Carolina Creations Fine Art and Contemporary Craft Gallery presents Smoke & Fire II - Raku Show May 9 - June 23 at the gallery 317 Pollock St. in Downtown New Bern. The opening will take place during ArtWalk May 9, 5-8 pm.

The show will consist of an interesting of raku, pit fired and saggar fired ceramics from Classical forms to whimsey, by 5 North Carolina potters and other potters from across the country.

The featured artists include North Carolina Potters, Brian Evans, Sarah Leary and Chris Moses. Also included will be pieces from Brenda Townsend, Heather McQueen, Bruce Johnson and Andrew Berends.

Heather McQueen works in a very large scale, when speaking about her work Heather explains, "Over the years, my work has been transformed.

Initially, my science background led me to believe that all in nature could be broken down into the simplest of components. Pottery, broken down, was a combination of earth and fire, nothing more. My work tried to convey that basic idea, using simple shapes, applying few colors. However, I soon realized that nothing man touches can remain simple. Even the most minimal of pieces invoked profound involved statements which often overshadowed the original idea of the piece.

Recently I have begun to focus my attention on this strange aspect of man. I have stretched and twisted the idea of the vessel, hoping to invoke a search for the simple line of a familiar form. Colors have become complicated, so subtleties beco, me a rare find."

Virginia artist Brenda Townsend has created beautiful Raku pieces since 1998. Her work is the creative result of many years of comprehensive study in ceramic art. Brenda has trained under many expert instructors in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area and has received numerous awards.

Bridal Registry

Teapots
News
Fun Stuff
For Babies & Kids
Lighthouses
Links

Her many honors include the nomination for the governor's award for the arts in the Commonwealth of Virginia. The award recognizes excellence and originality in the arts.

Brenda began showing her work professionally in 2002. She is a graduate of The Corcoran School of Art, Washington, D.C., in the Certificate Program in Ceramics and Sculpture. She has created covered boxes for this show. Each piece is made of slab and coil construction and is distinctive and original in design, color, and effect.

What is raku? Raku firing was developed by Japanese potters in the 16th century. Traditionally raku was fired in holes in the ground full of leaves. Today, potters modify the traditional Raku firing process by using more conventional methods of firing, including the use of propane tanks and metal containers full of combustible material in which the Raku art is placed after firing.

In a typical raku firing the pieces are fired in a traditional kiln, the kiln is taken up to 1800 degrees, the kiln is then shut off and the pottery, glowing red, is removed from the kiln with tongs. The clay piece is immediately placed in a container (often a garbage can) which is full of straw, newspaper, or other combustible material. A lid is put on the can, the lack of oxygen makes the clay body turn black and glazes with metallic colorants turn to metallic luster. During this period the glaze cools faster than the clay body and crackles and cracks occur. The piece is then picked up with tongs and quenched in water to prevent further oxidation.

From Wilmington, NC, Brian speaks about his work "I make pottery because I find the tactile experience of artistic expression in clay exciting. The feeling of the clay in my hands and the rhythm of the potter's wheel can be quite therapeutic. I enjoy the experience of the smell, sound, and energy of the kiln while firing. I especially enjoy the comradery that the pottery community offers.My pottery mainly consists of vessel forms. I use the potter's wheel as my primary means of construction. I enjoy making vessel forms because they are an intimate part of the daily rituals of people's lives. This relationship between the object and person is very important to me. I am recognized mostly for my alternative fired pottery such as Raku and Saggar fired vessels. I draw inspiration for these pieces from classical forms, from nature, and from fellow artists. My goal is to strive for the highest quality in my work as well as to continuously better myself as a professional artist."

Another North Carolina artist Chris Moses discovered clay as a young child in the tide pools of the Maine coast .I would go with pails at low tide to gather snails, starfish, crabs and the cast off shells of native mussels and clams. Tide pools were a source of wonder and changed from tide to tide all summer long. During one of these explorations, I was surprised to see a slick gray substance on the bottom of the pool. I gathered some into my little tin bucket and brought it home to see what I could do with it. To my delight, I found that I could pinch it and poke it into shapes. These shapes, once baked in the sun, became my dolls' first dish set. Later, I would paint these little dishes with poster paints, and delight in their simplicity and usefulness.

In the summer of 1968 I attended my first pottery class at Penland School of Crafts, Penland, N.C. Here I discovered the thrill of putting this slick material on a potter's wheel and making it grow into a cup or a bowl, or if less fortunate, turn into a mass of mud before my eyes. Paulus Berensohn taught me how to pinch this material and make it grow into soft and sensuous shapes. I have been very fortunate to have had many gifted teachers over the years. My first teacher, the tide pools, sent me on to be instructed and nurtured by Cynthia Bringle, Paulus Berensohn, Paul Soldner, Andrea Gill and other known and unknown artists. I have learned over these last 60 years that clay is my perpetual teacher, as it has led me on my own journey of self discovery.

Having begun my career making dishes for dolls, I continue with the same thread of child's play. I find that I am still pinching and poking at clay, but instead of dishes I am making whimsical and colorful animal sculptures. It is my hope that these pieces will speak to the child inside of all who view them. The majority of my pieces are raku fired. The process of raku is what I call a dance with fire. It allows me to be spontaneous in the firing, explore a large range of colors and textures, and, most importantly, provides an intimate experience of the transformational fire. Without the fire, clay is only dirt. With the fire, this humble material is only limited by the imagination of it's handler.

Andrew Berends has been a potter since 1976. He received his B.F.A. from New York State College of Ceramics at Alfred University. Working with the traditional folk potters of Spain enhanced his own strong, sensual approach to shape and color. After receiving a M.F.A. from Montana State University at Bozeman, Andrew went on to be an artist in residence at Anderson Ranch Art Center, Snowmass, Colorado.

The show is open Monday-Saturday 10-6 pm, until 7 pm on Friday, 11-4 pm on Sundays. Call or email the gallery for more information info@carolinacreations.com or 252-633-4369.