Mug Shots
January 1, 2021- January 30, 2021

January First Friday  is on New Year’s Day and we will be open at Crossroads from 10am-8pm with access to the building on 2nd Street after 5pm. We ask patrons to sign in with contact tracing and to sign up for our gift certificate drawing to the Eltrym Historic Theatre for $25.

            Crossroads is disappointed at the thought of having to cancel the Annual Student Show in January, due to COVID-19 and the lack of classes at Crossroads and within the school district, the show had to be cancelled for hopefully just this year.

            Instead, an inspiring idea from Terri Axness and Deb Penning, Crossroads would like to exhibit a show for the love of artisanal mugs. "Mug  Shots" would showcase the private collection gathered by local and regional patrons who have collected mugs from outstanding local, regional and national artists. The private collection of mugs would remain Not For Sale.

            However , we will also have an inventory of mugs to have for sale during this show. Our goal is to inspire patrons to begin their own collection of functional artwork. Some ceramic artists may not normally create mugs in there artists practice and this is an opportunity for ceramic artists to break out of their comfort zone and do a limited series of mugs, a collector's item for fans.

            Included with "Mug Shots," there will be recipes available for patrons to take home and test out their new collectible mug with. Popular dishes from restaurants and traditional family recipes have been gathered especially for this show.

            There's something about the utilitarian nature of a good mug that is something to be treasured in the cold months of January. We hope you are able to join us and bring in the New Year of 2021 with this collection and to showcase the newest work available.   The Show will be open until January 30th.

                “Crossroads is excited to kick off 2021 and invites you to all come and join us on New Year's Day for First Friday!  Come collect recipes and mugs for a wonderful holiday weekend.  Crossroads will be closed on Saturday January 2nd for staff to enjoy the time with their family.” 

Below are images and excerpts from the private collection on exhibit. 

If you would like to begin your own mug collection Click Here

Cheers!

Aimee Brewer Aimee Brewer 2

Creator: Aimee Brewer

Hood River, Oregon

www.aimeeceramics.com

I fell in love with clay before I ever touched it. I decided one hot August day in 2003 I would become a potter. I took one beginner class then hopped on a plane headed for Namibia, Africa to study under master potter, John Hunter. I think this is where I say, The Rest Is History. 

I was classically trained to throw on the wheel making functional forms. Over the years I began experimenting with deconstructing my thrown forms and re-assembling them as functional and sculptural pieces. I’m currently absorbed into carving designs in my pieces and combing layers of glaze, color and wax. I’m also enjoying creating one-of-a-kind, unique sculptures.

Working as a solo artist exclusively in porcelain clay, I hand-sculpt each sculpture, nothing is extruded, or cast from molds. I absolutely adore porcelain clay, its silky texture, its translucence, its strength and durability. I pay very close attention to details and expect my art to stand out as one-of-a-kind.

Each piece is wheel-thrown, using a high-quality porcelain clay body. I focus on weight, ergonomics, and a refined simplicity of design when creating my work. I strive to make pieces silently evoke the observer to touch, grasp, and feel the object.

Collector: Terri Axness

Haines, Oregon

I discovered Aimee's work when visiting her studio during the 2019 studio tours in Hood River.  I loved the beautiful mishima technique she uses to inscribe her pieces and then create these beautiful landscape like textural images which are soft and buttery to touch.  

Andrew Gilliatt

Creator: Andrew Gilliatt

Bowling Green, Ohio.

www.andrewgilliatt.com

I design and fabricate objects for domestic use.

Through color, imagery, and form, I hope to create pots that are expressive and inviting.

I am fascinated how we personalize and define ourselves through the objects we use and accumulate. The clothes we wear, the cars we drive, the things we decorate and furnish our homes with - all of these objects reflect our personality and aesthetic proclivities both publicly and privately.

I am interested in the phenomenon of how we look and shop for objects.

Once the requirements of fit, occasion, and agency have all been established, (a size 11 running shoe that wears comfortably, for example), to what degree are we further attracted to the point of purchase? Is it the pattern of the shirt, the cut of the dress, or the color of the shoe that makes us want to own that object, or is it simply a matter of cost and convenience?

Making pots is a way for me to reflect on the people, places, and experiences, here and gone, that I know, love, and carry with me. Every piece gives me the opportunity to reconnect with those experiences and emotions past and shared. Through this dialogue I hope to share something of myself with you, a smile perhaps; and in doing so, I might make pots that you want to live with.

Collector: Terri Axness

Haines, Oregon

I collected Andrew's work after attending a workshop at NCECA in Portland Oregon.  He was one of the first potters I saw using stencils created on cutting machines and laser printer decals on his slip cast porcelain mugs from original molds.

 

Ann Ruel

Creator: Ann Ruel

Suffolk, Virginia.

annruelpottery.com

This body of work is  a tribute to the tradition and dynamics of the family. In my own family, it is the role of the woman to guard the family unit.   Each family matriarch has passed down their own traditions to the next generation based on her unique talents. As my talent is to create pottery, I pass on my stories through this particular medium.  It is fitting that I gravitate toward functional pottery as the traits of purpose, responsibility and province are very highly valued traits in my family.   The images that I carefully hand draw are mostly images found in nature such as birds, bees and flowers.  Many birds are associated with motherly love and, of course, when paired with the bees, they are a natural symbol of courtship and maternity.  

Collector: Terri Axness

Haines, Oregon

I discovered Ann Ruel of little street pottery when watching a workshop on using under glazes like watercolor on her colorful ceramic pieces.  I commissioned this mug for Dennis with Paco on one side of the mug.

Dennis Meiners

Collector: Dennis Meiners

Portland, Oregon

http://meinersandlee.com

My objective with each piece I make, which I don't think about while I'm working, is to capture the imaginative moment and give my artist-self a chance to respond on the most fundamental level to that moment. What it comes down to is being fully present. Sometimes I think it's not about making ceramic objects at all, but the end of my process occasionally presents me with pieces that I and others like and that might make some ongoing difference in peoples' daily lives.

Collector: Terri Axness

Haines, Oregon

I have long admired Dennis's work and have enjoyed seeing its transformations over the years.  He is the master of a variety of beautiful hand built surfaces.  This particular mug is an example of his latest mishima technique that he is using to illustrate environmental relationships with man and nature.  He was recognized at the  2019 Ceramic Showcase with the Bennett Walsh Award for Outstanding work for Surface Decoration.

JimJim KoudelkaJim Koudelka

 

Creator: Jim Koudelka of Janet Buskirk & Jim Koudelka Ceramic Art & Pottery

Portland, Oregon

https://janetbuskirk.com/home.html

Janet Buskirk and Jim Koudelka are studio potters based in Portland, Oregon.

Jim is known for his “Mid Century Modern Plus” work: porcelain bowls, cups and teapots decorated with imagery reminiscent of Miro, Klee, Mondrian and Kandinsky. He also makes sculptural work that combines industrial images (gears, hooks, pulleys) with clay, glass and metal.

