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Print on Clay with Tom + Dave – Arrowmont Workshop
I’m super grateful to be back at Arrowmont School of Arts and Craftsl for a printmaking (on clay) workshop with Thomas Lucas and David Todd Trost .
look who was on the campus to greet us!!!! He/she/they will be the inspiration for my print on clay project! At the Arrowmont School of arts and Crafts in Tennessee-learning to make screens in the darkroom, then screen printing with ceramic glazes with master printer Thomas Lucas at a mind blowing print on clay workshop at Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts . this is just one of many techniques we are learning.
This workshop is a double feature, with TWO instructors. In addition to learning from a master printer, we also have David Todd Trost. Not only is he like a walking talking encyclopedia in all things clay (and professional wrestling), but he’s also an amazing teacher-he explains and demonstrates what he knows in a way that’s just as entertaining as it is educational. I learned so much, and am super grateful to have had this opportunity to learn from them.
my table towards the end of the workshop 
my super talented and nice class at Arrowmont i’m back in the studio, testing on porcelain with some of the prints we made at master printer Thomas Lucas workshop…I’ve read all the books on printing on clay, and he has some refinements (that work better) to those techniques–and some new techniques I never even thought were possible. In all things ceramic testing is critical. one change in material (porcelain) can make a difference between success and failure.
Fortunately, in class, we had the opportunity to troubleshoot, and tom helped me understand what each component of the inks are doing, so I can refine and adjust to make sure I get the best results possible with my particular clay/glaze/temperature combination. Thanks to Tom and Dave everyone at Arrowmont and those who made this experience possible. I feel renewed and am filled with inspiration. stay tuned!
Laundry Bear Woodcut
I’m working on a new woodcut…based on a true story. Well, mostly true…ok, maybe some imagination in this one!
Stay tuned to see the progress.
Finished carving the block. Time to ink it up and print a test proof.
it turned out great! Click the image below for a closer look and information on how to include it to your collection
Surface design with Adero Willard – Arrowmont Workshop
A lot of you know I’m a self taught potter-never had formal instruction. Thanks to a good friend/patron, I’m taking a pottery workshop by Adero Willard at Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts in Tennessee…my first pottery class!!!
Already, the workshop has been a transformative experience for me -and the way I think about ceramic surface design. It’s been intense, working in the studio from morning until we are kicked out of at midnight.
I have to process the firehose of information she is sharing with us before I share any pictures of the pots we are making, but look who came to join us for lunch today!!!
I’ve never seen a bear in the ‘wild’ before. It was a magical experience! This place is an artist dream come true!
I decided the bears were my muse, and I used it as a model for some of my pots during Adero Willard ‘s workshop. These are early pots from the workshop:
An early pot from the workshop:
At this point in the workshop, i was learning about layers, wax resist and slip trails using Amaco Brent underglazes. I was really curious about firing the underglaze and redware pottery at that temperature (cone 2)…it comes out very lovely!More pots from the workshop:
The main lesson (of MANY) that I took from the workshop was to be curious (what if?) and to experiment (try it!) while in the studio. While remembering to keep records and notes, so that we could duplicate the successful combinations, and avoid the not so nice ones.
If you are familiar with my work, you know this kind of mark making is WAY out of my comfort zone. It wasn’t easy to loosen up and just work with pattern and colors, but it sure was FUN, once I got into it! Don’t worry, i’ll still make cute little bears,goats and bunnys, but there’s a good chance there may be some new pattern and colors in future work.
a big thank you to everyone who made this wonderful experience possible!
We are going to have a hot couple of days here in Kentucky!
You’ll find me by the fan, in my studio–painting!
Stay cool everyone!18 April 2022 – Kiln Opening
Some new porcelain pottery from my most recent kiln opening.
Green Leaf Spice Jar 
Cardinal Spice Jar 
Horse Bowl 
Fox Bowl 
Tiger Cup 
Black Cats Cup 
Horse Cup With Thistle 
Horse Cup With Flowers 
Green Leaf Cup 
Green Dove Cup 2 
Green Dove Cup 1 
Green Tulip Cup 
Green Thistle Cup 
Green Leaf Cup 2 
green Flowers Cup 
Green Flowers And Bees Cup 
Bird In Blooms Cup 
Tulips Saucer 
Thistle Saucer 
Bee And Leaf Saucer 
Bee And Flower Saucer 
Red Leaf Cream Pitcher
Come to one of my upcoming events to see them in person, or click/swipe the photos above for a better look at all the pots from the firing. Sorry, I don’t sell pots online-in person only.
