Char & Larry Anderson
Together, we share the fun of creating these jewels in our Irvine, CA studio. The excitement of opening our kiln is like that of a childhood Christmas morning. That excitement is what propels us to our next firing. There is always another technique or ingredient to be tried… What if we…?
Graeme Anderson
All my pots are made of clay (silt from the bed of an ancient inland sea) from the opal mines. This clay has a lot of impurities. I add a flux to counteract the high silica content for stoneware glazes.
My main interest is in experimenting with various materials in glazes. I fire electric, gas, and many primitive wood kilns.
My pottery is closed, I only make pots for my own interest, usually giving them to friends or local charities.
Jan Anthony
Although trained as a biologist, pottery has always been my passion. The first crystalline-glazed piece I saw drew me like a moth to a flame. Once captivated, there is no cure! I did not create my own crystalline pieces until the year 2000, but I never forgot the allure of crystals, and today it remains my goal to produce forms that enhance crystalline glazes and bring together the best aspects of art and science.
Ellie Blair
My name is Ellie Blair and I live in Lawrence Kansas. I have a BFA in ceramics from the University of Kansas. I have been doing crystalline pottery since 2001. I sell my work through galleries, two local and one in Colorado. I have a studio separate from me house where I work, nestled up in the trees next to my house. After three years of doing pottery in my house the studio is great. I love the challenge of crystalline. Opening the kiln after a glaze fire is like Christmas, you never know what you will get. I fire cone 10 Coleman's porcelain in an electric kiln, someday soon I hope to start doing reduction crystalline.
Brooks Bouwkamp
It is only natural that I work with crystalline glazed ceramics, the reason being I’ve always been fascinated with fireworks, flashing lights, natural surfaces and natural textures.
The uncomplicated forms I create do not fight with the visual excitement of the crystalline glazes. Of all the stages in crafting crystalline vessels, the part I care for the most is: mixing the glazes. I’m always searching for the NEW - new materials, new information, new colorants and new effects.
John Britt
Hey Hey, I like clay…and glazes too.
John has published articles in Ceramics Monthly and is the author of The Complete Guide to High-Fire Glazes, Glazing & Firing at Cone 10, published by Lark Books.
Bill Campbell
With Clay, every day opens with new challenges.
Crystalline Glazes have made this adventure even more exciting.
Ian Childers
My interest in crystalline glazes came during a search for fluidity in my work. I was using a lot of thick slip to sculpt lusciously wet forms dictated by gravity, fluidity and motion. I quickly found myself entranced with the glaze itself and expanded my forms to create larger surfaces in which to showcase them. Currently, I am focusing on a variety of white backgrounds with colored crystals.
Ginny Conrow
A studio potter for 40 years, my work has evolved from functional stoneware to decorative porcelain. My pieces combine my strong interest in form, sculpting the porcelain into out-of-round shapes- and surface, layering crystalline glazes to accentuate the curves and shadows of each piece.
I have taught workshops in New Zealand, Australia, and Thailand, journeys that inspire me with energy, color, and form, integrating into my work other skills and philosophies as I travel and work in other cultures.
Diane Creber
Author of Crystalline Glazes, published in 1997. Second edition published in 2005. Written many magazine articles, given workshops and participated in shows both nationally and internationally:
June 2005: Presenter and participated in exhibition at crystalline glaze symposium in Vallauris, France.
September 2005: Presenter and exhibited at Lattice Structures, Kansas City, USA.
June 2007: Exhibited at St Joseph Gallery, The Netherlands.
March 2007: Presenter at the Canadian Clay Symposium. Also exhibited and conducted workshop.
May 2008: Exhibited at Villeroy & Boch Gallery, Germany. This show is presently traveling to three other galleries in Germany and finishes at the Dehullu Gallery in The Netherlands.
Dwight Crossley
I think what causes my continued interest in porcelain is the back and forth that occurs within each series. Beginning with the results of glaze tests, pots are thrown with shapes to complement the new glazes. Then, as the series develops, changes are made to create the appropriate harmonies and tensions between form and finish. During this evolution, many questions are answered. However, new questions and ideas arise that lead me on to the next series.
David Eickholt
Fascination with crystalline glaze started over 20 years ago at a college art sale. I was so moved by what I saw that I took classes with the express purpose of producing similar results, large floating crystals, not only have I achieved my original goal but now am producing one of a kind art pieces that are evolving into my personal vision and recognizable unique style. My work is sold through several galleries in Michigan.
Mary Frances Eggleston
As a teaching assistant at NOVA, I have been fascinated with crystalline glazes since my first attempts when few reference materials, no computerized controls, computer programs, or accurate pyrometers produced frequent failures. I remain, fascinated, frustrated and hooked on crystals, and persist … persist … persist. As a child, I was called stubborn and hard-headed. Now, I am persistent and determined.
