The collection begins with this earthenware vase. Created while in high school, this work is titled “Diez Flores” or Ten Flowers. I made ten tiny spouts at the top and used a wooden fork to create texture. I chose two contrasting glazes to make it look like a high fired stoneware vase I saw in a book. I remember thinking it was pretty cool when it came out of the electric kiln. The teacher encouraged me to enter an all city high school art show. I did and won first prize. The exhibition was held at the Mayfair Mall in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. I got a plaque award and a write-up in the newspaper. I believe the mall no longer exists, but the vase and plaque do.
11” x 5” earthenware, 1969
This is a digital photo copy of a slide. The photo suffers a bit. I experienced the raku firing method while attending undergrad school at the Kansas City Art Institute back in the early 1970’s. I did a series of vessels that were hand-coiled and decorated following a traditional Japanese method. The floral design is a copper glaze over the unglazed clay body. In the raku process, the heavy reduction turns the clay body black and the glaze to this, if one is lucky.
14” x 11” raku, earthenware, 1974
A raku fired pot from the same series. The reduction is very heavy, the unglazed area is extremely carbon loaded and black. The flower design contrasts strongly. I was able to achieve subtle colors in the glaze; a soft turquoise blue and pink, and the bright penny copper color.
16” x 12” earthenware, raku 1974
This raku vessel completes the series examples. Instead of coil built, I used slab construction. You can really see the variety of color in the glaze and clay body. The whitish area on the lower section of the pot is hardly reduced at all; whereas the top is totally reduced to carbon black. There is only one copper based glaze used. The blue is really difficult to get. Wow. Extremely lucky.
12” x 7” earthenware, raku 1974
This is a tea bowl made by Warren MacKenzie. He was my professor and mentor during my grad school time at the University of Minnesota back in 1983. That summer I was his assistant at his residence in Haystack Mountain School of Crafts up in Maine. “Mac” demonstrated his techniques all day long; I watched him make this piece. He dented one side of the tea bowl with his elbow and added a splash of white slip.
I had the best summer as Mac’s assistant. He kept me busy, as I always had his clay prepped and ready, everything he used at arms length. The ware boards were filled quickly when he was throwing off the hump. He gave to me the tea bowls he made there. They are the treasures of my collection.
3”x3” stoneware. clear glaze, reduction fired, 1983
3”x3” stoneware, tenmoku glaze with white skip, reduction fire 1983
3”x3” stoneware, tenmoku glaze reduction fire 1983
“Mac” drew through the wet glaze with his fingers for this design.
The matte glaze on this tea bowl is the result of a reduction kiln fired by the master, Warren MacKenzie. We were at Haystack for the summer and I was having trouble with the kiln. “Mac” popped in around 1 AM and adjusted the gas and air and nudged the damper; the kiln settled down and began to behave. The surface and color of this tea bowl is magnificent.
3”x3” stoneware with matte glaze reduction fire
5”x 3 1/4” stoneware with celedon glaze 1984
This is a Warren MacKenzie classic. a gift from Mac for my teaching assistant work with him that I cherish. I had to retire this mug, as I inadvertently added a hairline crack on the other side. This is a demo piece he made during a class.
