A Juried Exhibition of Work
by Artists at Ruby’s Clay Studio
RUBY’S @ AMOCA
Exhibited at Ruby’s Clay Studio
November 5 to 19, 2014
and
The American Museum of Ceramic Art
February 14 - March 29, 2015
The Artists at Ruby’s Clay Studio
DEWEY ARSEE’ CONTACT INFORMATION e-mail: deweyarsee@gmail.com website: Deweyarsee.com
This body of work centers around themes of liberation—often told with irreverent humor. Most work employees scrafitto techniques which are later detailed more precisely with the use of varied glazes. Some work also employees collage which is adhered to the finished stoneware using iron based photo transfers.
CHARLES BELGARDE CONTACT INFORMATION
e-mail: charlesjr86@hotmail.com phone: 415-845-6995
Charles started working with clay in 1996 and his passion can be seen in his glaze work. Charles works with stoneware clay and will use multi glazes to reach a result that brings satisfaction to his desire to create in this form. The function is just as important to him as to the beauty that it might impart. It is his hope that there is enough subtleness in his expression for some thought.
Charles’ background started early in life when at a young age he made a decision that he wanted to be an Artist. This led to his own studio in Minnesota where he could create large abstract paintings. Now this expression belongs here in California with clay and glaze that he can fire to a nice cone 10 in reduction.
KERRI BERKOWITZ CONTACT INFORMATION e-mail: kerriberk21@yahoo.com
phone: 415-652-4151
It was through clay that Kerri experienced a true sense of belonging as a young teen back during my high school days. Her teacher believed in her, encouraged her, and inspired her to push through the edges of Kerri’s comfort zone, allowing her to experience vulnerability in a safe and supportive atmosphere. Twenty years later clay continues to provide a means for my creative expression and continues to foster a deep sense of belonging within herself. Kerri’s comfort zone continues to expand as she tries new strategies and techniques. Large bowls remain her favorite pieces to make and she greatly enjoy the exploration of texture and surface design as she believe it allows for the inner uniqueness of each piece to shine.
ANN BONTATIBUS CONTACT INFORMATION e-mail: ann@Bontatibus.com phone: 415-552-6246
website: bontatibus.com/ceramicsculpture
Ann started working with clay when she moved to California in 1972 but it wasn’t until 2001 that she was able to devote fulltime to ceramics. Ruby’s Clay Studio is in her neighborhood and has been an inspiring place to work. Her ceramic education has been acquired from an eclectic range of workshops. Ann’s focus is on sculpture from nature and the world around me. Initially my work was focused on fountains, birdbaths and other items for yards, gardens, and decks, which she still does. As time goes on she’s added figurative sculpture, animals, both real and mythical and “naked raku” vessels. Currently Ann is working with Porcelain Paper Clay for both high-fire and Naked Raku. All her work is built up using coils of various sizes, a technique that allows for an unlimited variety of shapes.
LARRY CARBONE CONTACT INFORMATION
e-mail: Lgcarbonepottery@gmail.com
phone: 425-609-6490
Larry is a veterinarian by day, and have been a potter since college. His work is all wheel-based, with a variety of clays. He gets bored by round pots, and enjoy altering shapes and playing with handles and lids and attachments.
Facebook: LG Carbonepottery
LEN CARELLA CONTACT INFORMATION e-mail: info@lencarella.com phone: 415-265-4378
website: lencarella.com
Len Carella started working in ceramics in 1996 at Parsons School of Design in New York City after ten years as a footwear designer. In February, 2004 he was part of a group show at the Williamsburg Art & Historical Center in Brooklyn, New York. His hand made pieces often include leather, braided thread and cork details. His work has been sold at De Vera, Erica Tanov, Small Trade Company & Tradesmen in San Francisco. The Shop at the Bardessono in Yountville and Bluebird in Toronto. He was selected to participate in the 2014 Fog Art & Design Fair in the 21 Pop Shop-- “In the Kitchen”. He currently works full-time in Ruby’s Clay Studio in San Francisco in high fire, cone 10 reduction in porcelain and stoneware. His work is currently available at March and The NWBLK in San Francisco and Esqueleto in Oakland and online at www.the-commons.us & www.firecackerusa.com. Creating modern, functional ceramicware of the highest quality is the goal of Len Carella Ceramics.