Terry Fallon
T Fallon Pottery is
a home base endeavor exploring new techniques
in electric reduction, with a love of Crystalline Glazes.
Avril Farley
I am a crystalline glaze addict and love to throw. Attempting a successful combination of these skills was too enticing to resist, and I hope the viewer will enjoy these as much as I have in the making.
Halmos Ferenc
I like the simple, clean forms. I continuously work to develop new and more special glazes. I am attracted to what is secret and discover new solutions. I like to play with the glazes.
Alain Fichot
I first worked with wood-fired stoneware in the 70s (like every potter at the time), then gas-fired stoneware. Later I switched to porcelain and crystal glazes.
For the last ten years, I dedicate my whole work to this particular glaze.
It happened to be not that easy to master, but now, I can eventually start to work on the shapes, always trying to give the shimmer of the glaze, the design it deserves.
Ken Follette
I love working with clay. It is the very best life I could ever hope for. People even buy my pottery, so that I can buy more clay and make more pottery. Imagine that.
Nathan Gartz
My main fascination is with glaze application. Whether pit firing, saggar firing, rakuing, or crystalline glazing, I delight in all of it. Ceramics has shown me a new view of science, formulation, and calculation that I never expected to be interested in. Each day I crack the kiln lid open, I discover new worlds that didn’t exist prior to that firing.
Anne Gary
Fondness of being close to nature and studying the movement of flowers and leaves inspires my work. Each piece begins by being made by hand in porcelain and gently altered to achieve the final form. Formulating tabletop trend glaze colors and crystalline glazes has captivated my interest. My work is fired to cone 6. The result is distinctive tableware and decorative pieces that capture the sleekness and flow of botanical forms.
Jeff Gieringer
Elegance is what I strive for in each and every piece. I look for elegance in form and then an elegant glaze to compliment the form. I admire bold, odd and extravagant pieces by other artists, but when it comes to my work, there is something inside me that wants the elegant lines and form. My current work has me trying to combine boldness and elegance, which leaves me a very fine line not to cross, one way or the other.
Xavier Gonzalez
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I like to throw pots!
Phil Hamling
While earning a BS in Ceramic Engineering from the New York State College of Ceramics at Alfred University I spent time pursuing interests in the ceramic art field including an independent study in crystalline glazes under Wally Higgins.
After taking a 28-year break I encountered large crystalline glazed vases in Beijing China, which (along with finally building a studio of my own) prompted me start again. I took some pottery classes at local studios and am back at it using glazes I developed in 1979.
Being a frequent contributor to the Crystalline Glaze Forum, and having attended workshops given by Fara Shimbo, John Tilton and John Mankameyer I have received many tips and pointers which have been invaluable in my current activities.
My work and thought process can be viewed online at http://www.puttgarden.com/crystal/2007/Page.html
Avi Harriman
&
SarahLyn Brooks
SARAVI ARTS
Avi Harriman and SarahLyn Brooks (husband and wife) have been playing with pottery for over thirty years. Recently they have decided to get serious! And have more fun.
Avi was introduced to clay and the creative process of throwing at Mt. San Antonio College outside Los Angeles, California. His creative journey took him to Mexico where he studied sculpture and bronze casting in San Miguel de Allende. His most recent studies have been at Maude Kerns Art Center in Eugene, Oregon with Thanbinh Doung a renowned and accomplished potter ,who is an exacting teacher, and at the University of Oregon with Jason Solomon. Currently, he is exploring the magical world of crystal glazes and has the goal of becoming a Crystalličre (one who is an avid, expert crystal glazer). His pottery is classic in line, often of goodly girth with stunning crystal glazes. He is also a novice glass artist who hopes to explore this media extensively one day.
SarahLyn began her clay journey at the University of La Verne in California. She took private lessons on wheel throwing from an accomplished teacher in Modesto California. Her most recent studies have been at the U of O and include Raku firings. She has dabbled with the wheel and hand built pottery over thirty years. Most currently she has discovered an affinity for hand building and creates small, whimsical teapots, faces and paperweights. She also has a passion for watercolors and spends time honing her painterly skills whenever possible.
Lois Ann Helgeson
I am a ceramic artist interested in the magic that comes from combining art with science in a kiln. I specialize in the creating and the firing of crystalline glazes on porcelain. The shapes and sizes of the crystals on each vessel are determined by chemistry, temperature changes and growing time - each resulting piece beautiful and absolutely unique.
Robert Hessler
I put much thought and effort on the forms that I create to complement the random organic nature of the results of crystalline glazing. I think it essential to have a strong foundation of form – a form that could stand on its own, bare and unadorned.
