Dalton Ghetti Carvings

In starting the new semester with a drawing class, this came across my screen and I really loved it. This is a great example of common materials transcending and how concept and content can be implanted into an object. Pretty great stuff. There are more images if you google his name, and it seems to be a pretty extensive series. Something interesting.

The Pond Creek Bogstompers at Kellish

Just a couple of photos that I came across this evening of a recent show we played at Kellish Hill Farm in Manlius NY. Great time had by all, and was kind of the big debut of the band, only to find out that we are probably going to have to change the name. Were working on it now, but everyone has been shortening the name to "Bogstompers" and I'm sure that the bogstompers located in northern vermont may object to us. Ah well, we just need a name before the next booking which is on the 11th of September at the Pourhouse in Trumansburd NY. Should be a good time and the Ithaca area loves old time music and they serve good beer there. And after looking at the billing, "Pond Creek Bogstompers" is the billing so we may be sticking with it for a while. The next gig after will be in Old Forge NY and hopefully the list will keep on growing.

Anyone in the area that pays attention to this thing, you should come out and check it out...we don't disappoint. And we are the only ones billed so we will be able to roll out a night full of old time music. Hope to see you all there!
Cheers

Tarpon awesomeness.

This made my day. It's not trout, but it makes me miss my days in Florida. Having the chance in the past to cast to tailing tarpon, this gets me exited.

Conversations Show at Art Center West

Just an announcement for our upcoming show at Art Center West in Roswell GA. The press release will go out today, and the show is myself and my wife Sarah Panzarella and will consist of about two dozen pieces, focusing on the diversity of work that can be made by spouses in the same studio. I am always supprised at the difference in our work despite the close proximity in which the work is made. We freely give feedback and have an open dialouge regarding the work which is an extremely helpful tool in the studio. Sometimes I wonder what it is like to be a studio potter working alone in my studio without that feedback. Studio practice can be lonely, and lacking of outside feedback at times and there is a trend for artists to get together with other artists regularly to gain this feedback. The critiques of graduate school were always grueling at the time, but now we long for the heavy criticism and constructive feedback. I love that the interchange of creativity is a commonplace in our studio and despite the complexities of having a two artist household, I wouldn't have it any other way (even though a rich benefactor would be nice). Come see the show if you are able, and let us know what you think. Cheers.

New Cup Forms.

Thought I would post a few pictures of some new cup forms I have been working on. These will be in a show at Mississippi State University through the next couple of months. I have been on vacation for the past two weeks and thought I would actually take a vacation from the computer...it sort of worked.

"Drink" Cup show now Online

The "Drink" cup show is now online at the link above. Just click on the image above and it should take you there. Some really nice cups are included and a big thank you to A.J. Argentina, Connor McKissack and Debra Fritts for putting it all together. Enjoy

New Vase Forms in the Studio.

These forms have been pervading the studio lately, and have really enjoyed their planar qualities. I was doing some thinking about form recently and was thinking about some of the Shaker influences that I have looked at over the past number of years. I always have loved the oval stack boxes that the shakers used for various uses, and have become such an iconic image of their handcraft. The reason that they made the boxes oval were for two reasons. The aesthetic of the curve was both beautiful and allowed for less joints and simplicity in manufacturing. The other reason was so they would fit on a shelf more efficiently. I loved this idea of efficiency and had made oval forms for some time because of that. I have always been bothered by round vase forms because of the way that they orient themselves to a table. My mother loved putting large arrangements of flowers on the table, but I realize that they didn't really occupy the space fully. A long rectangular space with a round object in the middle seems odd spacialy to me now. I really love the idea of a flower brick which has been a new staple for many potters altering forms or hand-building pots. I have a feeling that these forms are going to stretch out more, giving the viewer more of a landscape view to the pot. I also love the idea of some of these industrially aged architectural forms spewing forth color and life in the form of flowers and foliage. Seems to be a nice dichotomy in the way I view my influences. I love the forms of old industry and the residue of production, but the produced materials are usually not to my liking, and detrimental to the environment. Duality is interesting.