SUSAN CHANDLER CONTACT INFORMATION e-mail: schndler@pacbell.net
phone: 415-431-8606
Susan grew up in Salt Lake City, Utah, drawing and painting in school. Her interest in architecture at the University of Utah led her to hunt down the department. Susan found they had no interest in women, but discovered a ceramic studio in one of their old war-surplus buildings. Dorothy Bearnson, who developed the space, invited her to join the class. There Susan found the love of her life, pottery. She has been throwing high fire clay pots on the wheel ever since, finding new studios wherever she’s moved: Gottingen, Germany (Topferei Kumpmann), Berkeley, Oakland. Now Susan work at Ruby’s Clay Studio and Gallery at 552A Noe Street in San Francisco, California, 94114.
website: rubysclaystudio.org
Susan was fascinated by a class in the Pueblo Indian method of hand building with coils, carving, sanding and burnishing the pots, given by Bud Lourdan. She took it twice. At the end of each class, They dug a pit at the San Francisco beach, loaded it with pots and fuel, then lit it on fire. After a day of burning and cooling, the once red Quarry Tile clay came out exquisitely black and shiny. That is what started her next remarkable journey in clay.
RICHARD CROCKER CONTACT INFORMATION e-mail: chefchard@gmail.com phone: 415-290-9324
Richard has always enjoyed making things, which is one of the reasons that he’s in his chosen career. Being a Chef and creating things with his hands is part of him. Richard enjoys the creative process from inception of concept to fruition of finished product. Pottery has always appealed to him, its feel in the hand, its use in our daily lives and its organic nature. Working within the confines of cone 10 high fire materials, and inspired by my surroundings, travels, historical works and imagination, Richard endeavors to bring an artistic sensibility to the objects that we choose to surround ourselves with.
ANDREW DE WITT CONTACT INFORMATION
e-mail: andrew@andrewdewitt.com
phone: 415-431-1305
website: andrewdewitt.com
Andrew’s introduction to ceramics began in sculpture in 1988 and expanded to functional pottery in 1994. His work is primarily concerned with organic forms, textures, and themes. Although occasionally he uses lower firing techniques his work is primarily composed of reduction fired stoneware and porcelain. His work ranges from purely sculptural forms to large and small functional vessels, lighting, and, most recently furniture. Andrew’s work can be found internationally in galleries, hotels and restaurants as well as in private collections and homes. His work has been featured in such publications as Wallpaper, Surface, Architectural Digest, GQ, and California Home & Design.
You can view a portflio of his work at his website.
NICHOLAS DIBLASIO CONTACT INFORMATION e-mail: njdiblasio@yahoo.com phone: 415-994-4116
website: nicholasdiblasio.com
Nicholas J. DiBlasio is a graduate of the Columbus College of Art & Design in Columbus, Ohio. He studied advertising design, painting and ceramics and was mentored by ceramic instructor Ban Kajitani.
His hand built ceramic wall art are the endangered Leafy Sea Dragons of Australia. They are made of porcelain and fired with cone five glazes.
Nick’s ceramic work has been exhibited at the American Museum of Ceramic Art in Pomona, CA and his watercolors have been on exhibit at the Graton gallery in Sonoma, CA.
He lives and works in San Francisco and Guerneville, CA.
MACK DUDLEY CONTACT INFORMATION
“I am quiet, introspective, tall, swarthy and at times, some might say, enigmatic. On a calm, clear Saturday morning in 2002, at my very first class at Ruby’s Studio, I was introduced to the process and discipline of a somewhat curious new creative medium. I am an accomplished printmaker, but this was a totally different tactile experience. There was instant chemistry in that first encounter
phone: 415-861-2892
that tempted a flirtation. Why not have a fling, I thought, a brief but oh so passionate interlude, a quick roll in the clay with no strings attached, then off to some other creative conquest? To my surprise twelve years later, I’m still happy as a frisky pup with a new bone and revel in the romance that has developed with the muse and object of my early flirtation, the mystique of Clay”.
