find any limits
on the possibilities of patterns and colors.
Not many potters
work with colored clay. I think it‘s a shame that this wonderful tool
is missing from their inventory. Color does not have to be the entire
focus; it can be an exciting feature of the work or a decoration that
sells multiple pieces. A few hours of work can provide you with years
of color and patterns to work with. I am looking forward to sharing my
techniques with you so you can take advantage of this rainbow of
possibilities.
To learn more about Chris visit: http://www.ccpottery.com/
MARKO FIELDS
Marko’s Narrative Imperative: Handbuilding Stories in Clay
Marko
Fields made a promise, upon receiving his MFA from Yoshi Ikeda at
Kansas State University, that he would keep no secrets, and throughout
his journey of ceramic self-discovery and development – as a teacher
and artist – he has acquired a bag full of tricks and techniques; if
provoked, he will dump the whole bag. Marko’s previous life as a
designer and illustrator becomes apparent as he demonstrates rich and
iconographic patterns and content-driven surfaces and forms. Within a
typical piece, Fields may utilize thrown & altered elements, coils,
slabs, incising, sgraffito, ‘poor man’s Mishima,’ slip-trailing &
inlay, carving, press-molding, texturing, tearing, swearing, slumping
and bumping. Often joining porcelain to stoneware, while combining
mixed-media found or fabricated objects, Marko demonstrates his quirky
approach to narrative ceramic art.
Additional Information:
Marko
Fields, BFA University of Kansas, MFA KSU, is a Professor of Visual Art
and Resident Artist at Concordia University, St. Paul, though
admittedly, he teaches as little as possible to keep his office and
studio. This is because most of his workdays are devoted to his work
with the National Council on Education for the Ceramic Arts (NCECA) as
their Publications Director. His ceramic art can be seen in numerous
periodicals and books, including Judy Schwartz’s new book,
Confrontational Clay. A frequent exhibitor, his work can be found in
many private and public collections, including Emprise Bank, Hallmark,
Sprint, The Renwick Gallery of the Smithsonian, The Copa Museum, The
deYoung Museum and the Ceramic Research Center of Arizona State
University. Fields is a Kansas Arts Fellow and a McKnight Fellow.
Married and a father of two, Marko is a blues singer-guitarist, writer,
and a frequent visitor to and avid supporter/friend of the potters of
Mata Ortiz, Chihuahua, Mexico.
For more information about Marko visit: www.markofields.com
PATZ FOWLE
“The Patz Process Ceramic Technique” for Handbuilding in Clay
For
many years, ceramic artist Patz Fowle has been inspiring others with
her thought-provoking, humorous, hand-built clay characters. During
this conference, she will motivate the creativity in all of us as she
enthusiastically demonstrates her step-by-step techniques to create
one-of-a-kind clay characters from simple lumps of clay.
Participants
will learn the innovative, straightforward *Patz Process Ceramic
Technique* which is a method of connecting clay forms to make creative
animal sculptures or figures in clay. Attendees will also learn how
this technique is used to attach clay appendages to traditional pottery
such as; pinch pots, slab work, coil built pieces and wheel thrown
pottery.
Additional Information:
Primarily
self-taught, Patz Fowle is an award-winning ceramic artist, innovative
educator and published author. Fowle specializes in creating hand-built
anthropomorphic ceramic sculpture and her work is recognized for its
distinctive, thought-provoking, humorous style. Her unique clay
sculpture can be found in museums, public art exhibitions and in public
and private collections.
Fowle’s sculpture and original
techniques have been chronicled in numerous ceramic books and featured
in documentaries. Considered a ground-breaking method for hand-building
in clay in 1970, Fowle’s significant contributions to the ceramic arts
have become an American Tradition. Through the years, she has taught
the Patz Process Ceramic Technique to thousands, through public school
visits, at universities and in clay workshops. Fowle teaches her
techniques locally, nationally and internationally in hopes that this
exciting art form will continue to inspire creativity in the ceramic
arts for many generations to come.
For more information about Patz visit: www.patzfowle.com
MITCH LYONS
Handbuilt Vessels Without a Seam-The Broomstick
The Broomstick handbuilding technique,
that Mitch invented and developed, will demonstrate how colored clays
and textures can be added to the form while the clay is takingshape. He will share his process step-by-step. This
unique hanbuilding process allows him to roll the clay cylinder onto
colored clay porcelain or slips to “inlay” both color and texture while
the clay form is being manipulated. This process of “Broom Stick” integrates the form, texture and colors
into a unified whole and comes close to the way Nature does it.
Additional Information:
Mitch graduated from the
University of the Arts, in Philadelphia with a BFA degree in
Printmaking and went on to Tyler School for his graduate degree in
Ceramics. While a graduate student Mitch became interested in colored
clays, which eventually led to him inventing Clay Printing. Mitch has
been making pots since 1960. His web site is:
www.mitchlyons.com
For more information about Mitch visit:
www.mitchlyons.com
SANDI PIERANTOZZI
From Flat to Form to
Function / Hand Building Functional Pots
In
this workshop attendees will learn how to hand build functional pots
which have good form, function well, and have a sensitivity to the
human touch as well as other senses. We will primarily be using soft
slabs. Demonstrations will include how to apply texture to soft slabs
using found objects, cut out inlaid shapes, clay stamps and bisque
molds of textured surfaces which the clay is rolled on, producing a
full slab of texture. Using a rolling pin to make slabs, forming
techniques will include how to make various pottery forms starting from
a basic cylinder of clay, which is altered by cutting darts or
pinching, and pushing out the clay to round out the form. Alternate
ways of treating the bottom of a pot with regard to added feet or foot
rings will be included, as well as various types of handles made from
slabs and coils. Good craftsmanship is of utmost importance, so there
will be much attention paid to detail and finishing touches.