Jim is also making new work. His interest in fly fishing has led him to make new fly tying work benches, which incorporate beautiful hardwoods, metal and ceramics. To see this work, go to Forest to Fly

Collector: Terri Axness

Haines, Oregon

 Three styles of mugs by Jim Koudelka. Jim taught at the Oregon School of Art and Craft in Portland.  He is an excellent teacher and his demonstrations are creative and inspirational.

I began collecting Jim's work after watching a demonstration he did at Ceramic Showcase.  I loved the surface decoration and fluidity of his unusual shapes.  His mugs are made for each individual to handle and find that perfect fit for their hand.  

Kate Westfall

Creator: Kate Westfall of Daedal Goods

Georgia

https://www.daedalgoods.com/

The majority of my current work is pottery, though I intend to reintroduce some wood and silver working in 2021. 'Daedal' means 'rich, intricate, adorned and skillfully crafted' and, regardless of the medium I am working in, I aspire to capture these qualities in my work.

Daedal Goods' success thus far is truly a dream come true for me as it allows me to work full time as an artist. To pay this blessing forward, I have partnered with the National Forest Foundation to plant a tree for each piece I sell and my amazing patrons have planted nearly 1,000 trees so far!

As we head into 2021, my husband (Patrick), myself and our newborn daughter (Adelie) will be moving back across the country from Oregon to Georgia for my husband's next military training. This may disrupt shop updates but I plan to find a creative way to continue making and sharing new work as this next great adventure unfolds for my little family.

Collector: Terri Axness

Haines, Oregon

I discovered Kate's work on instagram and enjoyed her process videos on how she hand builds her mugs using slabs, molds, slip casting, and color decals.  I was able to acquire one of her pieces through an online sale.  

Kip O'Krongly

Creator: Kip O'Krongly

Northfield, Minnesota

www.kipokrongly.com

I use functional pots as a vehicle for setting tables with visual stories.  Through everyday ceramic pieces I can subtly, and even a little subversively, explore my interest in issues surrounding food production, transportation, energy use and climate change.  Researching these interconnected contemporary themes drives my current studio practice, but the seeds of this work were sown over twenty years ago.  As a child in Alaska I witnessed firsthand the devastation wrought by the expansive Exxon Valdez oil spill of 1989.  In the following decades, the essence of that childhood experience simmered beneath the surface, ebbing and flowing with the world’s evolving energy story.  My subconscious inklings became concrete realities after reading The Omnivore’s Dilemma by food activist Michael Pollan.  Pollan’s book identified a thread running through agriculture, pesticides, fertilizers and oil – intertwining layers that have since become prominent themes in my work.  As his writing shaped my mental framework, I aimed to translate Pollan’s words into meaningful imagery, to bring ideas off the page and place them squarely in reality as physical objects at the table.

 I continue to discover a seemingly endless string of food and energy related books, documentaries, articles, podcasts and radio stories that spur new directions as I reinterpret what I see and hear into ceramic objects.  While those written words in The Omnivore’s Dilemma initially inspired me to pursue images on clay, the high-tech food production documentary, Our Daily Bread, demonstrated the unique power of visuals alone.  Free of dialogue and its overt opinions, Our Daily Bread’s scenes are shot with the rumbling hum of processing equipment, the rhythmic swoosh of hand-harvesting lettuce, or the nervous clucking of chickens in transport as a soundtrack.  The result is a startling vehicle for open-ended personal interpretation, discussion and debate.  It was Our Daily Bread that encouraged me to pursue my interests in the form of visual questions, rather than rigid statements, to allow users breathing room for their own associations and connections.

The functionality of the pieces I create serves as a daily nudge to reflect on the interwoven nature of our lifestyle choices and the broader world around us.  I deeply appreciate the process of visually wrestling with contemporary challenges on beautiful daily-use ceramics – creating functional art that by its very nature compels repeated scrutiny.  Ultimately, I hope that with the regular rotation of these pots through everyday moments, users will peel back the layers of my work, open dialog with those who share their tables, and explore how their own personal actions can influence our collective future.

Collector: Terri Axness

Haines, Oregon

I became interested in Kip's work after a virtual studio tour after NCECA was cancelled this year.  I also was able to join a virtual workshop of her wonderful animal images.  I purchased the cup online after the NCECA presentation.

Kristen Kieffer

Creator: Kristin Kieffer

Worcester, Massachusetts

https://kiefferceramics.com 

Kristen makes pottery that brings elegance, sophistication, and merriment to the everyday. She has a diverse range of influences, and seeks to marry the splendor of past eras with a modern desire for beauty and utility.

Her influences for these Victorian modern/ mod porcelain vessels range from 18th century silver service pieces to couture clothing and from Art Nouveau illustrations to cake fondant. Such diversity combined with her own personality as a maker culminates into a unique style. Graceful forms, refined patterns, and lively colors convey a design that is robust as well as elegant and joyful.

Collector: Terri Axness

Haines, Oregon

I was introduced to Kristin Kiefer's work by Deborah Penning.  her combination of slip trailing with layering of under glazes and glazes is exquisite.  

Martha Grover

Creator: Martha Grover

Bethel, Maine

https://www.marthagrover.com/about

I seek to enhance the experience of interacting with functional objects. I work toward creating a sense of elegance for the user while in contact with each porcelain piece. Reminiscent of orchids, flowing dresses, and the body, the work has a sense of familiarity and preciousness.

Direct curves are taken from the female figure, as well as the fluidity of a dancer moving weightlessly across the floor. The space between elements is electrified with anticipation and tension. I think of the fluid visual movement around a piece, as a choreographer would move dancers across a stage. Transmitting desire - there is a sense of revealing and concealing, a layering of details that serves to catch our attention immediately and then the details draw us in, to make a closer inspection.

In our lives, we often move past the objects surrounding us at a very quick pace. My work generates a moment to pause. My goal is create an undeniable presence, one that acts as an invitation to explore the work thoroughly, taking time to know all of its many facets. Only through sustained interaction we can truly know and appreciate someone or something.

Collector: Terri Axness

Haines, Oregon

Martha is another potter I came to follow after watching her online  workshop after the NCECA cancellation.  She and her husband are both potters in Maine and she is an excellent teacher. Her porcelain pieces are a beautifully complex combination of thrown, altered and hand built parts.

Matthew Krousey

Creator: Matthew Krousey

Harris, Minnesota

http://mkrouseyceramics.com/

I grew up and currently reside in rural Minnesota where the hardwood forest meets the vast expanse of the prairie. As a child my days were spent roaming the woods, fishing the rivers and exploring the fields. The amazing variety found in the Minnesota landscape is the purpose for my artwork. I create functional stoneware pottery with abstract imagery of our vanishing flora, fauna and native landscapes. It is my hope that by using these pots the viewer will be reminded of the natural world that surrounds us.

I attended college at the University of Minnesota- Twin Cities and graduated in 2008 with a Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree. Over the past decade I have refined my aesthetic and built a career as a functional potter. I am a host of the St Croix Valley Pottery Tour and also have an Annual Fall Sale on the first weekend of October each Fall. Last year I participated in the Veteran’s History Project at the Library of Congress and footage of that event can be seen in the latest Craft In America Episode: Democracy. Thank you for your interest in my work!

