6 minute read
Meet The Makers
Two artists, one from Asheville and one from Charleston, sit down with us to talk about honing their craft, their creative journeys, and where they see themselves as makers today.
Meet Judi Harwood
Resident Potter at the Village Potters in Asheville
From her work filling the Village Potters Gallery, you’d never know that Judi Harwood’s love for pottery developed later in life. After moving to Asheville, she took her first clay class in 1999, and they say the rest is history. Today, Judi shares her passion for ceramics through classes and demonstrations at the Village Potters, where she turns clay into art and people into potters.
How did you begin your journey as a clay artist? Unlike many ceramic artists, I can’t say, “I’ve wanted to make pots on the wheel since I was a child.”
Rather, I randomly took a pottery class with a friend to do something fun together before she moved away. The first time my hands touched wet clay on the wheel, I was hooked. I quickly purchased a used wheel which found a home in the back corner of my garage (my first studio).
What’s your favorite demonstration to perform at the Village Potters? I absolutely love demonstrating the firing processes of raku and horse hair raku. Raku pieces are placed in combustible materials, and onlookers love the drama of the open flame! The magical sight and aroma of horsehair burning up and leaving a carbon print on the pottery sparks all kinds of questions and comments from those watching. The fun is contagious!
What is the most experimental way you’ve fired your creations? A few years ago when teaching an Alternative Firings class, my students and I tried to answer the question, “What would happen if we … ?” We wedged mica powder into our clay, and put corn shucks, cat food, and coffee in our saggars. Perhaps the most experimental was mica powder (last minute) dumped into the Obvara brew. Some results didn’t make any difference, while others were magical!
Do you always know what you’re going to create when you begin molding the clay? Most of the time, I know exactly what I am going to create when I sit down at the wheel since clay is weighed and wedged for a certain size and form. I’m typically working on a commission, wholesale order, or something for Village Potters gallery. Occasionally, however, I take the liberty to “just throw and see what happens.” That’s when a new form gets added to my line of work.
What advice would you give a beginner clay artist? To the beginner clay artist, I would say this: “We all start at the beginning. Don’t be discouraged.” A great place to start is with a pottery class at The Village Potters Clay Center in Asheville. I love making pottery ... but I really love making potters!
Take a class with Judi at The Village Potters Clay Center or view all of her workshops and demonstrations on her website earth2artpottery.com. The Village Potters Clay Center is located at 191 Lyman Street in Asheville, North Carolina. For more information call 828.253.2424 or visit www.thevillagepotters.com
Meet Corey Alston
Gullah Sweetgrass Basket Weaver at Charleston City Market
Corey Alston knows a thing or two about keeping traditions alive. A Gullah Geechee native, Corey found his vocation in educating others on his heritage through cooking classes, interactive workshops, spreading community awareness, and creating the hand-woven masterpieces that have been the cultural cornerstone of the Gullah people for over a century: Sweetgrass Baskets. Corey’s family has been weaving traditional Sweetgrass Baskets for nearly fi ve generations, and he keeps this timehonored craft alive by selling these treasured baskets at the Charleston City Market. Though his infectious smile and passion are always the main attraction.
Why are Sweetgrass Baskets so unique to the Lowcountry? You won’t fi nd Sweetgrass Baskets anywhere else in America. It’s a skill set brought to the Lowcountry from West Africans during the days of enslavement. Today, their descendants, the Gullah, continue their traditions.
What has been your favorite custom piece? My favorite custom piece would be the one that I completed for the Smithsonian American Art Museum in Washington, DC. This piece took me a little over 4 months to complete. I call the piece “From Traditional to Contemporary.” It measures 33 inches tall and 33 inches wide. The reason it’s my favorite piece is because I was asked to make a Sweetgrass Basket that would best represent the Gullah Heritage at a National level. I was honored that I was chosen to be the artist for this project.
Walk us through your process of basket weaving. The process of making a Sweetgrass Basket fi rst starts with harvesting the raw material. Once it’s gathered, it’s laid to dry for 3 to 4 weeks. Then the weaving time begins. I weave for 12-13 hours daily, putting in 8 hours or so in the market and another 4-5 hours once I get home after dinner before going to bed. Then I start the same process the next day. As a 5th generation weaver, how have you made these pieces your own? With skill being around for over 300 years here in the States, it’s really hard to say if any piece would be considered a fi rst-time design. But I can say that everyone has his or her own stitch. So no one can make the same piece twice. Each piece is one of a kind.
What are some telltale signs of an authentic Sweetgrass Basket? The best way to tell if you’re getting a real Sweetwater Basket is by seeing a person sitting there making them. There are knock-offs in our area that are purchased storefronts to compete with the Gullah Baskets. If a Sweetgrass Basket is what you want, only purchased them at historical landmarks, hotel lobbies, visitor centers, festivals, or, of course, right here at Charleston City Market.
You can visit Corey and peruse his hand-woven creations, 7 days a week, at the Charleston City Market, or visit his website thegullahculture.com to learn more about the history of Sweetgrass Basket weaving, the Gullah people, and his work.
