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American Craft Council marks 70 years at S.F. show This year marks the 70th birthday of the American Craft Council, which will display the works of 230 artisans at its annual San Francisco show at Fort Mason Center from Friday to Sunday. Like the exhibiting craftspeople who must constantly reinvent themselves for their work to remain fresh, the council has undergone enough changes in the past 12 months to consider itself a "70-year-old startup," in the words of spokeswoman Pamela Diamond. "This is really a rebirth-day party," Diamond says, alluding to the major shakeup that occurred in 2010 when the organization's national headquarters moved from New York City to Minneapolis, with only one person remaining from the former staff. "The council has a rich history, and we're proud to be enduring," she says. But Diamond believes that the renewed council has an openness and creativity that benefits artists, experimenting with new categories of craft at its four regional shows, such as "Handmade Under $100" and "New Artists," which shines a spotlight on those who haven't exhibited with the council before. The show is the largest juried craft show west of the Rockies, meaning that no artist is guaranteed a booth and everyone must reapply for a spot each year. "The jury process means that artists must keep a beginners' mind," Diamond says. "And it means the public can never predict what they're going to see." 
This year will be Sebastopol wood turner Jerry Kermode's sixth American Craft Council show, which will be held at Fort Mason in S.F. Photo by John Storey / special to the Chronicle" Jerry and Deborah Kermode, wood turners in Sebastopol, are a case in point. They've been turning one-of-a-kind wooden bowls from recycled logs and tree burls since the '70s; this will be their sixth council show in San Francisco. With Jerry Kermode teaching wood turning in their Sebastopol workshop and in craft schools around the country, one might assume they've earned their laurels. But Kermode doesn't sound smug about his success. "I'm always in search of the perfect form," Kermode, 65, says. "I've certainly never made it." Over coffee at their dining room table in Sebastopol, made from a highly polished wood slab accented with traditional joinery, Deborah Kermode, 63, laughs. "He's spent two years just working on the foot of the bowls," she says of her husband of 44 years. "He's in a redwood phase now, but he went through a maple phase." Not surprising for an exhibitor who displays the Green Craft badge at the show, Jerry Kermode works exclusively from recycled wood and burls, turning tree stumps and felled trees into polished bowls with as little waste as possible. "All that scrap gets turned into pepper mills and wine corks," he says. The finished bowls glow from within, the individual tree rings and rough upturned edges highlighting the natural beauty of the wood. Deborah Kermode's role in finishing the bowls and running every other aspect of the business is critical to the couple's success. "When I'm talking to artists about how to succeed," Jerry says, "I always tell them, 'Get yourself a Deborah.' " The couple says that the council, a nonprofit organization, does a good job raising awareness of craft-making techniques to the public and reinforcing the value of handmade, local goods. "They're trying to attract new audiences and encourage a new generation of craftspeople," Jerry Kermode says. "And that means that some of it is going to look very different from what we do," Deborah adds. This year, at the organization's invitation, the Kermodes have organized a special event Sunday for wood-turning exhibitors to display their techniques to the public. This year will also see a return of the popular $5 after 5 Friday night event, which offers $5 admission after 5 p.m. and features Hot Glass and Cold Beer, with locally produced beer served in glassware created on-site by artisans from San Francisco's Public Glass and Half Moon Bay Art Glass. "Public Glass is bringing its whole dog-and-pony show to Fort Mason to do glass demos," Diamond says, and the San Francisco Jazz High School All Stars will be on hand to play. As with any good birthday party, this year's show will feature birthday cake. Bay Area bakeries including Katrina Rozelle Pastries, Have Your Cake and dog bakery Canine Confections have designed cakes, cupcakes and dog treats inspired by artists' handmade pieces of jewelry, pottery, glass, fiber art and multimedia work. The cakes are just one more take on the rebirth of the American Craft Council, and of the constant evolution of what defines craft. American Craft Council show: 10 a.m.-8 p.m. Fri., until 6 p.m. Sat. and 5 p.m. Sun. $14 one-day pass; $5 show admission at the door after 5 p.m. Fri. only; $20 for a three-day pass; $2 advance purchase discount online. American Craft Council members and children 12 and under free. Fort Mason Center, Festival Pavilion. (800) 836-3470. craftcouncil.org/sf. E-mail comments to home@sfchronicle.com. This article appeared on page E - 1 of the San Francisco Chronicle Read more: www.sfgate.com See some of Jerry Kermode's work at his Mowen Solinksy Gallery webpage. Beauty and function: Gallery includes ‘art for the people' Art adorns every inch of Mowen Solinsky Gallery. Pottery flanks cases of jewelry, perfect for a last-minute Valentine's gift; prints, photographs and paintings hang from the walls. Scarves and purses dance with carved chairs and statues - some dangling from the ceiling. "It's like a mini-museum," owner John Mowen said. Part retail shop, part gallery show, Mowen Solinsky has been showcasing unique and colorful artworks at its Broad Street location since 2004. Mowen owned a gallery at the top of Broad Street before joining forces with Steve Solinsky to open the appropriately named Mowen Solinsky. "We've been friends since our kids were little, 35, 40 years," Mowen said. "We were both making our living doing art shows and wanted to back off of that. We decided to open a bigger place together and show additional artists." 