Peter Ilsley
My ceramics since 1963 have embraced a wide range of domestic stoneware and a series of one-off stoneware, earthenware, porcelain and a raku pieces. From 1989 I produced, in hindsight, some quite insignificant crystalline pieces, but these gave me the impetus to continue and become totally involved in research and experimentation. The commitment became an obsession, which remains with me to the point whereby 95% of my work is crystalline.
Peter is the author of: Macro-Crystalline Glazes, The Challenge of Crystals , 1999
pub. The Crowood Press
Steve Klinsky
Simple lines, elegant, and from the heart, those are the main focus of my artwork. As with many art forms, the most difficult objectives to achieve are purity and simplicity. With my vases, bowls, and thrown sculptures I strive to utilize clean lines and fluidity, giving each form a look of graceful motion.
I fire with a large gas kiln, which requires hands-on attention throughout the 12 hour firing, frequently adjusting the gas flow to maintain the right temperature
Jamie Kozlowski
I don't take a lot of credit for making ice. I put water in the tray, then put the tray in the freezer. And it works. The most spectacular part of my work is beyond my complete control. I create a form, then a glaze, then circumstances for beauty to occur beyond my own means.
I use my gifts to plant the seeds, and then let God and forces we can't comprehend as people do the growing. And it works.
Paul Lorber
All the work I display is hand thrown by myself in my studio.
I throw all the vessels on the wheel using the finest porcelain clay.
I look for a continuous flowing line of form.
Simplicity is basic for beauty.
A beautiful pot is intuitive. My goal is to produce one of-a-kind treasures that can be appreciated by both the artist and observer as well.
Ilene Mahler
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Holly McKeen
While growing more entranced with pushing the limits of these complex crystalline glazes, I continue to focus on simplicity in the forms used as palettes for the glazes. I most enjoy classic yet simple forms with sensuous curves, which maintain a distinctly different feel from the more contemporary design elements of my functional ware. The continuing study of form and glaze provides a balance that mirrors my desire for beauty and grace in everyday living.
William Melstrom
William Melstrom’s work is currently part of the international exhibition of
Crystalline Glazes at the
Villeroy & Boch Museum
in Germany. Past international invitational exhibition participation
includes “Crystallines 2005” in France, “New Crystalline Glazes 2006” in
The Netherlands, and “Krystallos 2007” in the U.S.
William moderates the Crystalline Glaze Forum. A link to the Forum can
be found at William’s site:
www.handspiral.com
Anne Melvin
While on my quest to find the perfect pot and to acquire the skill to create it, I found the wonder of crystalline glazes. My reward for the extra effort required to create crystalline pottery comes when I open my kiln and discover the magic of the crystals formed on the surface of each pot.
Every experience I’ve had in ceramics has been an opportunity to create a better pot. Every potter I’ve met has helped me grow and expand my skills. My quest for the perfect pot may never be completely fulfilled, but the sensuous feeling of the clay becoming a bowl in my hands, the intellectual challenge of finding the best shape and best glaze for the clay, and the emotional satisfaction of creating beauty from nothing make each day rewarding.
Kestutis Mikenas
I graduated from the University of Illinois, College of Fine and Applied Arts with a degree in Architecture. While practicing my profession as an architect, I also pursued my work and studies in Ceramic Arts.
I’ve exhibited my work in several one-man shows, recently at The Brant Library Art gallery in Glendale, California. I participated in the international crystalline glaze exhibit Krystallos 2007. My work has been acquired by The Museum of Ceramics in city of Kaunas, Lithuania, collectors in Argentina, France, Germany, Japan, Lithuania and Spain also it was published internationally in crystalline glaze publications and ceramic magazines.
Gary Monji
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The journey continues toward the Japanese philosophy and ever closer to the wonders of nature with passion and creativity.
Bevan Norkin
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Mara Cammi Orsi
Coming from an illustration background, I began working with clay almost by chance. I was living at that time in NY and right in front of my apartment window there was a potter…. I was staring at that amazing place with people busy in their activities. After a very short time I was there too. Very soon I was addicted... and when moved to Chile I took with me, the essentials: an electric kiln, a wheel, some tools and a lot of patience and determination. From that moment I was self-taught, my many questions and curiosities were answered by trials. Just imagine that some of the feldspars or other materials I use are of unknown formula. I started with crystals with a recipe I found on-line (I think by Lasse Ostman). I wrote on my comments after the first firing: I have never seen such beautiful surfaces and so many disasters in one firing. ALL the pots were shattered or deformed.
http://homepage.mac.com/lesorsi/MARA%20CAMMI%20ORSI'S%20EXHIBITION/index.html
Jon Pacini
I’ve been in search of a purity of form in my pots for many years. I feel that the glazes have so much going for them that they should speak for themselves without the complications of ruffles and flourishes.