IRENE FEIKS CONTACT INFORMATION e-mail: ifeiks@yahoo.com phone: 949-212-0517
website: coroflot.com/IFeiksCeramics/portfolio
Irene Feiks was born in Mexico City, daughter to a Swiss Father and German Mother. As Irene’s formative years were spent in Mexico, she was constantly surrounded by the colorful work of the local art scene; people such as Rufino Tamayo and Diego Rivera later on became great influences in her own work. This is most evident in her investigations with color and juxtaposition of themes. In 1989 Irene moved to Southern California with her family and in 1993 her immersion into the world of ceramics began. Her thirst for innovation and growth led her to delve into a multiplicity of media; over the past 16 years she has taken a large array of courses in ceramics, jewelry design and bronze sculpture at Saddleback College in Mission Viejo, California. Ultimately, Irene has become most passionate and interested in clay as a medium because of its flexibility and connection with nature. Focusing on sculpture making, Irene has invested her explorations in developing a conceptual language manifested in the creation of imaginary characters. Most recently, Irene transplanted her workshop to Ruby’s Clay Studio and Galley in
San Francisco, CA where she is excited to continue to experiment, collaborate and expand her knowledge and sense of invention. Her pieces have been sold in numerous galleries throughout the state of California (in Laguna Beach, Sausalito, Healdsburg, San Francisco, San Clemente, San Juan Capistrano, etc.) Most of them reside in private collections. Additionally, Irene’s work has been selected for exhibition in a myriad of shows. A few are listed below: Saddleback College; Solo show Mexican Consulate, SFO ; Solo show NNCA Rubys Clay Studio and Gallery; Solo show Driftwood Gallery 111 Minna Wonderland S F.
JANE GRIMM CONTACT INFORMATION e-mail: jane@janebgrimm.com
phone: 415-205-4353
website: janebgrimm.com
Jane, a native San Franciscan, received her MFA with high distinction from CCAC in Oakland. Prior to her work in ceramics she designed and manufactured costume jewelry for major department stores and boutiques in the US and abroad.
Jane is drawn to the medium of clay because of its versatility. Her creations are inspired by objects found in nature. Her hand built sculptures primarily are made with low fire clays and decorated with low fire underglazes and glazes.
Her work is in the collections of the Berkeley Art Museum, Nora Eccles Museum, Neiman Marcus, Wachovia Bank, J Moore Partners, Lucent Technologies and many private collectors. She has exhibited throughout the US and in Europe.
MARNIA JOHNSTON CONTACT INFORMATION e-mail: marnia@gmail.com phone: 650-520-1878
website: marniajohnston.com
Marnia Johnston is a sculptor and interdisciplinary instigator collaborating with engineers, synthetic biologists, programmers and tinkerers. She creates projects exploring what Donna Haraway calls the “ideological struggle between life and social science”. Marnia’s work does this by incorporating themes surrounding mass production (including biological mass production of cell and tissue cultures), ecology and biological processes by using robotics, ceramics and various other media. Marnia has been awarded the Visions from the New California Award, a James Irvine Foundation Fellowship and completed a residencies at the Exploratorium, Watershed Arts Center, CARPA and
Anderson Ranch. Her sculptures and drawings have been exhibited widely, most recently at MOP Gallery Australia, Kala Art Institute, The American Museum of Ceramic Art, in Pomona California and at the MultiSpecies Salon at CUNY. Her work can be found in the permanent collection of Jingdezhen Ceramic Art Museum and the Icheon World Ceramic Center. Her work has been recognized by the World Ceramic Biennale, South Korea with two diplomas of honor and a medal of honor. Born in California, Johnston holds a BFA from San Jose State University and MFA from the California College of the Arts (CCA). She continues to sculpt out of her studio in the Castro in San Francisco, CA.
VICKI KLEBAN CONTACT INFORMATION
e-mail: vickiklebanceramics@gmail.com
phone: 415-759-7582
Vicki resumed working in clay 3½ years ago, after a 30 year hiatus. She has always loved “playing in the mud”, and enjoy seeing where her interaction with the clay will take her. During Vicki’s clay break, she worked in textile design, and has been very excited to incorporate that in her work with clay. She enjoys experimenting with form, design and color. Vicki especially likes working on the wheel, making forms that allows her to combine her textile design background with the clay and different firing techniques.
