THE ART OF POTTERY, CERAMICS & GLASS

Midori Marcum

Midori, hailing from Japan, uses her experiences to create unique, functional pieces that are intended for everyday use, not just for sitting on your shelf at home collecting dust. Each piece she creates has a special feeling for Midori and she hopes you will also feel that same connection to her pieces.

Mary Downham

Mary has “played” with clay for years. Her pottery is a combination of functional and decorative items and also includes raku and primitive fired pieces.

April Keilen

April’s pottery is hand-thrown, functional and decorative. She loves to create pods and leaves in her work. Nature is always an inspiration. Enjoy.

Colleen Moravec

Colleen Moravec’s interest in mosaic evolved out of residential tile projects in her home. She learned the basics of cutting, setting, and grouting tile in this environment. When she ran out of spaces to tile in her home, she turned to mosaic art as a creative outlet. She recently retired from the corporate world and considers herself an emerging mosaic artist in this community.

She has traveled to Massachusetts and Western Wisconsin to study with accomplished mosaic artists and learn new techniques, including the construction of 3D concrete structures as a base for her mosaic designs.

Her mosaics incorporate stained glass, vitreous glass tiles, jewelry, shells, rocks, broken dishes, and any durable “found” object that fits her theme. She especially enjoys designs that reflect the natural beauty of Northern Minnesota. The beauty of the birds, trees, flowers, water, and sky provide constant inspiration. Each new piece begins as a blank slate – a challenging puzzle to assemble – and then as the pieces come together, the picture emerges. Colleen finds it to be a fascinating and fulfilling process.

She also likes the durability of mosaic once it’s completed and this is reflected in the variety of items she produces – wall art (to place indoors or outdoors), garden art, and upcycled furniture. She also offers custom mosaic designs to be permanently installed as a kitchen or bathroom backsplash, a fireplace surround, in a shower, and so on.

Tom Daly – Tom’s Aquatic Ceramics

Tom Daly has been working with clay for over 30 years seeking to create pieces that are enjoyable to use and display. His observations of natures’ sights and sounds are an infinite source of inspiration for him. He regularly uses sticks, stones, and other found objects as tools.

Incorporating a mix of hand building and wheel throwing techniques, his work tends to be playful, rhythmic, and organic. Lately, he has been using driftwood and stone as part of certain pieces.

When throwing on the wheel he often pushes the clay to the limits of what it will take without collapsing by stretching, scraping, smearing, smashing, slapping, and slicing. He likes when his work has a good mix of grace and tension, yet he still enjoys making straight up traditional forms.

Some of the glazes he uses are pre-mixed commercial. Others he mixes himself including ash glazes that use clays he has collected from different places in Minnesota. He usually doesn’t worry about glazing till he’s faced with the prospect of doing it. As far as how to do that he lets each piece speak to him. There are certain glaze combinations he’s been doing for years and continues to find ways to vary these. He also is always passively or actively searching for new glazes. He still finds it thrilling to be able to make objects in this wonderful medium that others are drawn to and find comfort in.