Potters Talk: New Contest, Open House images, More

September 21, 2007

Highwater Family Reunion a Big Hit

Open House Draws Visitors from Around the Country

Friends, neighbors and fellow potters gathered on the banks of the French Broad River last week to celebrate a milestone birthday, reconnect with old friends, and meet new ones.

Highwater Clays’ annual Open House featured demos by Jim Skutt of Skutt Kiln, Po-Wen Liu representing Nidec-Shimpo, Diana Farris from Amaco, and Richard Arnfield from Spectrum Glazes. Po’s demonstration was so popular that many people stayed afterward to talk to him about issues he touched on during his talk.

“I think this was one of my best demo ever,” he said, adding that he enjoyed talking with Highwater customers and meeting staff. “It turned out great.”

“Both of my sessions were the largest I’ve conducted,” said Jim Skutt. “I received a lot of compliments fom your great customers and enjoyed talking to everyone,” he said, adding that both customers and Highwater staff were very kind.

“It was wonderful to see everyone,” Highwater co-founder Brian McCarthy said. “I think everyone had a great time and people are already getting excited about next year.”

“Nick is a real crowd pleaser,” Brian said of Nick Joerling’s demonstration. “He’s very funny and has been a great friend of Highwater for years … we really appreciate his participation.”

(Photo: Past Odyssey instructor and Highwater favorite Nick Joerling captivated a near capacity room on Sept. 15. Click photo to see larger version.) Read a recent story about the Highwater family that appeared in the Asheville Citizen Times.

New Colors for Cone 10

Highwater Clays tests all new glazes on its own clays to ensure customers know how their work will turn out.

The new cone 10 glazes from Spectrum offer customers a much wider range of colors and textures than have been available in the past, declares Highwater customer service specialist Hayley Smith.

“They even look better in real life than in the color chart,” said Highwater technician Jennifer Hoolihan. The glazes come in gloss finish, satin and matte.

The glazes have been tested on Highwater’s Helios porcelain in oxidation and Hoolihan said she was impressed with the glazes’ rich pallet.

“It’s really nice that they’re offered in pint sizes since a lot of potters will want to use these glazes for accents,” she said. Three coats of glazes have been applied to all test tiles.

E-mail our customer service representatives to order or ask more questions.

Wheel of Fortune

We received a wining guess for the Highwater Clays’ Gets Around Contest. Readers from around the United States played along with us, though the winner is local potter Marian Parkes (pictured with owner Jonathan St. Onge at our Highwater store).

Marian has taken classes at Odyssey and nearby Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community College.

 

 

 

 

Be Part of the Highwater Picture

Share your video – Media Window Player, Quicktime or AVI file – and win a Highwater Clays’ hat, apron or T-shirt.

Only customers using one of the products we carry are eligible. The winning video will be featured on Highwater Clay’s Web site with a link back to your site. This is a great opportunity to showcase your work.

Send your video to randy@highwaterclays.com

Other Happenings!

Highwater is a major sponsor for an exhibition exploring functional work by potters who studied at Black Mountain College in the 1950s.

Events run from Oct. 3 until Nov. 30 and include the following:

Wednesday, Oct. 3 - An Uneasy Relationship: The Leach School, Black Mountain, and Traditional North Carolina Pottery, a presentation by Mark Hewitt, North Carolina potter and writer.

Thursday, Oct. 25, 7 p.m. – Filmmaker Lucy Phenix presents a Sneak Preview of her new documentary From the Inside: The Work of Karen Karnes. (See Photo to the right.)

Saturday, Nov. 10, 10 a.m.– 4 p.m. - How to love this world: Poetry by Hand and Heart a workshop with Paulus Berensohn.

Friday, Nov. 30, 8 p.m. – A Dialogue with David Weinrib, Black Mountain College Potter.

A rare opportunity to hear first-hand about the Black Mountain College pottery program and the amazing artists who worked at the school in the early 1950s as well as the post-BMC experimental community at Stony Point, NY.

(See Warren MacKenzie's "Box" to the left)

Turn Over a New Leaf at Odyssey’s Fall Classes

Asheville – Odyssey Center for the Ceramic Arts offers fall classes to fit your needs, whether you’re new to pottery, a longtime ceramic artist interested in a challenge or a parent looking to start your kids on a new, exciting art form.

“We have classes for both beginners and experts,” said managing Odyssey Director Cynthia Lee. “Students have unique opportunities to learn very specialized skills from ceramic artists like mosaic artist Pam Brewer, for beginners, try both handbuilding and throwing with Lori [Theriault], or hone skills with longtime favorite Becca Floyd.

“Parents are going to love our selection this fall, which features classes that fit their busy schedules … I think moms and dads will be excited to see Mary Ellis back. She wrote ‘Ceramics for Kids.’ And will be teaching ‘Clay for Kids.’