HARRY LEAF CONTACT INFORMATION e-mail: harry@harryleaf.com phone: 415-821-6611
website: harryleaf.com
Harry graduated law school in the late 80s and immediately thought, “what was I thinking” and became a painter and sculptor.
He became a full-time sculptor/potter in 2001. Harry’s signature sculptures are goddesses. They are playful, cheerful, and brightly colored. Each one is unique and is made of a variety of clays and glazing techniques. They generally range in height from 5 inches to 22 inches tall with my most popular ones in the 10 to 12 inch range. They are completely handmade, glazed and fired at the studio in which he works, Ruby’s Clay Studio, in San Francisco, CA. From this original collection other figures have been born such as mermaids and angels. Harry’s work sells in galleries and small boutique gift shops all around the United States.
COCO MANOLI CONTACT INFORMATION
email: cocomanoli@yahoo.com
phone: 415-902-9172
Coco first became acquainted with clay, both throwing on the wheel and hand building, in grade school. After college and taking a long break from ceramics, she took classes again in New York City at Earthworks Pottery and later at Parsons School of Design. Coco has been making pottery ever since. The past 14 years she has been working out of Ruby’s Clay Studio in San Francisco. Coco’s work is high fire (cone 10) functional ceramics and is predominately wheel thrown with porcelain. The majority of the glaze work on her pieces involves layering two or more glazes and includes brush work with wax resist in between the glaze layers to create patterns in the surface design.
JENNIFER MERRILL-PALETHORPE CONTACT INFORMATION
e-mail: jmerrillpalethorpe@gmail.com phone: 415-531-6648
Jennnifer has been a member of Ruby’s Clay Studio since 2002.
She studied ceramics at San Francisco City College and San Francisco State University and holds a California Single Subject Teaching Credential in Ceramic Arts. Jennifer currently works with white stoneware fired to mid-range temperatures in an oxidation environment. She reates a variety of functional and sculptural forms combining wheel thrown and slab techniques
KATERI MICHOS CONTACT INFORMATION
e-mail: kateri.michos@gmail.com
phone: 717-887-2101
website: katerimichos.com
Kateri Michos is a ceramic artist originally from Takoma Park, MD now residing in the S.F. Bay Area. She received her B.F.A. from Maryland Institute College of Art (MICA) in 2004. She has recently participated in a four person show at Ruby’s Clay Studio & Gallery and a group show at the San Francisco Google Office Gallery. Her work alternates between using dark, iron-rich clays and smooth, white porcelain. Her work always has a sense of texture and makes use of the natural, unglazed clay body.
KRIS MOSER CONTACT INFORMATION e-mail: krismoser@aol.com phone: 415-648-0106
Kris is a ceramic artist creating both sculptures and functional objects. She has a BA in Art from U.C. Berkeley and a M.A. in Art Education from Stanford University. She taught art and ceramic classes in middle schools and high schools in Northern California for nine years. While teaching Kris developed an interest in animation that led her to work as an animator for film and television shorts and features. She also animated, art directed and produced video games and children’s educational computer games. In 1999 she began to gradually refocus my work on ceramic art. Kris is interest-
ed in animal forms and their relationship to human experience, feelings and evolution.
As a former animator, Kris concentrates on creating sculptures with strong “key poses”. She likes building sculptures using modified thrown, extruded and slab forms. She’s also interested in highly-textured surface treatments in both her sculptures and functional works. She enjoy experimenting with carving and applied textures.
Kris’s recent work has been with dark stoneware but in her newest pieces Kris is experimenting with various porcelains.