Collector: Terri Axness

Haines, Oregon

I became acquainted with Matthew Krousey's work when I began following the St Croix Pottery Tour website in anticipation of traveling there with Genie Sue Weppner.  Looking forward to meeting him and seeing more of his work when we finally get to St Croix!

Trina Piercy

Creator: Katrina Piercy of Meraki Pottery

Greenville, South Carolina

https://www.merakipottery.com/

I am an Australian artist now located in Greenville, SC. I grew up drawing 24/7 on every surface I could find. Paper, canvas, school books, walls… Drawing has always been a passion, no, an obsession of mine. It’s where I go to process my day or dream about the future.

In 2014 I found myself in a college pottery class and instantly fell in love with the medium. I spent a few years experimenting with ideas and different designs. In December 2018 I opened up my business, Meraki Pottery, and began by hand drawing cities from all over the world on porcelain mugs. Some are places I’ve been, others are places I dream of going. I love traveling and experiencing other cultures. One of the reasons I draw cities is because they represent diversity. I love hearing from you guys and finding out what different cities mean to you!

A lot of my work is inspired by my home and the adventures I had growing up in Australia. I hope to share the beauty of my country with you all through my pottery.

I love rainy days, photography, and working out! In my spare time I like to get coffee with my husband, Stephen. He’s a huge part of Meraki Pottery. I met Stephen my first day of college, Freshman Year. I know, crazy right!? Well, it gets better. I may be great at finding my way around a pottery studio but I get lost in every other situation in life. I found myself in what I thought was an English class with my future husband Stephen. After realizing my mistake I raised my hand to ask the teacher if he was teaching English. Once everyone stopped laughing, he explained I was in a senior Police Administration class. Stephen later saw me outside of that class and introduced himself. Three years later we were married! It’s because of him I am able to do what I do.

Collector: Terri Axness

Haines, Oregon

Trina does intricate traditional blue and white pottery with a twist.  She draws on her pieces with blue under glaze, fires, than clear glazes, then adds luster.  This piece is floral, but her mugs with drawings of cities are amazing.  

Sharon Greenwood

Creator: Sharon Greenwood

Portland, Oregon

http://sharongreenwood.com/

There's a sound that's made when water is introduced to bone dry clay - somewhere between a sizzle and a hiss. It's almost as if the clay is rejoicing that it's finally met it's mate. “Yessss.” The first time I touched clay, I'm sure my soul made that same sound.

Back in college, I was studying to become a graphic designer and I had my first taste of clay. It was magical! The way it felt, how it took shape in my hands, even the smell was intoxicating. I took every class I could until I graduated. And then, for the next 15 years, I put clay away to focus on my advertising career.

In 2010, I was feeling completely burned out so I took a 2 month sabbatical and enrolled in a local pottery class. Once again, my soul sizzled. “Yessss.” I decided when the class ended that I would "retire"; I quit my job and turned my garage into a fully functioning studio. For several years, I continued to take classes and experiment with different techniques to learn what I enjoyed making the most.

And so I discovered that I love to carve; it brings me great peace of mind! My work is inspired by the tranquility of the Oregon coast as well as the cheerfulness of my garden. I hope it brings peace and joy into your life as well!

Collector: Terri Axness

Haines, Oregon

Sharon is an Oregon potter who I met at Oregon Ceramic Showcase.  She carves porcelain into beautiful organic and often translucent forms.  Her mugs are a delight to use. 

Taylor SijanTaylor SijanTaylor Sijan

Creator: Taylor Sijan

Lincoln, Nebraska

http://www.taylorsijan.com/

Taylor grew up between the shores of Lake Erie and the woods of northern Ohio. She earned her BFA in Ceramics and Metalsmithing at Bowling Green State University in 2016. After, she spent two years in Wichita, Kansas as a post-bacc student at Wichita State University, studying wood and soda-fired pottery and medicinal herbology, which cultivated her obsession with plant symbolism and form that has carried over into her work. 

Taylor is currently pursuing a Masters of Fine Arts in Ceramics at University of Nebraska-Lincoln as a graduate candidate and instructor of record. She has been recognized in juried exhibitions internationally and has received several notable awards including the International 2016 NICHE Award for Student Ceramic Sculpture, an NCECA Invitation to attend the 2019 Taoxichuan Fall Art Fair in Jingdezhen, China, and was named one of the Ceramics Monthly 2020 Emerging Artists. Despite her emphasis on functional, decorated pottery, she also enjoys small-scale metalsmithing, bookbinding, and drawing as other creative outlets. 

Collector: Terri Axness

Haines, Oregon

I started following her on instagram and was fascinated by her process.  I collected the mug from one of her online sales. Each side of Taylor's piece offers a different surface including slip trailed textures to layered and stenciled under glaze images.  She also uses a moving glaze to cause colors to run.  Beautiful fluid work.

Dallas Wooten

Creator: Dallas Wooten. Sharon, Pennsylvania

www.dallaswootenceramics.com

Collector: Terri Axness. Haines, Oregon.

My latest addition to my mug collection.  Dallas makes the most incredible handles.  I recently participated in an online workshop on handles that he offered.  He is an excellent teacher and his work in porcelain-lovely.

Dennis Meiners

Creator: Dennis Meiners

http://meinersandlee.com/ML2/dennis-meiners/about/

My objective with each piece I make, which I don't think about while I'm working, is to capture the imaginative moment and give my artist-self a chance to respond on the most fundamental level to that moment. What it comes down to is being fully present. Sometimes I think it's not about making ceramic objects at all, but the end of my process occasionally presents me with pieces that I and others like and that might make some ongoing difference in peoples' daily lives.

Collector: Deborah Penning

This was a souvenir from a Dennis Meiners workshop in Portland, where he shared his hand-building and decorating techniques.

Eric Van Eimeren

Creator: Eric Van Eimeren

https://www.vepottery.com/about

 

Growing up in Huntington Beach, CA., Eric discovered ceramics in high school. He went on to earn a BA in ceramics at San Diego State University, and an MFA from Alfred University, N.Y. in 1990. He then moved to Helena, Montana to be a resident artist at the Archie Bray Foundation. At the end of his residency in 1993, Eric set up a pottery studio, and has enjoyed living and working in Helena ever since.

"I am happiest when making useful things, and inspired by the fact that despite thousands of years of pottery making, we can still leave our studios today having created something new. The idea of form following function still rings true for me, however; I believe that function can sometimes be persuaded to follow sculptural form, creating an interesting dialogue between utility and sculpture.”

Van Eimeren was the recipient of a WESTAF/NEA regional fellowship for visual art, and an individual artists award from the Montana Arts Council.

Collector: Deborah Penning

I picked up these little espresso cups at the Altitude Gallery in Bozeman, MT because I especially like how the handles fit my hand. Also, I like the combined techniques of a casted handle with the thrown body.

