Ceramics Studio Tour 2

 Stop 2-The studio of Sarah Brodie with guest artists, Sam Hodges and Genie Swanstrom. I love coming up to a creative's home and seeing imaginative garden art.

 As art teachers, one of our goals for visiting these studios is to get ideas for student art projects. As an artist, I get inspired to try some of these techniques too.

 These clay frames hold special objects.

 Birds! Let's make birds! I love birds. Oh, that's right. It's time to fill the bird feeders in my garden, heh, heh...

 We arrived in time for a demo. The simplest tool makes this texture. Hit me over the head simple!

 Next stop the studio of Greg Wenz in Mesa. If this isn't an artist's home, I don't know what is. Garden art-these are all ceramics. That's one step up from xeriscaping!

 Vessels by Lisa Harnish.

 Sculptures by Kaori Fujitani. She gave a demo showing how she glazes then draws into her surfaces to create these weathered textures. Loved these surfaces and her imagery.

 More garden art by Greg Wenz. He gets the Blue ribbon for best studio. The studio space may rival the square footage of the living space but nothing felt like it was lacking.

There were several of these along the garden wall. I had to include Ms. Boobeliscious.

 Heading back north. The graduate ceramics studios at ASU. This space didn't exist when I was at ASU and frankly, I don't remember meeting any of the clay students when I was in school. It was an amazing space housing 8 grad students. Anyone interested in graduate ceramics studies needs to look into ASU. The facilities were a dream!

Above-the work of Tiffany Bailey and a peek at her workspace.

 

 Tristyn Bustamante

 Explorations by Takashi Hara. 

 

Some of his work is inspired by sports. "Perseverance" is also a re-occurring them in his work. The shoe is reminiscent of the "keep on truckin'" imagery.

 Kazuma Sambe. The artistic and the functional.

 This colossal piece in progress by Heather Couch.

 I really enjoyed the delicate feel to Kelly O'Briants work.

 Wen-Dan Lin. 

He spoke of the "sexiness" of layers. Never thought as clay as sexy. It's was great talking to all of these up and coming artists. Ah, the gift of graduate studies. Space to work in. Facilities and materials at your fingertips. Other artists to share and learn from. The opportunity to experiment and explore.

None of the other programs have these open studios so they are the hidden gems on campus. Art pieces were for sale as well as an auction. These students may have met future patrons and collectors of their work. Amazing!

I actually visited the graduate studios both Sat. on my own and on Sunday with my partner in crime. Some of the artists I missed on Sat. were available on Sunday. It will be a stop on next year's tour to be sure.

 Last stop and the end of our tour for 2013. Stop Numeru Uno on the tour. Literally! The studio of Luis Baiz is listed first on the tour guide. He hosted artists Mike Farabee, Jon Yukio Higuchi, Anne Rasmussen and Don Ridley.

Art and botanicals-I'm hooked!

 Another fellow teacher had really given a top rating to this studio. We were given a personal tour of the whole house. Ceramics were everywhere! Some homes have children's toys throughout, this one had clay pieces :)

There was another raffle here. Each artist collaborated demonstrating on the same thrown piece. By the end of the tour they'd created a large vessel built on the potters wheel which will be finished and raffled off next year. So this year's piece was created on the 2012 tour.

 We arrived as the tour was coming to an end at 5pm. The artists were relaxed, the beer was coming out of the fridge. It will be our first stop next year. Turns out this studio is just up the way from my abode. Artists... We are everywhere. Beware-we blend in with the rest of the population!

 

Lastly, a carpet of African daisies that we spied as we left the Wenz studio in Mesa. We had to walk over and snap some shots. Spring has come to Phoenix!

Marissa