ANNA PAYDEN CONTACT INFORMATION e-mail: apayden@gmail.com
phone: 414-758-8065
website: etsy.com/shop/SecondSkinPottery
Anna began her journey in clay working as a studio assistant for two local artists during her senior year of high school. She subsequently attended Macalester College in St. Paul, MN, where she studied for three semesters with Gary Erickson, learning both hand building and wheel technique. Functional tableware immediately appealed to her, existing at the intersection between her loves of art and food. She continued with a one-year apprenticeship under Erickson following graduation. Anna’s work focuses on pots for the home and table that ask to be touched and used. She loves the connection to
the earth and to the individual maker that handmade pottery adds to a life and living space. The variation and interaction among flame, glaze, and form that occurs in a cone 10 gas reduction firing is constantly inspiring and challenging. Anna immediately connected with Shino glazes upon first introduction and they continue to be her favorite; the results of each firing alternate from frustrating to magical. Anna has been a member of Ruby’s Clay Studio since 2009. Her work is shown and sold at Ruby’s along with her Etsy site, and she is a selected vendor for the West Coast Craft show in San Francisco, 2013 & 2014.
DAVID PERRY CONTACT INFORMATION e-mail: perryd1@mac.com phone: 415-517-3854
In 2007, David took a low-fire handbuilding class at San Francisco City College. He loved it. The versatility of handbuilding continues to fascinate him; he can take it in any direction. David’s work is organic and each piece evolves. As the clay gives him direction, he stops periodically to check for balance and proportion. He goes through phases in the style he’s going for and the type of clay he uses. David currently experimenting using a variety of glazes on high-fire paper clay. This is the first juried show he’s been in.
KATINA PRICE CONTACT INFORMATION
e-mail: katina60price@gmail.com
phone: 416-425-1612
Katina always wanted to work with clay, and when she came to San Francisco in the 80’s, she found a culture that loved and embraced ceramics, and studios to study in. Here is where Katina first touched clay, wedged it, molded it, threw on the wheel and held a fired piece. She was hooked.
However, her love for pottery started way before making it. It began with Katina’s childhood experiences, wandering and playing in the Carmel Mountains, many times barefoot. There were clay shards all around her. She wanted to be like the potters from past times. And so it is not by accident that she’s been working with clay for all her adult life. For Katina, clay and pottery is an ongoing passion. From shaping a piece to glazing and firing it. There is never a
dull moment and a place to improve and elaborate.
The plate, titled “Squares in the Round,” is part of a series of works in which Katina explored wax-resist patterns created from simple repeating shapes. The box, titled ”It’s cozy in pears “ is part of a series of works in which she experimented, juxtaposing bare clay with glazed surfaces. Katina wants to thank both Ruby’s and the Sharon Art Studio for their artistic and technical support and guidance.
TERRIE RAPHAEL CONTACT INFORMATION
e-mail: thecuriouspotter@gmail.com phone: 415-494-5291
website: thecuriouspotter.com
Terrie has fallen in love with clay several times for a variety of reasons – the material, the process, the possibilities, sometimes even the results. She dabbled as a child, took classes as a diversion from graduate school while on my way to becoming a cultural anthropologist, when working in health care management and between consulting gigs.
She continues to be challenged by the questions posed by my most important teacher, Adrienne Yurick of Third Avenue Clay in Brooklyn, NY. What are you trying to accomplish with that vessel? How does the surface treatment relate to the essential form? Where are the positive and negative spaces? Does it feel in the hand the way the eye suggests it will? Is there something new to see each time you look at a finished piece? The generosity of many skilled artists has helped Terrie to find my own small voice in clay. She appreciates the openended opportunities to transform a lump
of clay into something that is good to look at, good to use, and good for contemplation. She is drawn to the challenge of making functional vessels – vases, mugs and bowls with quiet surfaces to complement food or flowers – that speak to both the craft and art of ceramics. Generally Terrie combines wheel-thrown and altering techniques for shaping vessels. Occasionally She turns to slab-based forming methods for wall or table designs. Most of my work is made in stoneware and fired to cone 10 in reduction. She am an exhibiting artist with City Art Gallery in San Francisco and belong to the SF Etsy Street Team as well as SF Made.
SHELLEY SIMON CONTACT INFORMATION
e-mail: shelleysimon2003@yahoo.com phone: 415-430-5928
website: shelleysimonceramics.com
Shelley has worked with ceramics for 40 years obtaining her BA in arts, crafts, and their history at the University of California at Santa Cruz. Additionally she has studied ceramics in Sun Valley Idaho with ceramic Masters including Rudy Audio, Paul Soldner, and Jim Romberg. Shelley’s emphasis has been throwing on the wheel. Over the years she has participated in the buyers market of American Crafts, selling a line of whimsical fountains which have been sold in Galleries and catalogs across the country.