Jampdx

Creator: Jampdx

Jenn Gauer/Meghan Radick

https://jampdx.com/about

JaMpdx is the collaboration of Jenn Gauer and Meghan Radick, two friends who have been making functional and decorated ceramics together since 2004. Jenn uses a fine porcelain and throws the pieces on a potter’s wheel, and Meghan decorates them using cake decorating techniques (imagine an actual pastry bag and all the different metal tips, but instead of buttery frosting we use clay). Each bowl, cup or vase feels great and looks elegant—this is art that you are meant to use and enjoy!

Jenn Gauer

Jenn uses fine porcelain and a potter's wheel to make each piece of JaMpdx ceramics. She has been working on the wheel since 1996. Jenn designs ceramics with an emphasis on clean curves, making a clay canvas that’s ready for Meghan’s decoration.

Meghan Radick

Meghan was a professional cake decorator for 15 years before she translated her skills from frosting to clay. She uses cake decorating tools and techniques, as well as various stains and underglazes, to decorate each piece of JaMpdx ceramics.

Collector: Deborah Penning

I happened across the Jampdx Etsy site years ago and admired their amazing slip work so much that, while visiting galleries at Oregon's Cannon Beach one summer, I immediately recognized these artists by their signature style.

Jen Allen

Creator: Jen Allen

https://www.jenniferallenceramics.com/

Jen Allen received a BFA (2002) from the University of Alaska, Anchorage, and a MFA (2006) from Indiana University, Bloomington.  From 1998-2002, she worked as a production assistant to Kris Bliss at Bliss Pottery in Anchorage, AK. In March 2008, the National Council for the Education of Ceramic Arts (NCECA) recognized Jennifer as an “Emerging Artist”.  Among other awards, she was the recipient of the 2006-2007 Taunt Fellowship at the Archie Bray Foundation in Helena, MT.  In addition to keeping a home studio, Jennifer currently teaches ceramic classes at West Virginia University.  She lives in Morgantown, WV with her husband Shoji Satake, their two kids, Annelise and Finn and their two dogs, Billie and Ella.

Collector: Deborah Penning

This is a 2017 NCECA souvenir from Portland. I appreciate the spatial arrangement of her motifs and Jen Allen's unique use of engobes on bare unglazed porcelain.

Jen Gandee

Creator: Jen Gandee

http://jengandee.com/site/

I believe objects give clues to the past. Material culture reveals much about a given society: the level of technology, religious beliefs, morality, amount of individual freedom, class structure, geography, economic resources, and the rhythms of daily life (to name a few). When I combine and juxtapose objects from disparate sources, I create a unique visual language which comments on my place, time, and culture

I gather inspiration from many sources, primarily historical art pieces and folk art traditions; these allow me to access the past while placing myself firmly in the present. I also draw upon my ceramic education and professional experience as a potter, which trained me to solve formal problems through the development of a series of objects, taught me the history of my medium, and ingrained in me a respect for utility, even when function is implied or metaphorical. These qualities remain evident in my sculptural pieces and align my work with the core values at the heart of craft.

In all of my work, I utilize traditional craft materials, processes, and forms as a way to identify my role as a maker in a complex and diversified modern society. I am drawn to historical objects laden with symbolic meaning. As a result, my work finds itself where art and craft collide and historical and the contemporary sometimes switch places. By combining recreated historical forms and reinterpreted traditional patterns and techniques with found objects and appropriated modern imagery, I explore the shifting relationships between function and symbolism and between personal experiences and the experiences of others.

Collector: Deborah Penning

This is a 2017 NCECA souvenir from Portland.  It is an engaging piece with laser decals over layered glazes.

Julie Wiggins

Creator:  Julie Wiggins

https://www.juliewigginspottery.com/about-julie

Julie Wiggins is a full time studio potter living and working in Charlotte, North Carolina. She graduated from East Carolina University in 2001 with a BFA in Ceramics. In 2005, she received an honorary degree from the Jingdezhen Ceramic Institute in China, where she focused her studies on traditional Eastern techniques. Her work has been shown in galleries across the country, including AKAR Gallery, Charlie Cummings Gallery, Crimson Laurel Gallery, and Lark & Key. Julie’s work has been featured at the American Craft Council and is part of the permanent collection at the Mint Museum of Craft + Design, as well as several national conferences and exhibitions, including NCECA. Julie has over a decade of experience as an educator and will be one of the presenters at the Functional Ceramics Workshop in 2016.

Collector: Deborah Penning

This is a beautiful example of the Mishima technique. 

Kristen Kieffer

Creator: Kristen Kieffer

https://kiefferceramics.com/

Kristen makes pottery that brings elegance, sophistication, and merriment to the everyday. She has a diverse range of influences, and seeks to marry the splendor of past eras with a modern desire for beauty and utility.

Her influences for these Victorian modern/ mod porcelain vessels range from 18th century silver service pieces to couture clothing and from Art Nouveau illustrations to cake fondant. Such diversity combined with her own personality as a maker culminates into a unique style. Graceful forms, refined patterns, and lively colors convey a design that is robust as well as elegant and joyful.

Collector: Deborah Penning

I'm a long-time admirer of Kristen Kieffer's work. She uses multiple techniques in precise layers to create her designs.

Maria Andradre Troya

Creator: Maria Andrade Troya

https://avlpottery.com/about/

As a ceramic artist, I am deeply attracted to the reflective relationship between form and function in our homes. For me pottery is the perfect embodiment of utility and beauty into a handmade pot. I work with a white stoneware clay on the wheel and occasionally alter my pots.  My decorating process include: mishima/inlay drawings, wax resist, slip trailing and carving. I fire in an electric kiln to Cone 6 which allows me to have consistency in my glaze surfaces as well as a wide palette of brilliant and jeweled colors.

Having grown-up in Quito, Ecuador, my influences come from many of the handmade objects that surrounded me throughout my childhood, for example: Andean textiles and embroidery.  As well as the colorful flora of the Andes, where just about everything bloomed year-round. I am also inspired by Persian pottery and 18th/19th century fabrics and wallpapers. My pots also revolve around the love of cooking, baking and bringing the beauty of the garden into everyday life.

Collector: Deborah Penning

I instantly liked her whimsical drawings and their sketchbook appeal.

Martha Grover

Creator: Martha Grover

https://www.marthagrover.com/

I seek to enhance the experience of interacting with functional objects. I work toward creating a sense of elegance for the user while in contact with each porcelain piece. Reminiscent of orchids, flowing dresses, and the body, the work has a sense of familiarity and preciousness.

Direct curves are taken from the female figure, as well as the fluidity of a dancer moving weightlessly across the floor. The space between elements is electrified with anticipation and tension. I think of the fluid visual movement around a piece, as a choreographer would move dancers across a stage. Transmitting desire - there is a sense of revealing and concealing, a layering of details that serves to catch our attention immediately and then the details draw us in, to make a closer inspection.

In our lives, we often move past the objects surrounding us at a very quick pace. My work generates a moment to pause. My goal is create an undeniable presence, one that acts as an invitation to explore the work thoroughly, taking time to know all of its many facets. Only through sustained interaction we can truly know and appreciate someone or something.

