A patchwork teapot

Pottery student, Gail Rivera, came up with the idea of adding patchwork of colored clays to a teapot. 

Staying in focus

Finally I was able to keep Gail Rivera in focus for a photo of her recent work.  (I don't have any idea why so many BMCA studio pictures have been out of focus...but it's obviously my fault.)

So here's today's fuzzy potter...Elise Reed, with her pot she's about to pour celadon glaze over.

More potter fun!

They may have left the studio, but their heads are completely absorbed by pottery talk!  Gail and Pat talked about different shapes and techniques outside one of their favorite restaurants.

Bonnie and Gail are good friends, and aren't too proud to have clay on their clothes when they go to lunch!

Busy clay workers

The foreground shows (left) some handles lying on their sides, firming up before being married to some mugs.  And on the lower right there's the sludge blue bucket...where reclaimed clay will be mixed, then spread on a plaster slab which you can actually see under the red table legs.  Above, on top of that work table, 3 clay artists are seen hard at work, Gail, Pat and Lynda.

Gallery Exhibit - Gail Rivera

Mixed clays with cutout areas, Gail Rivera

Vegetable Bowl, wheel thrown, hand stenciled glaze decorations, Gail Rivera

Gail drives to Black Mountain from Marion, NC (often more than once a week for her class.)  She is frequently in the studio for "open studio" hours (2-5 hours daily for students to continue their projects).  Her family members have been recipients of her beautiful work for their eating and cooking enjoyment.  She has moved from delicate hand painted flowers and fruits into exploring the mixing of different colored clays together.