Solinsky is a photographer trained in architecture; Mowen works in bronze and stone. "I started making my living in the arts when I was 19," said Mowen, who displays his sculptures at the gallery. "I've always been a maker. I'll be making things till the day I die." John Mowen stands with a bronze sculpture at Mowen Solinsky Gallery in downtown Nevada City. Solinsky retired from the gallery a handful of years ago. "We show a large collection of his work, but he's fully retired," Mowen said. Volunteers and four employees help Mowen run the business, which has what he calls a "contemporary and functional" focus. "We started out as a high-end gallery, exclusive," Mowen said. "The economy does not support this any more - I think it's a good thing. It's more inclusive." Incorporation of affordable and functional pieces such as cutting boards, art cards and scarves - "Art for the people. Things we didn't used to have," Mowen said - was purposeful. "In the last couple of years, since the economy did its thing, we realized we needed to change with the times. We did this with the addition of functional art," Mowen said. "What this enabled us to do is to offer a more inclusive price point to the public." "We want to stay here. To stay here we have to make sales." The gallery almost closed its doors for good in 2009. "The economy had gone to hell and my partner needed to retire. I had to make a decision: Do I continue in an outrageously difficult economy with high rent?" Mowen said. "It created an opportunity to really re-look at why I was doing this. What I discovered is that it wasn't about money. The point is to support the arts and be a valuable presence in the community." Art and the community Involved in open studio art tours and hosting events during SYRCL's Wild & Scenic Film Festival, Mowen Solinsky Gallery has its finger on the community pulse. "We do a lot of things with schools, teach how to relate to art, gallery etiquette," Mowen said. The gallery also holds fundraisers for various organizations and individuals who need help with medical bills, he said. Mowen believes that art is more than aesthetics, but has the power to create change on a large scale. "We're creating this idea of what beauty does, art does," he said. "Art has the capacity to help create ease, make us feel good. If you can feel good as opposed to being stressed - it's an antidote to the world we live in." With art constantly being sold and new work consistently being accepted for exhibition, the inventory is forever changing and many offerings are one of a kind. "We represent about 170 artists. About one third are local, the rest are from all over the U.S.," plus a small handful from around the world, Mowen said. An Oregon native, Mowen has lived in Nevada County since 1983. "I'm a working artist, out around the country doing art shows," Mowen said. His son, who also works in bronze and stone, often accompanies him. "The fact that he's working with me full time, art partners and business partners, is great," Mowen said. "Last year we received six awards," he added. Mowen plans to head next to Florida and Texas; upcoming Mowen Solinsky Gallery exhibits include a visionary arts show. "I just happened to end up in this situation," he said. "It's so little about me, it's about the work. It's important to support the ultimate good, be a responsible member of the community." To contact Staff Writer Angela Diaz, e-mail adiaz@theunion.com or call (530) 477-4203.
Nevada County artist Mark Oldland featured in Nevada City gallery, among others Nevada County artist Mark Oldland has carved out a nice career for himself in metal, glass and stone. His work is featured in numerous galleries from the California coastline to Santa Fe, Sedona and points beyond. Though his art is accomplished primarily with metal, his sculptures have an organic feel that he says emanates from his many years spent outdoors indulging in nature. 