Collector: Deborah Penning

Martha Grover expertly combines throwing, altering and hand building. Her work and techniques are featured in many ceramic books and videos.

Melissa Menicini

Creator: Melissa Mencini

http://www.melissamencini.com/about-2

Melissa Mencini received her BFA from Bowling Green State University in 2000 and her MFA from Southern Illinois University at Carbondale in 2003. Melissa moved to Austin Texas in September of 2013 to be a full time studio artist. Previous to her move South, she was living in Anchorage Alaska teaching ceramics at the University of Alaska Anchorage. Before moving to Alaska, she moved back and forth between Montana and Washington State working as a studio artist and teaching at both Eastern Washington University and at the University of Washington in Seattle. During her first stay in Montana, Melissa was a resident at the Archie Bray Foundation for the Ceramic Arts in Helena for two years and was the recipient of the Lincoln Fellowship for one year. Melissa became interested in art at an early age and enrolled in classes at a local art center in her hometown of Cleveland, Ohio. Her current focus is making functional pottery embellished with bright floral designs and decals. She also makes a body of sculptural work dealing with antique medical devices and physical anomalies. Melissa has exhibited her work nationally and internationally.

Collector: Deborah Penning

There is a high level of perfection in this cup....precise vertical lines, flawlessly applied handle, and repeating arrangement of decals.

Michele Rigert

Creator: Michele Rigert 

https://currentsgallery.com/pages/michele-rigert

My work is marked by bold, brilliant colors. I feel the colors calling to me.   Even my dry matte pieces are bold and bright. I work in a private studio with large windows which open into a quiet suburban yard. This space is filled with flowers and a wide variety of wild birds who flock to this tranquil setting.

I am an Oregon native and studied ceramics at Oregon College of Art & Craft. I am a founding member of the Oregon Potters Association. The Northwest with its Japanese Garden and the Chinese Garden reflects the close ties we have with the Orient. It’s natural to see the strong Asian influence in my work. Many years of drawing close-up views of the flowers and plants which abound in the Pacific Northwest has strongly influenced the shapes and lines found in my porcelain vessels. I create controlled ceramic shapes, which move forcefully into altered sculptured vessels. The line movement over the individual pieces flows as if a on a large canvas, which has taken on the unique porcelain form.

Collector: Deborah Penning

I was attracted to the strikingly vivid layers and colors on this cup. I appreciate the straight walls of the body as sometimes that's harder to achieve than curves when throwing. 

Richard Hensley

Creator: Richard Hensley

http://www.16hands.com/rick-hensley

Richard Hensley is a studio potter well known for his work in porcelain. He is the recipient of an NEA Artists Fellowship. His work has been exhibited in galleries and museums all over the US as well as internationally in Europe, Turkey and China. He has taught many workshops as well as having temporary positions at Alfred University, Rochester Institute of Technology, and Kent State. He has also taught abroad at La Meridiana in Italy and Jingdezhen Ceramic Institute in China. His work has been published in many books and magazines including a recent cover story in Ceramics Monthly. In addition to his work as a studio potter, he teaches part-time at Hollins University. Richard also maintains a home and studio in Liguria, Italy with his wife Donna Polseno, where he concentrates on more sculptural work.

Collector: Deborah Penning

Initially attracted to the repeating leaf pattern and green celadon color, I am still wondering about the process used to create this mug. I think the right side of the leaves were pressed with a knife or curved object, creating the additional green depth to the outside glaze and the interior channels for the glaze to run. The elements in this cup (body shape, handle shape and size, glazes, carving details) all blend together nicely. 

Sue Tirrell

Creator: Sue Tirrell

https://www.suetirrellceramics.com/

Sue Tirrell was born and raised in Red Lodge, Montana; a small ranching and tourist community on the doorstep of Yellowstone National Park. She received an AA from Cottey College in Nevada, MO in 1995 and a BFA from the New York State College of Ceramics at Alfred University in 1997.  Her functional and sculptural work draws inspiration from her life-long experiences in Montana and the West, her fascination with animals and interest in folk art, vintage kitsch, western art and culture.  Her work has been exhibited widely in the United States, as well as Canada and Australia.  She has been a resident artist at the Archie Bray Foundation in Helena, MT; California State University, Chico; and the Custer County Art & Heritage Center in Miles City, MT.  She has logged hundreds of hours teaching ceramics and multi-media workshops across the US and Canada in community art centers, college classrooms, retirement homes and one-room schoolhouses.  Sue makes her home and studio on the banks of the Yellowstone River in Montana’s Paradise Valley.

“I came to clay as a college freshman, intent on studying graphic design and was won over by the prospect of combining illustration with three-dimensional objects. My pots employ mythic animal imagery, crisp design and riotous color to bring playfulness, character and storytelling to daily kitchen ritual and special occasions.”

Collector: Deborah Penning

I happened upon this gem at a summer art festival in Jackson, WY in 2016; Sue Tirrell was the cover feature for the February 2018 Ceramics Monthly issue. I love her colorful sgraffito designs that capture the illusion of movement.

Irv Dixon

Creator: Irv Dixon

https://nebraskatravelerguide.com/activity/cedar-creek-pottery/

Cedar Creek Pottery is located 7 miles east of Beatrice. Ervin Dixon fires salt-glazed pots, mugs, baking dishes and other stoneware in an 1895-era former Lutheran church. The studio is open  Monday through Saturday and its notoriously hard-to-find location has now been marked with a blue sign on U.S. Highway 136.

Collector: Genie Sue Weppner

Irv Dixon was my Ceramics instructor at the University of Miami when I was getting my MFA.  He left teaching and returned to his boyhood home in Beatrice, Nebraska. One should make a point of stopping there if you are ever going through Nebraska.  He moved an old Church onto a foundation  next to his house and converted it to a workshop (in the basement) and display area.  He has literally filled that church with his work.  It is a marvel to see.  I have always loved his salt fired work, which is full of vitality and ceramic energy. I have included a picture of my friend Irv Dixon's mug.....but I actually do not have that mug.

Josh Deweese

Creator: Josh Deweese

 http://www.joshdeweese.com/

Artist Statement

I am inspired and challenged by the art of pottery and strive to make work that is successful on multiple levels. I want my pots to be well designed and comfortable to use; to be rich with ceramic wonder, and seductive to behold; and to have reference to history and the field of ceramic art to spark the imagination.

I’m drawn to the beauty and mystery of high temperature ceramics and the element of chance that occurs in the firing, in the subtle qualities of raw clays and the vibrant depths of a transparent glaze. I have a passion for painting with ceramic materials on a three-dimensional form, and having the rhythm of the pattern unfold as it moves around the pot. I enjoy the phenomenon of the melt and the quality of color and depth that develops through the glaze. The loss of control is important, blurring the initial pattern made with the hand. The viscosity, depth, and movement of the glaze are important elements in the final surface.

Perhaps pottery’s greatest power lies in its association with the human body. The language of pottery is the language of the body, with necks and feet, bellies and shoulders, and lips to touch our lips. The intimate relationship that develops with use strengthens this association. A personality develops, and the pots become our friends. In this friendship they become reflections of our humanness, and help give meaning to our lives.