Her lifelong relationship with horses and love of riding inspired Shelley’s line of ceramic horses. The gestural quality of her work seeks to capture the energy and movement essence of horses from the riders viewpoint. After throwing for many years it’s been exciting to move into a more sculptural aspect of Clay, proving the extraordinary versatility of this medium.
TANIA STEPANIAN CONTACT INFORMATION e-mail: tstepanian@mac.com phone: 415-921-3832
Tania doesn’t have a formal art background. In 1964, after graduating from college, she took a class in ceramics at the SF Art Institute. This class inspired her to visit Japan the next summer and she travelled by herself to many of the most famous pottery studios and kilns. After that, work and family somehow prevented Tania from making time for working with clay. She started to attend Ruby’s in 2001 and have taken some courses at Anderson Ranch. She still loves the Japanese aesthetic and try to spend her free time at the wheel or working with slabs to create functional ceramic pieces. Tania uses both porcelain and dark clay bodies that are fired to cone 10. Her favorite glazes are celadon on porcelain and Val’s green, Temoku, or Acero on the darker clays. Her decoration is usually quite minimal but still very personal. This is Tania’s first juried show.
DENISE STUKAS CONTACT INFORMATION
e-mail: denisestukas@sbcglobal.net
phone: 650-557-1586
Denise Stukas started her adventure with clay way back in high school in Binghamton, NY. She went on to study fine arts at the School of Visual Arts. From there, studied at numerous clay studios in New York and Denver, and moved to San Francisco, where she currently works at Ruby’s Clay Studio. Her primary focus is creating one of a kind wheel thrown and raku fired vessels.
KENT TOOL CONTACT INFORMATION e-mail: ktool@comcast.net phone: 415-308-0529
website: rubysclaystudio.org
Kent has always been influenced by the Arts & Crafts movement, especially by the architects Frank Lloyd Wright, Charles Rennie Mackintosh, and the Greene brothers of Pasadena fame. He is also a wood worker. Thus, Kent builds various wooden forms over which he constructs the basic ceramic shape. The form is very quickly removed and additional decorative elements are added.
Kent first took a class in ceramics in Porter Creek, Indiana in 1972. He then took a vacation from clay until taking another class at Ruby’s Clay Studio in San Francisco in 1993 and that’s where he has been ever since. While Kent is mostly self-taught, he has enjoyed various workshops through the 20+ years that he’s spent trying to create useful, functional objects out of clay.
Kent tends to work with dark stoneware and porcelain clay bodies and fire everything to cone 10 in heavy reduction firings. He most often uses celadon, copper green and copper red glazes.
In addition to creating ceramics, Kent has gained a good deal of satisfaction by collecting contemporary ceramics in both the U.S. and Great Britain. When possible he will try to meet the artist and engage in conversation. Some of these conversations have clearly influenced by work.
RICHARD URBAN CONTACT INFORMATION
e-mail: richardurbanceramics@yahoo.com
phone: 415-349-6079
Richard has been studying ceramics since 1984, when he took his first ceramics class at San Francisco City College. He hasn’t had so much formal schooling in ceramics but have learned from other potters and by putting in my ten thousand hours. Richard has been an independent studio potter for twenty years or so. He once had a wholesale line of stoneware. He threw thousands of pots. Now Richard works at Heath Ceramics and continue to make his own pots, tea ceremony bowls, altar ware. “That sorta thing”. Recently Richard has been developing my own clay bodies and glazes to go with them. He likes simple forms and glazes. Less is more.
He has been studying Zen Buddhism for almost as long as he has been making pots. Richard strives to integrate zen and ceramics.
Richard tries to make honest pots. Sometimes he is successful, sometimes not. But he hopes his pots convey a sense of place, in particular the Pacific Rim bioregion. Conifers like Douglas Fir, Redwood, and Sitka Spruce, point north. And he hopes his pots do as well.
Richard tries to move gently through this space. May all beings be happy.