Thanks to his mother's insistence that the family locate to an area conducive to cultural pursuits, Oldland grew up in a suburb of Denver where art was taught in school. As a preteen, he learned painting, drawing and working with clay. In high school, he was able to branch off into jewelry and mixed media. Mark Oldland with one of his art creations "The county that I grew up in, put to a vote having more cultural pursuits in public schools," Oldland said. "The school system really encouraged the exploration and the adventure that comes with so many different expressions, like art, theater and music. It was all encouraged and there was a budget to facilitate the whole adventure. It turned me on at an early age." The rest of the family also pursued creative endeavors, but primarily through music. His father played the tenor sax, he sisters the piano. One sister would eventually play the flute and piccolo in various symphonies. A brother, now deceased, was what Oldland calls an outsider artist, a cartoonist. "Our whole house could get a bit raucous at times," Oldland said. Soon after completion of high school and a brief stint in art school, Oldland decided to turn his attention primarily to exploring the outdoors, putting any notion of an art career on a back burner. For more than a dozen years, he explored the western slope of Colorado, until he realized there was something missing in his life. "Eventually spending so much time in the outdoors began to feel a little frayed at the edges and I realized I needed more of a mission than ‘How much fun is Mark having?'" Oldland said. "I turned back to the expression of cultural pursuits." In a gradual epiphany, Oldland began to see the creative process as a way of connecting with the world, while offering the best of himself. This discovery seemed to coincide with a desire to relocate west, a move that would eventually bring him to Nevada County. "I felt like it was time to change my life dynamic - I wanted to create as a gift to society," Oldland said. "It's like having hot coals land in your lap. You can't just sit there. You've got to do something with them." 
"Hungry Fish Bench" Sixteen-plus years ago, Oldland took his first steps as a commercial artist, which included deciding what sort of art he would create and where best to sell his work. Creating functional art such as furniture, fountains and lighting seemed the most accessible and the discovery of an art scene in many of California's coastal communities set his creative enterprise into action. "Initially, I was wary of the competition inherent in aesthetic work, (because) there are lots of painters and sculptors who do that kind of thing, so I gravitated towards functional art," Oldland said. "Slowly, I began to experiment with more purely aesthetic art and began to sell work that way." For Oldland, the creative act is a connection to the divine, with perhaps his biggest thrill coming when someone who is viewing one of his pieces seems suddenly to be visited by their own muse. "When I encounter someone, usually younger, who is obviously excited to see the work and they are contemplating what they are already doing creatively, it's like a transference of energy and I feel a sense of mission," Oldland said. "When I see the sparks flying, that's the best information that would indicate I'm doing something valid or worthwhile." His love for this area runs deep, but after almost two decades he is now in a transitional period. "It's interesting to look ahead," Oldland said. "I'm definitely feeling the need for a pretty significant shift. I'm in listening mode and looking for some signals about where to go to next." Locally, Oldland is represented by the Mowen Solinsky Gallery in Nevada City. They can be reached at (530) 265-4682. ~~ Tom Kellar is a freelance writer living in Cedar Ridge. See more of Mark Oldland's work at his Mowen Solinksy Gallery webpage. Hand Embroidered Greeting Cards Little World Community Organization (LWCO) began by listening to the problems and needs of a small village in Pakistan, and then offering to help by buying books and paying the rent for a school. The students would pay the teachers. Village women took up the challenge and became the first students. They went home and taught their husbands and children what they studied in school. In time they were able to sell embroideries they learned to make and use the money to open more schools for others who would do the same. Today there are over 3000 women in 25 schools with a goal to have 10,000 women in over 60 schools by the end of this year. Together, they help others, try new ideas, and never give up. They've become the hope of their villages. While living in some of the harshest conditions imaginable, they plan to change the world with education. 
