Arkansas Craft Guild » Pottery

Adriana Morrisette

admin — Mon, 17 May 2010 02:10:12 +0000

Adrianna Morrisette’s career as a potter began by chance after taking a few pottery classes at a local community college in Texas. Her initial success in juried shows propelled her to continue to work in clay. In 1994, pottery became her full-time profession when she opened Morrisette Pottery in Leslie, Arkansas.

Adrianna’s creativity takes many forms from functional dinnerware and serving pieces, to mystical wizards, angels and crosses. She also works in raku, creating a variety of decorative pieces including masks and artistic objects. Her original designs use color as well as sharp geometric designs in black and white. Finishes are selected to complement the intent of each piece from shiny and matte glazes for serving ware to the soft feel of raku pieces. Adrianna’s goal is to create aesthetic beauty and durability in each piece.

www.morrisettepottery.com

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Anni Worster

admin — Mon, 17 May 2010 04:02:15 +0000

Anni lives in the Ozark Mountains at Yellville where she creates freeform stoneware clay sculptures and hand-built pottery. Although her career began in painting and photography, her love of the natural surroundings and clay led her to sculpting and creating art inspired by nature.

Each original sculpture is a part of a series: Fanta-Sea, Fantasy Flowers, Forever Rose, Forever Forest, or Enchantments. Importantly, her donated work has helped raise funds for important causes including the American Cancer Society, the Relay for Life, and the Susan G. Komen Foundation, to name a few. Anni’s work has been featured in Fired Arts Magazine, and earned recognition.

“I love living in what I consider to be one of the most beautiful places on earth, and I am proud to be part of the Arkansas art community. Art has become part of life’s joyous journey and has brought me much joy and many new friendships.”

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Dan Butkowski

admin — Sun, 16 May 2010 21:41:25 +0000

Beginning in high school, Dan Butkowski was drawn to clay, and he still follows that attraction. “As I open each piece of clay it is as if it is taking its first breath. Each pot that I throw takes on a bit of my personality.”

From functional plates, cookware, teapots and mugs to more decorative items, Dan shapes new pieces and explores glazes that bring life to each design. Using a high-fire, iron-based stoneware clay, his work is both beautiful and lasting. He continuously compiles lists of new ideas as well as designs that get rave reviews. He works in multiples, creating and assembling several pieces of the same kind and moving them through the greenware to bisque to kiln-firing process (at 2400° F) process at the same time.

“In a world that can be so impersonal it is meaningful to know that the pieces of mine that people are using have been shaped by human hands for the sole purpose of their enjoyment. For me, creating and using ceramics touches our humanity as we are but precious, one-of-a-kind, jars of clay. “

www.dbJarsofclay.com

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David & Becki Dahlstedt

admin — Sun, 16 May 2010 17:05:21 +0000

David studied with Joe Coulter at Henderson State in Arkadelphia, while Becki received instruction at the Berkeley Potters’ Guild in California. Their paths converged in 1984 at the Ozark Folk Center where David had been the potter for 6 years producing a complete line of decorative functional stoneware under the name American Beauty Pottery. They continued to demonstrate pottery at the Folk Center while building a studio adjacent to their home near the Court Square in Mountain View, with assistance from an Individual Artist Fellowship David received from the Arkansas Arts Council. In 1996 the Dahlstedts left the Ozark Folk Center to become independent studio potters. They now market their work under the name Mountain View Pottery at galleries and shops in Mountain View, Eureka Springs, and Little Rock. They make the Clinton Presidential Logo mugs which are sold exclusively at the Clinton Museum Store. David has received numerous awards for his pottery, has taught workshops at the Arkansas Arts Center, and has work in the permanent collection of the Decorative Arts Museum in Little Rock.

David and Becki are participating artists on the “Off the Beaten Path” Studio Tour which takes place the third weekend of September in and around Mountain View. For information on the tour visit the website Off The Beaten Path Studio Tour.

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Jerry Faulkner

admin — Sun, 16 May 2010 22:24:27 +0000

Jerry Faulkner has a way with clay. From her idyllic studio setting at the site of the historic Rhea’s Mill in Northwest Arkansas, she produces a broad spectrum of functional bowls, platters, and mugs; outdoor accessories, and jewelry. Her clay work focuses on both form and function. Functional work primarily is wheel-thrown stoneware, while the decorative pieces are often hand built and more organic in design, and often raku or pit fired. In addition to her own work, she devotes time to teaching pottery.