Jon is the overall clay manager for Laguna Clay Company.
Priscilla Palumbo
Working in clay has been a true blessing for me. There are no limits with clay and yet I’m constantly pushing it to the limit. There have been failures along the way and then that one piece that says exactly what I feel. Crystalline glazes on elegant forms are truly breathtaking. This path, which I am following now, is by far the greatest gift I’ve ever been given.
Jon Price
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William Schran
I strive to work with rather simple forms that incorporate horizontal and vertical direction of form to provide surfaces that will best display a crystalline glaze.
My research has led to the development of a palette of cone six glazes that I share in articles published by ‘ClayTimes’ and ‘Pottery Making Illustrated’ and listed on my web site: www.creativecreekartisans.com
Marsha Silverman
If I could put into words what I put into clay,
I would be a writer not a potter.
Rod & Denyse Simair
Internationally acclaimed ceramic artists, the Simairs have represented Canada in major exhibitions in Europe and North America. They are recipients of Le Grand Prix du Jury, the top international honour at Crystallines 2005 in France. They combine their talents with Rod’s original hand thrown porcelain designs harmoniously completed with Denyse’s personally researched, formulated and fired macro-crystalline glazes. The results are heirloom keepsakes of aesthetically inspiring ceramic art to cherish now and for generations to come.
Fara Shimbo
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John Tilton
My pots all originate from the impulse to create objects which fuse earth and spirit. This fusion, if it happens, happens in fire. There are times during the pot’s successive, intense firings when something mysterious occurs that can transform a clay pot into an embodiment of spirit.
To me, it is important that each piece transcend its physical presence; that it be not just a pot, but a pot which contains something which cannot be seen at first glance (a secret, if you will). Not all pots make the leap into transcendence, and I can’t say that I truly understand why some pots do and others don’t. All I do is apply effort every day toward making the best work I’m capable of making. I accept the fact that not all the pieces will be the best that I’ve ever made, but not that I did not try to make them that way. In my work, I’m aiming toward a place I can’t enunciate and often can’t see. I can recognize the next step, but I don’t know where the process ultimately will lead. The finest pieces just seem to be gifts from the universe; no amount of putting the parts together adds up to the final outcome.
David Turner
...the time spent working and playing with clay... fills a place that has no floor or ceiling and the walls are imaginary.
The windows and doors are always opened...24/7.
Phil Warren
Original Submission
Frequently I’m asked in different ways by different people why I devote so much of my time to an art that is inherently unpredictable and punctuated with failure.
Quite frankly, I sometimes ask myself the same question, but deep down I know that the next form with be better, the crystals more pronounced, the colors brighter.
When it comes down to it, I’m making the statement that I am here in this world and that I did my best to produce something that someone will love and cherish !
Statement provided with photo
Crystals... the Final Frontier. These are the trials of the Phil Warren. A life times mission: to explore strange new glazes, tho seek out new life and new shapes, to boldly fire where no man has fired before.
Richard White
Although much of my adult life has been focused on numbers and words in the business world, I have enjoyed a creative handwork since childhood, first in wood and metal, and now with clay. The clay is particularly satisfying because the medium is fluid, extensible both inward and outward, and simultaneously forgiving and demanding. For me, the technical challenges of crystalline glazes present a special combination of the analytic and creative aspects of my life work.
Lana Williams
Lana Williams is an award-winning potter working exclusively with crystalline glazes. She exhibits in Fine Art & Fine Craft Shows throughout the east from Michigan to Florida. Her functional pieces are wheel thrown porcelain; electric fired to cone 10 with studio formulated glazes.
http://www.CrystallinePotter.com
Wayne Willson
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Mark & Scott Winner
Artist Mark Winner has created ceramics since 1981 in Laguna Beach, California. He shares his unique art studio home with his wife Sue Winner. Mark collaborates with Sue, also an artist making some crystalline pieces with human form sculpture details. Their son, Scott, and daughter, Amanda are artistic apprentices in the family studio as well. Mark is a proud participant of the largest and longest running festival in the US. The Laguna Beach Sawdust Festival, which has been in existence since 1966. His pieces have been shown in Ceramic Monthly, Ceramic Review, and Clay times Magazines. Also interviewed on television last year on a spot for the Laguna Beach Sawdust Festival.
Marie Wright
My addiction to ceramics began eight years ago. After spending a few years exploring various firing techniques, I decided to try my hand at the challenging medium of crystalline glazing. My background as a biochemist has made me uniquely well suited for the experimental nature of creating new glazes. My design philosophy is simple and straightforward: I create flowing, elegant porcelain forms that provide the perfect canvas for rich, vibrant glazes.