You can find one-of-a-kind embroidered cards at Mowen Solinsky Gallery. All embroidered card sale proceeds go directly to LWCO Schools in Pakistan. You can join in: find a store to host an embroidered card purchase display, arrange for an inspiring slide presentation, or help with their World Friendship Quilt. Contact Greg or Laurie at 265-2345 or gregzaller@gmail.com www.lwco.org, is registered in Pakistan 
SACRAMENTO – California Fine Art, the juried art show of the California State Fair, announced today the award-winning artworks for 2010. Open to California artists aged 18 and over, the 2010 competition received 1,298 entries. The jury selected 185 artworks from this field to be exhibited and eligible for awards. All award-winning artworks will be exhibited at the 2010 California State Fair at the Expo Center in Building 7. Awards will be presented to the artists at an Awards Ceremony held during the California State Fair at 10 a.m. Saturday, July 17th, 2010. A Juror's Award and Best of Show went to "Casey & Emily, Gabrielle's Lamp" a charcoal drawing by Annie Robinson of Carmichael. A Juror's Award also went to "Old Walks" an acrylic on paper painting by artist Patricia Mills of Fair Oaks. "Tales of Hoffman" by Dave Lane of Sacramento won the Juror's Award for Sculpture. "Sunset, Mekong River, Laos 2009" a black and white photograph printed on handmade washi paper by Richard Murai of Penn Valley received the Juror's Award for Photography. The Juror's Award for Fine Craft went to Linda Mihara of San Francisco for her wearable "Origami Tyvek Vest". "Distant Thunder," a color photograph by Lisa Woodburn of Elk Grove received the Juror's Award in the Themes Division and, "Rat Car," by Terrence Martin of West Sacramento won the Juror's Award for Recycle Art. Jurors also selected 29 artworks to receive Awards of Excellence and 149 artworks to receive Awards of Merit. For a complete list of award winners, please visit the State Fair website at www.bigfun.org. See Richard Murai's award winning photograpy at his Mowen Solinksy Gallery webpage. Capturing imaginations in light, glass and metal "'Sculpture' is a debatable word," argues David Lewin. "Just because a work of glass has a hole in it, does that make it a vase?" Just because a metal object lights up, does that make it a lamp? "I don't make lamps," he says emphatically. Nevertheless, the colorful, half-finished metal and glass object he holds in his hands lights up his cluttered workshop with a soothing glow. An accomplished glass-blowing artist for more than two decades, Lewin shut down his 4,000-degree furnace two years ago, closed his studio and moved his family from Philadelphia to Nevada City. Born in Israel and raised in San Francisco, Lewin holds a bachelor of arts degree in painting and printmaking from California State University, San Francisco, and a master of fine arts degree from the San Francisco Art Institute. It was glass blowing, however, that captured his imagination. 
"I had to take a class outside my major at San Francisco State," he explains with a shrug. Photo for The Union by John Hart That turned into a 25-year career that ranged from teaching at the Tokyo Glass Art Institute to working as an artisan at the Creative Glass Center of America in Millville, New Jersey, to his own art glass studio in Philadelphia. Transition to metal The move from one coast to the other was more than a change of venue for Lewin. It was a change of artistic vision and medium. He took a class in metal design at Sierra College in Rocklin. "It was like a bomb went off," he recalls. The creative interaction with his teacher, Mike Conlen, inspired his transition from glasswork to metalwork. The problem is: He's still got to sell off his inventory of art glass and create enough new, illuminated metal-and-glass works to begin the next phase in his career. Lewin has won awards and grants for his glasswork ranging from the San Francisco Art Festival to the New Jersey State Council on the Arts to the National Endowment for the Arts. His work has been shown in more than 100 galleries nationwide, including the Mowen Solinsky Gallery in Nevada City. Over Thanksgiving weekend, his remaining glasswork will be for sale at the Artisans Festival at the Miners Foundry Cultural Center in Nevada City. Learning curve Meanwhile, Lewin is learning to work in a new medium. "There's a learning curve," he admits. "There's a lot of work involved. It doesn't happen quickly." As a consequence, "I've scrapped a lot of stuff." Showing a piece of a work in progress, Lewin explains it's taking him three days to bend and intricately paint a delicately curved steel pipe. It would have taken less than a day to create a similar piece in glass. The difference: Steel doesn't break. "I want to do public art," says Lewin. "There's a safety factor." In other words, not only does his work in metal, glass and electric light have to be structurally sound; it must still capture the imaginations of those who view it. "Design is everything," he avers. "You can be an outstanding technician, but if your design is weak, you're not an artist." Lewin is not ready to showcase his latest creations in public, but he will soon be previewing some of his new work on his new Web site (DavidLewinDesign.com). His wife Joan Moskowitz Lewin, a graphic artist in her own right, also is teaching herself a new art form in designing the Web site. While Lewin is fond of debating the niceties of what is and isn't sculpture, he is willing to concede his new art form is "sculpture that lights up." Tom Durkin is a freelance writer based in Nevada City. For comments on this article, e-mail tkleist@theunion.com or call (530) 477-4230. An Arts Community 
