Women in Clay, Terra Madre, brought intricate pottery to display and sell at its ninth annual show, held Nov. 9-10 at Bridgewater Place in Knoxville. Several members will be at the Foothills Art Guild show this weekend, Nov. 16-18, at the Jacob Building at Chilhowee Park. Check here for details. We visited with four of the artists:
Rikki Taylor, retired teacher at Halls Middle School, whispered an anecdote about days gone by when she and I both had real jobs. “Hey, stop that!” Taylor showed a start-to-finish pottery piece on her tablet. Especially interesting was the difference in color intensity between once-fired and twice-fired pottery.
Pat Clapsaddle was likewise familiar. A retired art teacher, she now lives in Sharps Chapel and is one of a thriving band of Union County artists. Clapsaddle paints portraits on pottery – says some are real people, some are inventions and a few are from the works of famous painters. (Don’t ask me which is which!)
Ellie K. Christner was the kid of the crowd. She’s been selling her work for four years through Bug Pottery. Ellie has a great backstory, as they say, including near-death and ladybugs. Her work is detailed and delicate. Find a complete inventory on her website.
Marion Schlauch of Jumping Cactus Pottery, based in Walland, Tenn., actually remembered me from last year’s show … and she named what I bought from her. Wow! Marion is the real deal. She’s had work displayed at the Smithsonian American Art Museum.
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