Additional Information:
Statement:
My decision to focus on making pots comes from a deep appreciation of
food, celebration, and setting a beautiful table. I also feel that pots
help me connect with people on a very basic human level. In this “age
of communication,” where most communicating is done via high-tech
equipment and machines, and so much food is being eaten out of paper,
plastic or Styrofoam I feel I can communicate through my pots by
bringing some creative life into the daily rituals of eating and
drinking. I truly believe that a hand made pot contains the soul and
energy of the person who made it, and that with use, a real human
connection is made. I feel that these real connections between people
are essential to keeping alive the soul in all of us.
Process:
Most of my pots are handbuilt from slabs that I make with a rolling
pin. After rolling a slab, I either texture the clay as a flat surface
and then make a cylinder, or carve into the clay after the form is
made. I pinch or cut darts or sections of clay out to create various
forms. With this method of working, I can make pots that reveal the
soft qualities of clay through the impression of texture or carving,
while at the same time show control of the clay through the nature of
the forms. Recently, I have been exploring slip trailed decoration on leather hard pots. To me, this is like writing and drawing, which are two things I love to do.
For more information about Sandi visit: www.sandiandneil.com
KATHY TRIPLETT
Pushing and Pulling
Textured soft clay responds to stretching in a beautiful way, becoming more organic with a feeling of fabric. I use this technique combined with paddling, to create wall tiles, platters, and lighted wall sconces. I demonstrate surface decoration for greenware such as terra-sigillata, layering of underglazes, and sculptural glazes to enliven the
electric-fired surfaces of sculpture. I also show ways to incorporate and fire metal pieces with the clay. I also explain installation possibilities and acquiring and completing commissions, public and private.
Additional Information:
For more information about Kathy, visit: http://www.kathytriplett.com/home.html
| Host & Sponsors |
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Spruill Center for the Arts - Host & Facility
Spruill Center for the Arts Website: www.spruillarts.org Ken Horvath, Ceramic Department Director About Spruill Center for the Arts |
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AMACO/BRENT - Sponsor AMACO/Brent
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Atlanta Clay - Sponsor Atlanta Clay We want to be a part of your community – as artists, as a supplier and as friends. It’s our goal to help you succeed in every step – and we undertand how tricky it can be! We think you deserve solid answers and advice from someone who knows what they’re talking about, who uses the products they sell and who has the experience to help you. Don’t you think you deserve that? I hope you’ll stop by and see us! |
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HandbuildingTools - Sponsor Play, fun, vision, creating, inspiring—words describing my experience at Lana Wilson’s Handbuilding Workshop. Afterwards I went on a mission to find many of the tools Lana used for my own pottery studio—SuperSurface Clay Mats (non-inked litho blankets), Bevel Tools (designed by Lana; handcrafted by Bob Carver), Scoring/Clean-up Tool and Rubber Rib Mats for texturing coils. Realizing that others would love to have fun using these pottery tools when creating their visions, I started HandbuildingTools.com. Our mission is to make these tools readily available to all potters. |
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Mayco - Sponsor Mayco Website: www.maycocolors.com |
| Hotel & Venue Information |
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STAYBRIDGE SUITES ATLANTA PERIMETER CENTER EAST 4601 Ridgeview Road Atlanta, GA 30338 Phone: 678-320-0111 Web: www.staybridge.com/altanta-pr Rooms range from $65-105 per night for studio suite, one bedroom suite, and two bedroom suite. Complimentary Breakfast (w/some hot items); On-site Health & Fitness Center; Complimentary Parking; and Complimentary local area shuttle (3 MI Radius). Ask for Potters Council meeting block to get preferred rates. Room block will be held until Wednesday, April 28, 2010. |
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Spruill Center for the Arts - Venue for Event
Spruill Center for the Arts Website: www.spruillarts.org Ken Horvath, Ceramic Department Director About Spruill Center for the Arts |
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| Travel & Directions |
Airport:
Hartsfield -Jackson Atlanta International Airport
Website: http://www.atlanta-airport.com/
Distance between Airport and Spruill Center for the Arts is about 26 mile drive.
Ground Transportation:
General Ground Transportation Information
Website: http://www.atlanta-airport.com/GroundTransportation/
Car Rental from airport:
Website: http://www.atlanta-airport.com/GroundTransportation/CarsLimosTaxis.aspx
Taxi from airport:
Phone: Call (404) 762-6087
Map:
| Visitor Information |
There is much to see in do around Atlanta. This is a great opportunity to bring your family or friends and extend your visit.
For things to do in and around Atlanta: http://www.atlanta.net/
| Registration |
You are invited to register online, by mail or fax, or by telephone.
- To register online, click on the “Register Now!” button:
- To register by mail or fax, click on the Registration Form link below to download a PDF of the registration form that you can mail or fax to us at Potters Council, PO Box 15699, North Hollywood, CA 91615-9145; fax 818-487-4550.
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- To register by telephone, call toll free at 800-424-8698 or international 818-487-2054.
- Student Discounts (Valid Student ID) and Day Passes available. Call 800-424-8698 for more information.
SOLD OUT!
If you would like to be placed on the waiting list, please call 800.424.8698
| On or Before March 22, 2010 |
After March 19, 2010 |
|
| Potters Council Member | $295.00 | $345.00 |
| Non-Member | 340.00 | 390.00 |
| Registration fee includes the reception on Friday, and lunch on Saturday and Sunday. Make checks payable to Potters Council in U.S. Dollars, drawn on a U.S. Bank. Cancellation Policy: Full refund less $50 if canceled on or before April 28, 2010; 50% refund if canceled between April 29 and May 28, 2010; no refunds after the start of the conference. | ||


