Brief Bio 

Josh DeWeese is a ceramic artist and educator. He is currently an Associate Professor of Art teaching ceramics at Montana State University in Bozeman, where he and his wife Rosalie Wynkoop have a home and studio. DeWeese served as Resident Director of the Archie Bray Foundation for the Ceramic Arts in Helena, Montana from 1992-2006.  He holds an MFA from the New York State College of Ceramics at Alfred, and a BFA from the Kansas City Art Institute.  DeWeese has exhibited and taught workshops internationally and his work is included in numerous public and private collections. 

Collector: Genie Sue Weppner

I had the pleasure of attending a workshop put on by Teton Valley Art Center in Driggs Idaho featuring Josh Deweese.  He was a generous teacher and shared his work, his experiences and his love of pottery with the group.  I could not resist obtaining one of his mugs to remember that fabulous learning experience.

Rainbow GateRainbow Gate 2

Creator: Rainbow Gate

https://rainbowgate.com/


Not far from Santa Fe, on the road to Lower Colonias in the conifer forests high in the mountains above Pecos, New Mexico you might notice one very different kind of metal gate of the type usually seen closing a gap in the barbed wire fences of the ranches out west. This one has its horizontal bars painted the colors of the spectrum. It is the rainbow gate, and beyond it is the home and studios of the artists Allan Walter and Jenny Lind. When they decided in 1994 to start a ceramic art business in Santa Fe, it was an easy decision to name the new enterprise Rainbow Gate, perfectly conveying the artists’ sensibility and passion for COLOR.

ON OCTOBER 18TH, 2011, JENNY LIND, ARTIST AND CO-FOUNDER OF RAINBOW GATE, PASSED AWAY. HER HUSBAND, ALLAN WALTER, AND DAUGHTER, ANNA MASTERSON, ALONG WITH THE STAFF OF RAINBOW GATE, CONTINUE TO OPERATE THE POTTERY IN THE SAME IMAGINATIVE AND IMPECCABLE MANNER AS IT WAS WHEN JENNY WAS ALIVE.

The Artists and Creators

The artists and creators of Rainbow Gate are the husband and wife team of Allan Walter and Jenny Lind. They opened Rainbow Gate in the Fall of 1994, now located at the corner of Sandoval St. and Aztec, a few blocks south of the Plaza in Santa Fe. They have always made a living from their art. Their daughter, Anna Masterson, has joined them as a partner in recent years at Rainbow Gate.

She is the oldest of three children. Her sister, Jessie, also an artist, lives in Houston, Texas, with her scientist husband and their 2 children. Their brother, Joshua, an architect, lives with his wife, also an architect, and their 2 children in Seattle, Washington. All of the children have contributed at one time to Rainbow Gate, but it was Anna who became a full partner in Rainbow gate in 1999. She studied art at the University of New Mexico and for a while lived and studied in Portland, Oregon. Her young son Orion adds his sumptuous energy to her life. Now, Anna contributes to Rainbow Gate with her painting, her creative designs and her responsibility as the production manager.

Collector: Genie Sue Weppner

I was attracted to Rainbow Gate because of the delightful imagery.  I am not in love with the shapes because they are jiggered and lack the organic feel that hand thrown and hand formed pottery exhibits.  Bit that is not what these owners are about.  All they really want is a "canvas" for their vibrant and captivating designs.

Scott Barnim

Creator: Scott Barnim

https://scottbarnimpottery.com/

Scott Barnim established his studio in 1978. His initial training was a proficient in production studio and finished with a MFA in ceramics from the University of Wales. His work is included in public and private collections internationally. The Barnim Pottery studio production can be found in selected shops and galleries. The studio is located in an 1850 stonehouse and stable in the town of Dundas, West of Toronto. Visit the studio showroom for the best selection and to view custom ordered dinnerware.

Collector: Genie Sue Weppner

I accompanied my husband on his Health Care Administration sabbatical in Canada.  I had a month long stay and busied myself by teaching a sawdust firing workshop at a small art center in Ancaster, Canada and McMaster University in Hamilton, Canada. Luckily for me, there was a pottery studio tour one of the weekends that I was there. I dragged my husband around to all the pottery studios.  I fell in love with the flowery, colorful blue, green and red designs on Scott Barnim's pottery. I was so impressed that these potters were full time potters and made their living making pottery.....my dream job.

Creator: Ken Keppers

http://kepperspottery.com/

Ken started making pottery in high school art class.  While at Bemidji State University, he held the studio assistant position.  In exchange for a key to the studio, he mixed clay, glazes, fired pottery, and sometimes helped other students succeed.  After finishing school he worked, saved money, bought wooded acreage and set up his studio.

He built his first wood kiln in 1978, and has built two successive kilns for his use.  He has assisted friends and colleagues in building kilns in this country and Japan.

Ken throws his pots on a Leach treadle wheel.  He has formulated glazes from ashes derived from his crops and local rock powders for decades.  Recently he has found clay on his acreage and is completing tests on it.  He fires his pottery with wood selectively harvested on our property to improve the forest.  His pots reflect the care and connection to each facet of their creation.

The shapes and sizes of functional pieces reflect Ken’s experience as a professional cook and personal chef, love of food; his sculptural works show his connection to gardens and wild places.

Ken died at home December 19, 2017

Collector: Genie Sue Weppner

Ken Keppers Pottery was locate on Highway 8 in Wisconsin about 5 miles from my ancestral Lake Cottage located on Deer Lake near St. Croix Falls.   He and his wife made their living selling pottery and operating an organic CSA.   They lived almost completely off the grid. They had a composting toilet, running water....not sure about electricity, heated with wood.  His kiln was completely wood fired, rolled on a railroad track out of the kiln for loading then pushed back into the kiln and the front bricked up for firing.  Firing took 48 hours of constant feeding the wood into the fire pit.  Ken is now deceased and the pottery and CSA are no longer in operation.  I treasure this handle less mug as it reminds me of his incredible spirit.

"Wood Fired Gray Cup," by James Tingey. Vincennes, Indiana

Cone 10 wood fired stoneware. Gifted by the artist and part of the Nathan Prouty teaching collection at Eastern Oregon University, La Grande, Oregon.

"Tie-Dye Cup," by Trevor Durr. La Grande, Oregon

instagram.com/trevordurrart

Cone 6 porcelaneous stoneware, underglaze, gold luster. Gifted by the artist and part of the Nathan Prouty teaching collection at Eastern Oregon University, La Grande, Oregon.

"Tree Mug," by Trevor Durr. La Grande, Oregon

instagram.com/trevordurrart

Cone 6 porcelaneous stoneware, glaze, decals. Gifted by the artist and part of the Nathan Prouty teaching collection at Eastern Oregon University, La Grande, Oregon.