“As potters, it is important for us to be close to the earth. You’ll find most of us tend to be gardeners and animal lovers in addition to believing in the magic of clay.”

www.faulknerstudio.com

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Jo and Marvin Smith

admin — Mon, 17 May 2010 03:44:23 +0000

We live, work, garden and walk our two dogs on 40 beautiful acres in the Arkansas Ozarks, a wonderful place for inspiration. We began exhibiting at juried art shows in 1987, and have been members of the Arkansas Craft Guild since 1988.

All of our pieces are made with function and beauty in mind to add more enjoyment to your life.

Jo does all of the clay work and Marvin does the Treenware.

John Perry & Judi Munn

admin — Sun, 16 May 2010 21:11:08 +0000

We produce our pottery at the Ozark Folk Center State Park in Mountain View, Arkansas. During the visitor season, we demonstrate the art of making wheel-thrown pottery to the public. We form pots out of raw clay. The following day, we trim and decorate them. To decorate the pot we press a fern or hand-made stencil into the surface of the clay. Colored clay, or slip, is then painted over the stencil. Once the colored clay stiffens, the fern or stencil is removed.

Our path to become potters was not a direct one. We both are certified to teach and hold Masters Degrees in fields other than pottery. Judi took up pottery with the idea of adding Art to her list of teaching certifications. In 1992, after a year and a half of classes, she got an apprenticeship at the Ozark Folk Center with David and Becki Dahlstedt. John began his apprenticeship in pottery in 1996. We both teach pottery at various times of the year at the Folk Center.

We love making our living using our hands. It is satisfying to start with a lump of clay and produce a piece of work that may last for 5000 years, or more! The work sold here is functional stoneware. We designed it to be used and enjoyed. All of our pottery is microwave safe, oven proof, and dishwasher safe.

Judi’s work is in the collections of Hillary Rodham Clinton and Senator Dale Bumper’s wife. An article written by Judi was published in January of 2002 in Ceramics Monthly Magazine. It was called “Pure Whimsy” and focused on her slip decorated animal pottery. Their work has won a variety of awards and honors. One of her pitchers is included in the book 500 Pitchers.

Maura Miller

admin — Sun, 16 May 2010 21:09:15 +0000

Maura, originally from California, now resides near Fayetteville, Arkansas and works full time as a potter and sculptor at Terra Studios. Her Passion for clay began in elementary school, when she discovered that she could dig up clay form her backyard and make “wonderful creations”. Maura obtained a B.A. in Studio Art and Cultural Anthropology form the University of California at Santa Barbara. She has taken many postgraduate courses in clay at Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville. After seven years as an archeologist, working on digs in many states and some U.S. territories, Maura is now devoting herself to clay. Her current works include a variety of raku masks. Maura also creates sculptural vessels that are often thrown on the wheel, altered, and assembled. Some of these vessels are somewhat anthropomorphic, while others depict a quiet sense of grace.

Contact Maura:

20553 Hill Top Drive
Fayetteville, AR 72701
479-643-2718
email Maura

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Paul Pitt

admin — Mon, 17 May 2010 02:54:05 +0000

Although Coyote Clay is formally educated and teaches sculpture and drawing at Harding University in Searcy, Arkansas he has chosen a different path from the norm. He and Sharon, his wife of over forty years live in the woods in a cavehouse, make an organic garden and experience directly the Creator’s gentle touch.

The flute-making studio is also underground. When the weather is warm enough some of the work on the flutes can be done outside where the sounds of the forest provide an appropriate backdrop.

There are two sons, the youngest of which has migrated from the Arkansas cave to the Florida coast where he is an interpreter for Language Line. The oldest has his own family. He is an emergency room nurse at a Little Rock hospital and is himself the father of triplets. Coyote Clay is therefore a grandfather coyote. Being small of statue as coyotes are he has long been a distance runner and is a veteran of several 26.2 mile marathon foot races. As of this writing Coyote Clay still runs and continues to be a “Health Nut” regarding diet and exercise etc.

At Harding University in his office is a framed certificate of adoption into the Neches tribe of the Cherokee Nation. The certificate is signed by “Chief White Eagle” of the Neches tribe.

His art has won multiple awards and has been seen from Florida to California and continues to be in many art gallery type establishments. Making flutes is his passion and has been the main focus of his art since 1995.

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