When thinking about renowned arts communities in California, Nevada County doesn't usually spring to mind; most people consider Carmel or Marin County, But Nevada County is a hidden jewel-an area that supports growing and diverse artist-friendly communities, In the foothills of the Sierra Nevada Mountains (about an hour from Sacramento) is Nevada City, With a population of approximately 2,800, the chamber of commerce describes it as a "restored gold rush town-the entire downtown district is a national historic landmark." Image: Ceramics class at AsIf Mowen Solinsky Gallery John Mowen moved to the area in 1983 and has always been active in Nevada City's art scene, An artist who works in bronze, he began doing shows in 1972, "This developed into a lifestyle and livelihood, With nearly 1,000 shows behind me, it seemed time to root down and explore another way of moving my work out into the world, "Seven years ago, he opened a small gallery with fellow "street artist" and friend Steve Solinsky, Two years later, the Mowen Solinnsky Gallery moved to its current, larger location in a restored Victorian building, In five years, the gallery has gone from representing 40 artists to its current roster of 160. While the gallery has been a thriving and vital asset to the community, this year has presented some challenges, Mowen's partner Solinsky decided to retire and the five-year lease also came to an end, Faced with the challenging economy and the realization of how immportant the gallery had become both personally and to the community, Mowen developed a creative plan to "save" his business, The new lease would be half his old rent, but with a hefty up-front cost "The gnawing question became how we ask for help at a time when businesses and galleries were closing, The solution became more about what we could give." 
Woman #73 by Richard Downs "We began to partner with community organizations, with a percentage of sales at our art openings going to support their orrganizations. "But Mowen also instituted a very creative program to further solidify his concept of partnering with the community and patrons. "We created a campaign of selling gallery gift cards and adding a ten percent value. A $1,000 purchase got $1,100 in purchase value. So the 'arts supporter'is realizing a ten-percent return on their investment, supporting art in their community and giving themselves a gift of beauty." (Read more about this unique plan on the website's home page: www.mowensolinskygallery.com.) Mowen's community connections extend beyond the arts. Each year, he has an informal agreement with local schools to provide educational tours of the gallery. Kids of all ages, many whom have never been in an art gallery, get individual attention from the owner. One component is "gallery etiquette'" or how to act responsively while enjoying the experience. Mowen also helps area organizations by making the venue available to host their events - environmental and theater groups, author booksignings and poetry readings. Fostering positive relationships Although Mowen Solinsky Gallery is considered a premiere Northern California gallery with a national and international reputation, Mowen has never forgotten a key element of his success."As an artist and gallery owner," he explains, "I bring a unique sensitivity to the artist/gallery owner relationship. I have a good understanding of what an artist goes through to create his work and the pitfalls of working with galleries. We opened as a 'pro-artist' gallery, meaning we put the artist first. When we sell their work, they are paid before we pay the rent, insurance, etc. This is the only respectable approach when working with an artist's money. After all, the artists are our bankers; without the millions of dollars of art consigned to the gallery, we could not exist." 
Above: Centeredness, a bronze sculpture by John Mowen Artist husband and wife Richard Downs and Gwyn Stramler are both represented by the gallery. They see Mowen's strong connection to his artists as a perk. Illustrator Downs explains, "John and the staff are really friendly, professional and understand my work and background. They enjoy discussing my work with customers. This type of open interaction between the gallery and the public has helped in the promotion and future of selling my work." Although new to the gallery, printmaker Stramler agrees, "John is rare in that he's both artist and gallery owner. He doesn't enter lightly into a business relationship with an artist, he wants a close alliance and integrity from artists who show there and expectations are openly and respectively discussed." Woodworker Gary Upton is also represented by Mowen Solinsky Gallery and has gone with a group Mowen has taken to the SOFA (Sculpture Objects & Functional Art) Chicago exhibition the past two years. Upton says it provides him with great exposure and he values the relationship with Mowen and staff. "I look at it as a partnership and I have to be sensitive to what's working for them; having feedback is helpful for us both and sometimes artists are not getting that."  Above: Sanshi Table by Gary Upton Artists' community links Downs and Stramler also live in Nevada City. Stramler says they were drawn to the arts-friendly feel of the town. "We looked at many 'unique' communities along the coast of California and into Vancouver, British Columbia, but Nevada City was different. We felt [the area] has everything we wanted; a few nice restaurants, a local theater, mountains, rivers, wildlife, hippies and professionals, plus a strong art spirit-you could feel it. I can still feel it today." Downs notes it is often called "Sausalito of the Foothills" (a reference to the Marin County artistic community). Gary Upton is also a Nevada City resident: "When I moved here in 1978, it was mainly because it was beautiful and more affordable than the San Francisco bay area where I lived. There were a lot of crafts/artist people here and innovative types because there was little local work to be found and people who could brought their businesses here. It is an amazing small town with more culture than some cities. I think being in a 'creative melting pot' is stimulating and I'm able to draw inspiration from everywhere." Creative concept Grass Valley is about four miles from Nevada City. Larger than Nevada City (approximate population of 12,000), it also has a strong arts component. Artist Randy Rigg is the founder and owner of As If Studios (www.asifstudios.com), "accidental acronym for 'Artists Studio in the Foothills."' His original intent was to open a community center to be focused on visual arts and artists in Nevada County. He opened in April of 2008. 
