Pottery Art

Artists Describing Their Art:

Cathy Green - My name is Cathy Green. I worked with clay in the 70's and took it back up again in 1990. It is a fascinating craft. I'm hooked, so to say. My pottery pieces are all one of a kind and are built in my Michigan studio. I use an electric kiln and fire to cone 6 (approximately 2150 degrees F). There is something enchanting about using your hands and being creative. Sometimes I think the process is more intriguing than the end results. I switched to an electric, oxidation kiln about two year when I built my own studio. I am constantly trying to achieve the "earthiness" of a gas-fired look. I love nature and many of my pieces will include plant pieces, leaves, animals or bugs in their motif. I used to primarily throw pieces on the wheel. I had back surgery in 2004 and found hand building with slabs and draping techniques easier on the back. I also found those techniques intriguing and now enjoy both forms. I find that adding texture to pieces really adds some dimension to my work and is more palatable to me. Prior to this I was very focused on ...

Cathy Green - Yoshihito Une - "Mon" is a gate or a gateway in English. Mon in general are situated between two spaces, typically private property and public property. In some cultures a Mon also has a spiritual meaning. Growing up in Japan I still remember being taught to always refresh my mind when entering the Mon into a temple or a shrine. This element of "mind refreshing" is a major theme of this particular work. By using Japanese caligraphic strokes into a three-dimensional object the front and the back have slight altered forms. Furthermore, it has always been of great importance to me to include the element of actual physical experience into my works. I have tried to make a work of large dimensions without the overpowering atmosphere typically created by enormous works. ...