"Don Knots Mug," by Justin Rothshank. Goshen, Indiana

rothshank.com

Cone 04 earthenware, majolica tin glaze, commercial decals, custom decals. Part of the Nathan Prouty teaching collection at Eastern Oregon University, La Grande, Oregon. Purchased from the artist at a craft show in Philadelphia 2008. Cracked by a careless roommate in Chinatown apartment in Philadelphia 2010.

""Handmade" Mug," by Better Homes & Gardens.

Cone 10 stoneware, glaze. Part of the Nathan Prouty teaching collection at Eastern Oregon University, La Grande, Oregon. Purchased at Wal-Mart in La Grande, OR in 2017. Slip-cast machine-produced, yet advertised as ''handmade" because somewhere in the manufacturing process, a human touched it. Yet, it is marketed as a one-of-a-kind object. Used to discuss ideas of value, labor and handmade vs. mass-produced objects. Why is this cup $2 on clearance and others are $160+?

"1960s Mickey & Esso Tiger Mugs,"  by Anchor Hocking Fire-King ware, USA.

Oven-safe glass, decal. Part of the Nathan Prouty teaching collection at Eastern Oregon University, La Grande, Oregon. Found at a thrift store, date and place unknown. Precise, colorful imagery is made possible in ceramics and glassware through the use of screen printed china paint 'decals' these decals are fired onto the object at a low temperature to ensure permanent bonds to the surface.

"Tea Cup," by Studio Nova, Japan.

Bone china, glazes. Part of the Nathan Prouty teaching collection at Eastern Oregon University, La Grande, Oregon. An interesting example of a handle. What type of handle serves what type of object and it's use?

"Travel Mug," by Unknown Artist.

Cone 10 stoneware, glazes. Part of the Nathan Prouty teaching collection at Eastern Oregon University, La Grande, Oregon.Slip-cast made object mimicking a wheel-thrown object. Form vs. function. Wide base of mug is intended to prevent spilling in moving vehicles. The convenience of a to-go mug but it's handmade!

"Banana Memphis mug,” by Nathan Prouty. Union, Oregon

www.nathanprouty.comm

Cone 04 white earthenware. Part of the Nathan Prouty teaching collection at Eastern Oregon University, La Grande, Oregon. Unglazed assemblage made from slip-cast objects. Decorated with under glazes, but unfinished with final shiny glaze covering. Used to discuss handles and their proportion, balance, humor through shape, and under glaze decoration. Made by the artist in graduate school, Ohio University 2012.

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"Star Trek mug," by Bodum.

Borosilicate glass, plastic. Part of the Nathan Prouty teaching collection atEastern Oregon University, La Grande, Oregon. A glass mug replica of the glass demitasse cup used by Captain Jean Luc Picard in Star Trek: The Next Generation. Used to discuss the awesomeness of Star Trek, and ideas around handles and balance. Why does the handle need to be always attached to the cup?

"Quilted Mug," by Shawn Spangler. Honolulu, Hawaii

https://hawaii.edu/art/shawn-spangler/

Thrown and altered Cone 10 Porcelain, under glaze, celadon glaze. Gifted by the artist and part of the Nathan Prouty teaching collection at Eastern Oregon University, La Grande, Oregon.

"Branch Cup," by Colleen Toledano. Buffalo, New York

colleentoledano.com

Cone 10 tinted green and pink porcelain, glaze. Gifted by the artist and part of the Nathan Prouty teaching collection at Eastern Oregon University, La Grande, Oregon. A good example of the power of mimicry inherent in ceramics and the slip-casting and mold making process.

"Pretty Pretty Pussy Mug," by Ryan W. Kelly. Bellingham, Washington

https://ryanwilsonkelly.com/home.html

Cone 04 terracotta, slip, glaze. Part of the Nathan Prouty teaching collection at Eastern Oregon University, La Grande, Oregon. Purchased at artist's studio sale, Philadelphia 2011.

"Green Demo Mug," by Nathan Prouty. Union, Oregon

Nathanprouty.com

Cone 6 stoneware, glaze. Part of the Nathan Prouty teaching collection at Eastern Oregon University, La Grande, Oregon. Made as a demo for students in Beginning Ceramics students at EOU. Why are the markers that denote or imply an engaging, interesting (if not ugly) object? Do wheel thrown objects always need to be symmetrical and precise? Why?

"Water-Carved Mug," by Andy Shaw. Baton Rouge, Louisiana

https://www.theclaystudio.org/artists/andy-shaw

Cone 10 Porcelain, glaze. Gifted by the artist and part of the Nathan Prouty teaching collection at Eastern Oregon University, La Grande, Oregon, 2007.

"Mug," by Amy Santoferraro. Claremont, California

Mysanto.com

Cone 04 slip cast terracotta, glaze. Gifted by the artist and part of the Nathan Prouty teaching collection at Eastern Oregon University, La Grande, Oregon, 2017.

"Mug," by Paul Eschelman.

Eschelmanpottery.com

Cone 04 slip cast terracotta, glaze. Part of the Nathan Prouty teaching collection at Eastern Oregon University, La Grande, Oregon. Purchased from the artist website in 2011.

"Digital Mug," by Bryan Czibesz.

bryanczibesz.com

Cone 10 slip-cast tinted porcelain. Gifted by the artist and part of the Nathan Prouty teaching collection at Eastern Oregon University, La Grande, Oregon. Cast from a super low-resolution 3D model of a mug. Digital object was fabricated from wood using a CNC machine, then molded in plaster.

"Old Colonial Williamsburg Souvenir Mug," by Unknown Artist.

https://www.colonialwilliamsburg.org/

Cone 10 slip-cast salt-fired stoneware, cobalt oxide. Part of the Nathan Prouty teaching collection at Eastern Oregon University, La Grande, Oregon. Found at a thrift store. Date and place unknown.

"Wood fired cup," by Unknown Artist.

Cone 10 wood-fired stoneware, glaze. Part of the Nathan Prouty teaching collection at Eastern Oregon University, La Grande, Oregon. Purchased from road-side pottery studio, Oak Harbor, WA in 2020.

Majolica cup by George McCauley of Helena, MT, a gift from my good friend, Maggie Carlson, Bozeman, around 10 years ago.

Stoneware  cup by Josh DeWeese who teaches ceramics at Montana State Univ. in Bozeman. I met him years ago when visiting The Archie Bray Foundation in Helena with Maggie Carlson and she later sent me this cup.

Mug by Tea Thanhbinh Duong bought at Ceramic Showcase in Portland 7 or 8 years ago. He is originally from Viet Nam and now lives  in Junction City, OR.

Majolica cup made by Coco Forte, Halfway, and bought at the Bizarre Bazaar 2004.  I love the rabbits.  Too bad I broke the handle.

Stoneware beer mug made by Randy Woolsey, a Canadian potter who has lived in Japan for more than 50 years.  He had a wood fired kiln in Kasama, a pottery town just over the hill from the more famous Mashiko, when I visited his studio in 1970 as a beginning student at a pottery school in Tokyo.

Korean celadon cup with tea strainer, lid and saucer bought in 1998 during a two day stopover in Pusan, Korea, while traveling from England to Long Beach , CA , by freighter with my husband, Bill. This cup was the inspiration for the “Tea for One” cups I have been making these past 20 years.