Like John Mowen, he has had some challenges to his initial vision."Our original business plan was geared toward renting studio space and conducting classes for the community. As we tried to establish this concept in our first few months, the economy started to decline and we found it necessary to redirect. As our students disappeared, we reworked our plan, closer to a co-op model and opened up more rental space. This current scenario has brought a group of residents and co-op members together as a tight family of working artists." The 4,050-square-feet facility houses private studios for 11 resident artists and space for another 20 co-op artists. According to Rigg,"There is a complete ceramics studio and an equipped drawing/painting/printmaking room. The two-dimensional room is a co-op space which includes easels, stools, studio lighting, a model stage, a beautiful printmaking press and other equipment."The ceramics studio is also fully outfitted, including the "largest publicly available gas kiln in Nevada County." The facility includes an area where art is displayed and open to the community. A show in May, "Small Works in the Foothills" brought 50 artists together, over 500 pieces of art and drew around 400 people. Rigg and Mowen continue to bring creative concepts for getting art and fine crafts to their communities. Local artists Downs, Stramler and Upton feel fortunate to be living in a beautiful physical setting full of an energetic and spiritual vibe that nourishes their artistic lives. ~~ Nancy LaFever writes extensively about the fine craft industry. Her diverse careers in graphic design, advertising, fiber art and psychotherapy also inform her writing on a variety of other topics. She writes from her home in rural central Ohio. This article appeared in the August 2009 issue of The Crafts Report and has been posted with permission © 2009, The Crafts Report, www.craftsreport.com 
Learn the ancient art of printmaking Standing at the window of her studio on Wet Hill Road, Gwyn Stramler applied thick black relief ink with a pallet knife onto a square of glass, then rolled the ink into a thin coating with a brayer. "I usually start people with black so they can get a feel for the printmaking process and not have to think about color," Stramler explained.  Gwyn Stramler shows some finished prints from her home studio Since February, Stramler has taught printmaking workshops to small groups of four in her intimate workspace known as Wet Hill Studios. "Lots of people taking my class are already good artists," Stramler said who wants to attract people new to the age old art form. "I really do want to teach the beginner. Someone who has never done printmaking. That's who would really benefit from the class." Stramler first fell in love with the medium as a young student at Fullerton College in Orange County. After graduating from Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, Stramler entered a career working as an editorial illustrator for publications like Harper's Magazine, Atlantic Monthly, Outside and The Washington Post. 
After 13 years, Stramler gave up illustrating for magazines and newspapers to become a full fledged painter. She and her husband moved to Nevada County 12 years ago and her work is currently on display at Mowen Solinsky Gallery in Nevada City. Last fall during the Open Studio Tour, 25 visitors showed interest in Stramler's skills as a printmaker. Stramler decided to offer printmaking workshops in February with the hope that teaching would add a new dimension to her own work. "I want to bring up my own body of work while teaching people the principles of art and design," she said. At the workshops, Stramler supplies the materials and props, a whole host of plastic lizards, wart hogs and other animals for students to draw. Stramler uses an old hand cranked press she found in Marin nearly 20 years ago. Students can expect to produce several finished prints to take home by the end of the day. "I want them to get the experience," Stramler said. "A lot of it is tactile and feeling your way." People are also welcome to bring their own themed inspiration such as a Haiku poem or cookie fortune. "I like people to draw from life and memory. Not from photographs. That's what cameras are for," she said. "I would like people to think and paint in metaphors. Using the principles of design and art you can usually bring art to a higher level. It's not about painting a pretty flower," she said. 