An artist collaboration and opportunity to support Maysville Empty Bowls
I have been experimenting with ways to print on porcelain. After firing, I sent my VERY FIRST porcelain test tile to the Kentucky artist, Greta Gundersen. She assembled a beautiful necklace with a black cord, silver beads, jump ring, clasp and few of my other handmade porcelain beads.
I LOVE it! It’s beautiful and unique. Neither of us wear jewelry. It’s a fun and experimental work, and we don’t want to sell it. Greta and I thought we could give the necklace away as a way to help raise money and awareness for Maysville’s annual Empty Bowls Fundraiser.
Empty Bowls is a grassroots movement by artists and crafts people in cities and towns around the world to raise money for food related charities to care for and feed the hungry in their communities. Last year, Maysville’s Empty Bowls raised $7200 for the Mason County Food Bank.
If you would like a chance to win the necklace and/or support Maysville Empty Bowls, You can use the ‘add to cart’ button to make a contribution. For every $5 contribution, we will put your name in the 14 April 2022 drawing for the Ken/Greta’s jewelry collaboration. (If you contribute $20, we will enter your name 4 times, etc.)
This is just for fun. Neither of us are going to profit in any way from this. 100% of the proceeds will go directly to Maysville Empty Bowls.
Thanks for supporting Maysville Empty Bowls, and good luck!
UPDATE: we raised a total of $115 for Maysville Empty Bowls, and the winner of the jewelry was:
Congratulations Sara! Thank you EVERYONE for supporting Empty Bowls!
Daffodils in Augusta with friends
In Augusta, KY, getting ready to paint Dafodyls with my Plein air buddy Sue Ellen Gorman 
Here’s my underpainting. Color time! 
Working on the colors…it’s at that difficult stage. Time to pull it all together 
I am really struggling. Don’t let these innocent looking flowers fool you. They are little yellow monsters. A day painting is never a waste of time..
Enjoyed being outside with friends. Didn’t get a painting, but learned a lot about what NOT to do when painting flowers.I’m sorry if I upset any of you when I shared yesterday’s video of me wiping the painting from the canvas. I fail at paintings ALL THE TIME, and I’m used to it. I know a lot of people never give themselves a chance to take a risk and develop as artists, because they think everything they do has to be perfect–or don’t make anything at all. sure, it feels great when a painting succeeds, but the failures are where I learn and grow as an artist.
On a more cheery note, here are more pictures from the same day. Honestly, I could have painted the Sistine chapel, but nothing is more valuable to me than a sunny spring day outside visiting with long time artist friends. Thanks Elizabeth Kordis Laskey and Sue Ellen Gorman for sharing the day with me!
View from pavilion at Devou Park, Covington, KY
This is one of my go to locations for when I’m in the mood for a wide city view from a distance. I have my sketch, let’s set the easel up and start painting!
I found a shady spot…let’s get some paint on this panel! 
We have most of the underpainting worked out. The lights and darks of concrete/glass towers can be tricky…every time a cloud moves, EVERYTHING changes. I’m hoping for some dramatic light before we start with the color. That’s asking a lot at 4pm, but you never know what may happen when painting outside in the wild! 
We are at that awkward stage of the painting, where everything is crazy looking, and I’m questioning all my life choices. Starting with, “what was I thinking?!”. I’ll either pull it together and it will be amazing, or I’ll wipe the panel clean. Either way, it’s been a nice day up at the park. Stay tuned 
Progress report. No tears (yet), and it’s coming together 
That’s a wrap!!! Had a beautiful day! 
Our finished oil painting!!! Had a great time…now time to get some food and head back to old Washington. Thanks for painting with me! Old Washington plein air painting
Spring is right around the corner, and that means it’s time to dust my rusty trusty paint box off and paint outdoors (like Monet and the other french impressionists)! I had a rough start (spilled my solvent and had to go home for more) but in the end, I got a finished painting that I’m happy with. I painted different views of this corner (Warner Lane) in Old Washington last year. This year, I wanted to paint the view from the highway. it’s only possible when the trees are sleeping and don’t have any leaves.
I had so much fun, I’m going to go out and try to get another painting today. Can you guess where I’ll go? Stay tuned to find out!