Beginner potters will appreciate Start with Handbuilding with Heather Knight and Try It Out: A Little of This…A Little of That 
with Lori Theriault, while continuing students can choose from Eric Knoche’s handbuilding class, 
Becca Floyd’s Surface Patterns, Wet & Dry or Joy Tanner’s Reed Handles for Wheel Thrown Pottery.

Odyssey brings tile, textile and mosaic expert Pam Brewer to Asheville for Parts & Pieces; Chaos to Order. Brewer originally began teaching because she felt frustrated as a student herself with the scarcity of mentors in the field. “I couldn’t find anyone to teach me … in this country it’s difficult to find instructors who understand the medium of mosaics.

In fact, many students bring Brewer into their homes for instruction. Some of this is due to the nature of tile work – have you ever tried to relocate a shower wall or countertop? – but much of this demand can be ascribed to the rarity of qualified mosaic artists.

“People come from as far away as Charlotte to take my classes offered at Boone,” she said.

“This is going to be a great season for Asheville-area potters and ceramic artists,” said Lee.
For more information call Odyssey at 828.285.0210, e-mail odyssey@highwaterclays.com stop by at 236 Clingman Ave. or visit Odyssey’s Web site at http://www.highwaterclays.com/odyssey/classes/fall07.html

Open House Details!

Highwater Clays' Open House is september 14 and 15 at 600 Riverside Drive, Asheville, NC!

Brian's Corner

We’re in the business of making the Earth’s Best Clays, which also means we’re in the business of winning customers and making friends. We’ve been forging winning partnerships for almost 30 years.

We want you to glaze and fire your work with complete confidence and with the expectation that when you open your kiln door there will be a big smile on your face.

The manufacturers we work with always deliver the goods. People like Jim Skutt, whose company has developed the best electric kilns in the business, is a perfect example.

Our success is yours, too, because we don’t look good unless you look good. We’ve been building this dream one pound of clay at a time for nearly 30 years and none of it would have been possible without you.

Thanks for taking the journey with us,

Easy Bake Pots

A kiln that fits in your microwave? Science fiction, right?

Not anymore. Richard Arnfield will be demonstrating Spectrum’s new microwave kiln at the Open House. This kiln can fire glass, ceramics, and precious metals in a medium-sized microwave oven.

“It’s very cool,” said Highwater Technician Jennifer Hoolihan. “It’s accessible to everyone and you don’t need a lot of space.” The MicroKiln will be for sale at the event.

Arnfield will also be demonstrating glaze pens on glass and as an over glaze.

Download a PDF describing Spectrum’s exciting MicroKiln and read more about their new line of glaze pens.

King of the Kiln

Jim Skutt usually lets his product do the talking. You don’t need to boast when you make some of the best electric kilns in the world.

Like Highwater, Skutt is a family run business. ”Jim is continuing in his grandfather and father’s footsteps,” said co-founder Gail McCarthy. “Skutt offers a great product and has excellent customer service … that’s why we’ve been carrying them for decades.”

Gail says that Jim is a “high energy” person who enjoys talking to potters. “People love his presentations,” she said.

Skutt will be discussing best practices in loading and firing and troubleshooting using onboard or built-in diagnostic tools both Friday and Saturday at 9:45 a.m. He will also be available for questions and answers both days.

Dancing Clay

“I just love his style,” says Odyssey Studio Manager Dawn Dalto about Nick Joerling, who will be demonstrating wheel throwing and altering at 1 p.m. on Saturday.

Joerling is certainly no stranger to Highwater. His last workshop at Odyssey was in the summer of 2006. “It was so much fun to watch him throw a piece, take it off the wheel and then give it a calculated bonk on the table to change the shape,” Dalto said.

Joerling is a full-time potter with a studio in Penland. He has exhibited widely and taught workshops throughout the country and overseas.

In his artist statement he says, “I want to stay in the pot's world ... In my studio what I hope for are pots that have qualities of sensuality, compassion, humor, and risk.”

Taiwanese Wheel Throwing

Nidec-Shimpo will be represented by Po-Wen Liu, who will be demonstrating throwing. He has taught throughout the world and is an expert in clay bodies and glazes.

"We have been working with Highwater Clays for many years and have always appreciated their support as one of our dealers,” said Bob Erickson, General Manager of Shimpo’s Ceramics Division.

“When the opportunity to participate in Highwater Clays’ Open House arose, we didn't hesitate to attend and provide an educational demo. It is also a great time to meet with Highwater’s friends and customers.”

Other Events

Diana Farris from Amaco will also be demonstrating the use of Amaco glazes throughout the two-day event.

Highwater staff will answer to questions, there will be discounts on select glazes and books as well as door prizes.