A white plastic rat with red eyes offered inspiration for a quick sketch. Stramler hastily painted black lines and an image was ready for the printing press. "I love the spontaneity. I love the sketching aspect of it. To me there is the real element of surprise. It's going to be run through the press and you never know what's going to happen," Stramler said. Stramler's students start with the basics of monotype before branching out to monoprint, soft-hard-ground etching, aquatint and drypoint. Printmaking began as woodcuts in China about A.D. 105 possibly developed to print patterns on cloth. Printing allowed religious teachings of the Bible and Buddha to spread out to the masses. Later printmaking styles included engravings on metal developed by German goldsmiths and the fine details found in etchings. "This is a really old technique. It was the first form of mass production," Stramler said. "It hasn't changed over the years at all. That's why I love it. It really is a throwback." ~~ To learn more about the workshops visit wethillstudios.com or call 470-0525. To contact Staff Writer Laura Brown, call 477-4231 or e-mail lbrown@theunion.com. Photos for The Union Newspaper by John Hart See more of Gwyn's work at her Mowen Solinsky Gallery webpage... The Church Key Potter, At first glance, there's something vaguely familiar about Ken Standhardt's pots. Unglazed exteriors rich with pattern and texture echo ancient Native American woven baskets and pottery. Even his titles-amphora, berry basket, storage vessel-summon thoughts of shards at an archaeological dig. 
Standhardt admits that as a kid, he loved finding arrowheads, millstones, and hatchet heads on the 150-acre fourth-generation farm in Pennsylvania where he grew up. "I was sure I wanted to be an archaeologist," he confesses. But although he minored in archaeology at one point in college, his experience working in a ceramic studio under a work-study program in high school had already hooked him on the clay habit. After a stint studying ceramics in college, he became a full-time potter. It's now worked for him for 20 years. One of archaeology's theories on how pottery began is that natives pressed clay into baskets to keep small seeds from falling through the cracks. "If the basket burned by accident or in a prairie fire, they discovered they had a pottery bowl with the texture of the basket," notes Standhardt. That texture is what fascinates him. But Standhardt's pots only whisper about those ancient times. "Primitive forms serve as my inspiration, but I don't copy any patterns," he explains. "I make them up and I do them all by hand. I'm all about developing my own, distinct tradition. My work has evolved slowly." Despite his archaeological interest, Standhardt doesn't press clay into woven reeds to create his texture-he uses something far more modern: a church key. Remember that triangular pointed hunk of metal used to pierce the top of a soda can before the days of the pop-top? Well, if you've got one, hang on to it, because it can be an awesome pottery tool!  "I've become known as the Church Key Potter," says Standhardt. "I can create a variety of patterns and variations within them with two simple church keys. On one, I ground a little V-slot onto the tip. It creates a sort of overlay effect." It may sound simple, but the application of church key to clay, he notes, is all about patience and practice. "Because each piece is hand-textured, no two are ever the same. In a single vessel, the number of indentations can vary from 500 to 5,000, each placed by hand and eye." Pressing Patterns Standhardt begins texturing a piece by impressing a pattern around the rim of a leather-hard pot. He works around the pot from top to bottom. "It's all about setting up the pattern to start with," he says. "If you start well, things will continue well-or at least you have a chance." Although that first course of impressions around the top determines the consistency of the pattern, Standhardt doesn't measure out his designs. "It's all serendipity," he admits. "I get to a couple of inches from the end of the pattern, and do a little dry-run to figure out whether to go larger or smaller. In 90% of my finished work, I can't tell where my start point was-it's fluid. It's all about letting go. The worst thing that could happen is I'd have to throw another piece." As he works down the pot, he expands and contracts the pattern according to the form of the piece. "I do that by making the impression smaller at the narrow neck and larger at the widest part, so it gives the illusion of the pattern ballooning out." His patterns are, so symmetrical and exact that he says people often think he casts them rather than creating each one freehand. "But if you look at them closely; you see the imperfections in the patterns," he confesses. "They only give the illusion of perfection because of the repetitive patterns." 
