Underground Potters rise again!

 

We will be showing and selling our work, along with Susan Bogen, Allan Drossman and Ted Whittemore, who is joining his fellow Underground Potters after a bit of a break.

 

We all attended classes at The Art School at Old Church in Demarest, NJ for years.

While there we started the group 'Underground Potters' to learn together how to present our work, and learn from each other's experience. That first show was in 2003, and we get together every year to show and share our work again.
It has been a wonderful experience for all of us, and The Art School , has been very welcoming. It is a great place, home to the annual pottery show curated by Karen Karnes. That show will be held again, for the 39th time, this December 6-8th, and should NOT be missed.

But back to our show. Please stop by for our reception on Saturday, November 2nd. We will all be there. The pots will be there for sale from October 28-November 8.

 

Posted with Blogsy

Monday, Monday

So this morning my bowl is a favorite, very sturdy...with a rolled rim and a side handle. I hold it in my left hand, shovel in food with my right.

This bowl is by Lorna Meaden, a very, very accomplished porcelain potter. She was a wonderful demonstrator at NCECA a few years ago. I bought this bowl at the show at Old Church in Demarest, NJ a few years back.

And in this photo you see the luscious drop of glaze, hanging off that side handle! Breakfast for a winner!

Tribute to Malcolm Davis

The Pottery Show at the Art School at Old Church in Demarest, NJ during the first weekend in December was not the same this year.  At first I thought it had something to do with the economy and people’s depression about the “It’s only a Recession” Depression.  But it was something else; the zeitgeist was not there. It felt intangible at first, but by Sunday I realized what was missing: Malcolm Davis. I remember thinking that next year when Malcolm comes back the energy will flow again.

For the past 10 years I have looked forward to Malcolm’s effusive, long lost friend greeting when he arrived at the school on the Friday of the show weekend for the inventory process. Even during transitional periods and stressful times in my life, he always made me smile. But what I loved most about Malcolm was the seriousness of his convictions underneath his Suessical antics.

Maybe I have a soft spot in my heart for him because Malcolm was my first. Yes, I know many people have said that about him and I do realize that someone like Malcolm must be shared with the world.  For those of you who don’t understand what I’m referring to; Malcolm and I (and about 20 other people) spent 5 days together on Long Beach Island, NJ back in 2002. No, it wasn’t a “Jersey Shore” kind of thing – in fact we never even saw the beach! 

Malcolm was the instructor of the first pottery workshop I ever took. By listening, watching and learning from him I realized that I could take myself seriously as a potter (and as a person) without being too serious.  It was possible to change your life’s direction mid-stream and live to tell about it! I have often said that Malcolm taught me about the importance of Qi in an otherwise lifeless piece of clay.  In Chinese religions, Qi is the life force and energy that flows through everything.  Well if anyone knew about Qi, it was Malcolm.

Malcolm Davis, 1937-2011

Well, there are tributes to Malcolm Davis all over the internet, and since we all have our memories, we wanted to share. So here I go…

I attended classes at the Art School at Old Church, in Demarest, NJ for 7 years, and during that time was privileged to be able to volunteer at their annual pottery show, curated by Karen Karnes. Those shows, the outstanding work I saw every year, and the wonderful, generous potters I met every year changed my life.

Malcolm Davis was always approachable, easy to talk to, and even a friend, to a star-struck pottery student. I took a few workshops, and then joined him at his first workshop at La Meridiana, in Tuscany. It was a wonderful experience. I had never been to Italy before, and who better to share the food, the wine, the beauty of the scenery, and pottery making, than Malcolm Davis! It was a magical experience. I know everyone who was in that workshop has some great memories. It was a little rough around the edges, but truly exhilarating.

Malcolm petting the beef before dinner - Poggio Allora

Malcolm was describing to me the strange reaction he got when he sent them his material list, including a few toilet brushes for the glaze mixing. I think his explanation strained everyone’s translation abilities. So he asked me to take a photo with them…voila!

I later sent the photo to Malcolm, and a few months’ later it appeared in my new deck of Studio Potter Collector Cards! I was so proud.

Malcolm was a great friend. I still feel overwhelmed that he would take time to gossip with me, exchange recipes, make plans. He really was a Dr. Seuss-like character (not my original observation, but totally true). Malcolm Davis was a great man, and I consider myself really lucky to have known him.

Malcolm and Ellen, Itsuko behind camera!