On First Friday, October 4 the gallery will host Judi Mitchell doing an artist demonstration from 5:30-7 pm. Please plan to join us! The Gallery is open until 8pm on First Fridays.

A bit about Judi, in her own words:

A self-taught artist, I have found a strong love in sculpting, mainly in ceramics, especially within the alternative firing techniques (such as Raku, Pit, Saggar, Foil Saggar, Naked Raku and Wood Firing).  These firing techniques give my pieces the rich colors and/or organic elements that assist in providing the emotion of each piece.  Within the last few years, I have been exploring sgraffito among other methods, which I then have raku fired or mid-range fired.  I have also begun to weld, so welded discarded metal is finding its way into my art.

Just like when I was a child, I tend to use found objects such as wood, metal, antlers, shells, pods, etc., with clay to create a piece.  When I look at the found object, I see an image in my mind of what it reminds me of – for instance a seed pod may be a rabbit ear, or a piece of driftwood may be a horse’s tail or mane, a piece of metal that might become a tail or bird legs, etc.  It is exciting to see the piece coming together to what my mind had envisioned.  I feel that I am giving a new life to the found object.