The bottoms of Standhardt's pieces are as intricately textured as the sides, and that gives him special pleasure. "The textured bottoms are a reward for the person who picks up the work and starts exploring it," he says. Those almost secret designs also satisfy his sense of craftsmanship, something dear to his heart as the son and grandson of Pennsylvania Dutch woodworkers. "Texturing the bottom to finish off a work is a statement of being done with a piece." Standhardt's early years growing up on a farm trained his eye for pattern. "There is so much pattern in farming and agriculture," he says. "Corn is planted in different patterns, wheat sheaves create complex patterns as they grow. Pattern was a constant in my life while 1 was growing up." He also notes that farming is good training in judging distance. "In laying out crops and fields, a sense of distance is something that's actually honed. You develop a highly specialized ability to judge distances." Certainly that's an invaluable skill when coming up to those last two inches of design around a pot. When it comes time to texture, Standhardt usually works on his lap, using custom-made chucks to hold the pieces upright. He uses a hand on the interior of the pot to press against the pressure of his church key from the outside. Depending upon the piece, he sometimes stands. But either way, he's careful not to get into positions that tire his muscles. "It's all about body mechanics and not stressing your body," he notes. "For example, I look down with my eyes, not my neck." 
Because his studio is small-only about 250 sq. ft.-Standhardt has had to keep his glazing simple. The exteriors of his pieces are washed with iron oxide and sponged off. The interiors get a simple liner glaze. "I want to dramatize the depth of the texture but not distract from the form," he explains. His rich red, cone 4-6 stoneware, called Trail Mix Cinnamon, comes from Georgies Clay in Portland, Oregon. He fires to 2150 F, about cone 5. A small gallery in his home provides a sales venue that has taken Standhardt off the traveling show circuit. "I have a reputation and people come to me at this point, although I do some local shows. I like having the gallery because I don't have to travel so much." Standhardt wants people to touch his pieces. "What I like about my work is that as you engage with it-turn it over and look inside-you can explore additional patterns," he says. "Some texture I directly apply to the interior, others are what I call a soft echo of the exterior pattern that forms in the interior from the compression I make in patterning on the outside. The exterior has all these linear patterns and the interior parallels that, but it's more subtle. My work is a study in pattern, form, and textures." K.T. Anders is a potter and professional writer who resides in Upperville, Virginia. She is a regular contributor to Clay Times. See more of Ken Standhardt ceramic vessels at his Mowen Solinsky Gallery webpage... 
Penn Valley travel photographer a winner Richard "Rick" Murai of Penn Valley recently won a photography competition in Europe for the picture of an 84-year-old Cambodian woman, a snail gatherer up to her neck in water. He won the One Shot category in the international Travel Photographer of the Year competition, one that attracted more than 13,000 entries from 51 countries and a panel of renowned judges. "I didn't realize it was that big when I entered it," said Murai. "Europeans are really big on competitions rather than being exhibition based, as we are in this country He won a fancy camera with all the fixings, including software. His reaction? "I was surprised, excited and honored," he said, "but I also felt good going into it. I never enter contests because of how flighty they are. In 95 percent of contests, you lose copyright. I entered this because of the terms - very professional - and because it was targeted (travel based). It validates what I do." For 20 years, Murai, 55, has been a travel photographer. Southeast Asia is his focus. He spends about six weeks a year during breaks from his teaching job at Yuba College visiting such countries as Tibet and Cambodia; in fact, he hopes to make his third trip to that country and to Bhutan in the near future. While the cultures and people interest him, it's sacred sites that form the foundation of his many years of work.  In addition to teaching photography at the college level, Murai gives tutorials in his home studio. While the photographer still uses film as his main capture medium, as of six years ago he started using digital scanning and large-scale, dedicated grayscale digital printers for his prints. He says it's like painting with light electronically. "This has revealed a new emotive quality that I never got in the dark room. It offers great control and great productivity." Murai's work may be seen at the Mowen Solinsky Gallery in Nevada City. He's also entered another photography contest, so stay tuned. For a little more about the woman in the winning picture: She spends seven hours a day immersed in water harvesting snails because her whole family was wiped out by the Khmer Rouge, and this is her only means of support. All her belongings are in the boat behind her. Although the judges of the photography contest never knew the backstory to the image and judged it only on such things as technical merits, Murai thinks they were drawn to the picture for other reasons, known only to themselves. Commenting on the unseen ravages of war is becoming more important to him now. "I want to get more involved in humanitarian applications for my work," he says about future endeavors. ~~ See Richard Murai's award winning photograpy at his Mowen Solinksy Gallery webpage. Visit www.tpoty.com for details of the Travel Photographer competition. Visit the chamber of commerce website to learn more about events in and around Nevada City |
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