One of 60 cups thrown by Wayne Takami one day during a summer pottery program at TVCC in Ontario, 1973, which I helped teach along with Wayne and Joan Lehman.  The cups were for the students and family guests to drink punch out of at the closing party.

Unfortunately there’s a sad side to this story too.  Just a few weeks later, during the second session, Wayne was killed when the brakes of his truck went out on Lewiston Grade while bringing back a load of clay from Troy, ID.

Bizen cup bought in the pottery village of Imbe, Japan, in April of 2019 while traveling with Judy Chamard. The wife of the potter was very kind to give us a tour of the studio and huge noborigama (climbing kiln) which they fire twice a year, taking ten days and an enormous amount of wood.

Coffee mug by Shimaoka Tatsuzo, who was later named a Living National Treasure,  bought in Tokyo in 1970 where I was teaching English. One of my fellow teachers knew him and gave me an introduction when I visited Mashiko during spring break.  He very kindly served tea to me and my friend on his veranda and had his apprentice give us a tour of the workshop. 

While living in Micronesia in 1980 I visited Japan with my eighteen month old daughter  where I bought this Mashiko cup at a folk craft shop near my friend’s house.

Bizen cup, 1964, a gift from Mr. Katayama whose family I lived with in Tokyo my junior year in college.

In the fall of 1995 I spent 3 months as Artist in Residence at the Hikosen pottery school in Kichijoji, a suburb of Tokyo.  At one point we all made pots for a fundraiser for the school and I bought this cup made by one of the other teachers.

Low fire red clay cup bought in Oaxaca, Mexico in 2015 from the gallery where we (Pam Petterson, Ann Mehaffy, Maggie Carlson and I) met the potter and drank mescal but I don’t remember his name. 

Mug by Corrine Vegter which I think was part of a trade during the Studio Tour around ten years ago.  It was one of my favorite cups for my morning coffee and I used it for several years after cracking it, but have now retired it.

Porcelain cup by Sarah Jaeger of Helena, MT.  She stayed at my house when she came to give a workshop during the Persistence in Clay show at Crossroads in 2012.  She told me to choose a cup to keep and when I chose this one she described it as having a generous shape, and I always thought of that when I drank from it - it did feel “generous.”  Over the years I’ve had four of her cups (one bought at her studio in Helena and two, gifts from our mutual friend, Maggie Carlson) and somehow I have managed to break all of them, much to my dismay.

Elise Levi of Portland gave me this cloth cup she made last year and I was completely charmed.  She is the daughter of Mary Tegel who was director of Crossroads in the 1980’s.

In 2019 my daughter and her husband took me to see Hamilton when it came to Portland.  During intermission Jason went to check out the “merch”  counter but it was too crowded and everything seemed overpriced so instead I made us all “Hamilton” cups.

Creator:  Charles Piatt, Portland, OR

https://piattpottery.com/

Collector:  Ginger Savage, Baker City, OR

When you walk into Ceramics Showcase In Portland it is overwhelming.  How do you choose?   I was looking for a “guy” Mug for my husband and picked this Pair of Mugs designed to keep coffee hot.Kerry uses these two mugs EVERYDAY!

Creator:  Mary Sue Rightmire, Baker City, Or

https://crossroads-arts.org/artists/

mary-sue-rightmire-3-d-pottery

Collector:  Ginger Savage, Baker City, OR

Mary Sue has taught me more about Pottery than anyone. A legend. She gave this mug to me as a gift And I was honored.  Done in her Classic style with that iconic glaze work.

Creator:  Tom Dimond, Dimond Art Glass Cove,Oregon  

Www.crossroads-arts.org

Collector:  Ginger Savage Baker City, OR

Tom Dimond, is a friend and hero. He has taught me so much about The work we do here at Crossroads. He traditionally had has a spring sale and Kerry and I went up and on the shelf was the perfect mug.  The fact that I am a purple lady just makes it more perfect!

Creator:  Sarah Jaeger, Helena, MT

http://montanaclay.org/artists/sarah-jaeger/

Collector: Ginger Savage, Baker City, OR

Persistence in Clay will be the show I am most proud of for Crossroads.  Celebrating the Accomplishments of the Archie Bray and its artists for two months was life-altering.  Sarah came to Crossroads and taught and her Glazes are just wow.These are my “fancy mugs.”

Creator: Dennis Meiners, Portland, Oregon

meinersandlee.com

Collector: Corrine Vegter, Baker City, Oregon

Handmade mug with his own custom made texture. Purchased from the artist at Oregon Potters Association Ceramic Showcase (OPA).

Creator: Natalie Warrens, Portland, Oregon

nataliewarrens.com

Collector: Corrine Vegter, Baker City, Oregon

A potter for 47 years known for spectacular surface decoration. Purchased from her at OPA. I love her patterns and decorations.

Creator: Helen Bommarito, Bend, Oregon

www.redchairgallerybend.com/helen-bommarito/

Collector: Corrine Vegter, Baker City, Oregon

Ceramic artist and friend from Bend, OR. A ceramic teacher great versatility.

Creator: Larry Nelson, Hillsboro, Oregon

chehalemmountainpottery.com

Collector: Corrine Vegter, Baker City, Oregon

This mug was purchased from Larry at OPA and he is a good friend. Long time potter all hand built using custom moulds of pipes and screws.

Creator: Dennis and Lee Meiners, Portland, Oregon

meinersandlee.com

Collector: Corrine Vegter, Baker City, Oregon

Terracotta mug made by Dennis and painted by Lee. Met at OPA and purchased from the artist. I love dogs and the whimsical quality of this mug.

Creator: Corrine Vegter, Baker City, Oregon

"Cor Bot"

Collector: Corrine Vegter, Baker City, Oregon

I went through a robot phase during my ceramic career. I love giving each robot mug a different expression and lots of texture.

Creator:  Tom Turner, Morris, IL

Tomturnergallery.com

Collector:  Kevin Flynn and Amber Day, Flynn Day Pottery, Boise, ID

We each treated ourselves to a cup While we were at NCECA (National Council on Education for the Ceramic Arts) in Seattle in 2012.

Creator:  Robert Brady, San Francisco, CA

www.traxgallery.com

Collector:  Kevin Flynn Amber Day Flynn Day Pottery, Boise, ID

We treated ourselves to a cup While we were at NCECA in Seattle In 2012. Robert Brady was the

Keynote speaker.  I had bought The cup before I had known that---he is cool!

Creator:  Bill West, Jerome, Idaho

Collector:  Kevin Flynn, Boise, ID

I was fortunate to fire in Bill’s Wood kiln in Jerome Idaho.  While we were unloading I Told him I needed to buy his cup.  To my surprise I was honored That he wanted to trade.

Creator:  Frank Boyden, Lincoln County, OR

Frankboydenstudio.com

Collector:  Amber Day, Boise, ID

I bought this little tea bowl from Frank Boyden at a workshop He taught in Ontario, OR.  What an entertaining guy!