BARBARA VANDERBECK CONTACT INFORMATION e-mail: bvan369@gmail.com phone: 415-810-3547
website: barbaravanderbeck.com
Barbara Vanderbeck is a San Francisco based artist whose primary media is clay. She is currently focusing on sculpture specifically designed for the garden. Barbara received her MA from Northern Arizona University with an extended major in ceramics. She has been an exhibiting member of the Association of Clay and Glass Artists of California since 2005.
Barbara participates in both solo and group exhibits thorough out the Bay Area annually.
CAROL WEDEMEYER CONTACT INFORMATION
e-mail: carol.wedemeyer@gmail.com
phone: 415-216-5380
website: carolwedemeyer.org
The days of Carol’s youth were spent in Ann Arbor Michigan where you could find a colorful group of hippies, intellects, U of M sports fans and those who came to the acclaimed Ann Arbor Art Fair. After receiving her BFA and teaching degree from EMU Carol was inspired to move to San Francisco and pursue a life filled with dance and sculpting. In practicing the unusual discipline of footbag freestyle, she competed world wide winning 9 World Championship titles. In addition to these travels, flight attending and teaching clay workshops have taken her many places. Regular art habits serve as a vital grounding force to temper her nomadic lifestyle. Often Carol’s pieces
are gestures of movement inspired by her history with dance and travel. Plenty of these are made in motion as she often travel with her studio suitcase. Carol’s work is featured in several publications including 5 different Lark Books in the 500 series. AMOCA hosts an interesting group of her art from the 90’s in their permanent museum collection thanks to the late William Burke.
LIZ WORTHY CONTACT INFORMATION e-mail: liz@lizworthy.com phone: 415-602-9409
website: lizworthy.com
Liz Worthy typically handbuilds with slabs of porcelain clay, then stencils her work with brightly colores slips, and glazes to cone 10 with a traditional celadon. In 2005 she was an artist in residence at Sanbao Ceramic Art Institute in China, where she first discovered decals. She has continued to work with decals, including ones created from her own illustrations.
Much of her art work is interactive and has a community element. Her ceramics have been used to ferry poems across the sea toward Japan, create an intimate gallery space for conversations over tea, and hold the letters of multi-generational penpals. The bowls in this show are part of her “I heart Ruby’s Clay Studio” series. Data was collected in a survey of 39 Rubyites. Worthy is chair of Ruby’s workshop committee, where she has been a member for 15 years.
EMIL YANOS CONTACT INFORMATION e-mail: eyanos@aol.com
phone: 415-648-7552
website: emilyanosdesign.com
Ceramic Sculptor Emil Yanos has been working with clay since 1993. Professionally trained in Floral and Graphic Design, his ceramic work weaves together the best aspects of both disciplines. Through hands-on experimentation, he has found that working with clay provides an excellent medium to explore his love of color and texture. The overall feel of his work is organic and inspired of the earth. Elemental forms give his work primitive yet refined sensibilities. Emil’s goal in all of his creative endeavors is to communicate meaning, extending beyond the visual form to encourage an emotional response from his audience. Emil earned his certification in Floral Design from the highly respected program at City College of San Francisco in 2002, and was inducted into the prestigious American Institute of Floral Designers
within the following year. Prior to working with flowers, Emil completed his BFA in Graphic Design at the Academy of Art College in San Francisco, after beginning his education at the University of Hawaii in Honolulu, where he was born and raised.
Emil enjoys exploring the sculptural nature of clay as opposed to the two-dimensional limitations of graphic design, using varying degrees of color to heighten or diminish contrasts in texture, emphasizing the properties of the clay itself. He does this by building up layers of color until the desired effect is achieved. Texture is also enhanced by employing techniques such as stretching and pulling. His floral designs, in combination with his ceramics, often look like graceful floral sculptures.
HIDEO YOSHIDA CONTACT INFORMATION e-mail: yoshideo@yahoo.com phone: 415-626-8176
Hideo’s work is created with the concept that precise, repetitive motions can develop into a significant presence. The vessels, which have been inspired by past cultures, are coil built and then fired in an anagama kiln. I have received an honorable mention award in the “Pots of Virtue” juried exhibit of 2005, juried by Mark Pharis.
RUBY’S @ AMOCA
Published by Emil Yanos Design