"COUSINS IN CLAY"

Memorial Day Weekend

May 28 Saturday 9-4

May 29 Sunday 10-4

Michael Kline's Brushwork Demonstration

Saturday 2:00-3:00

Sunday 1:30-2:30

(This is from our (Bulldog Pottery's) e-mail that we sent out today)

Jack Troy just returned from Australia as a presenter on a panel at the Australian Wood-firing Conference. He is a renowned potter from Pennsylvania, ceramics author, teacher, and poet. Creative energy is clearly unlimited for Pennsylvanian potter Jack Troy, who weaves his productive life around his passion for ceramics. He has taught over 185 workshops, written 2 books about clay, a book of original poems, published over 60 articles and book reviews, and won awards, all while producing a constant stream of pottery in his Pennsylvania studio.

Peter Lenzo from Columbia, SC reexamines the southern pottery face jug tradition, by creating his autobiographical head sculptures. We think you will enjoy these incredibly intricate and quirky sculptural interpretations of this Southern regional art form.

Michael Kline from Bakersville, NC is known for his floral brush imagery that gracefully wraps around his wood-fired pottery forms. Michael is our perennial co-conspirator with Gholson-Henneke's annual Cousins in Clay event. Sometimes his pots are covered with a honey amber color glaze that is as appetizing as maple syrup. Look for a Mountain Cousins event in the near future.

Bruce Gholson and Samantha Henneke have created a collaborative environment at their Bulldog Pottery studio that provides them the support to express their independent voices, more than they would be able to achieve individually. Their art pottery has become known for an eclectic mix of form, imagery, texture, pattern, and graceful design all integrated by their rich and distinctive glazes

Michael Kline demonstrating at Cousins in Clay 2011

For the upcoming Cousins in Clay on Memorial Day weekend, 2011, Michael Kline will demonstrate his brushwork technique on both Saturday and Sunday. On Saturday he will begin at 2:00pm and on Sunday at 1:30pm. This brushwork demo will last around 45 minutes. Michael has a you tube station where you can watch some of his techniques.

Michael's You Tube Station

Michael just unloaded a wood kiln, and will be having his kiln opening this weekend at his homeplace in the mountains. Check out his fabulous pottery at his famed "Sawdust and Dirt" blog.

Michael also has a "working potter" two page feature in this months [June, July, August issue] Ceramics Monthly Magazine. Check it out!

Michael Kline Painting Pottery, Pt 1

Carolina Arts Unleashed Blogs, Read all about Cousins in Clay

Carolina Arts publisher Tom Starland writes, "We ran this article in our May 2011 issue of Carolina Arts, but we’ve learned that everyone doesn’t bother with publications these days. Many people’s attention span is just too short for publications. They like blog entries, Facebook status updates or even tweets.

But, I wanted to make sure people interested in pottery would see this – one way or another. I’m hoping I can make another trip to Seagrove (hold the tornadoes this time – please), but it’s a rough time of the month for us to be gone – unless we’ve finished our June issue early. We’ll have our fingers crossed."

Visit Carolina Arts Unleashed to read more about the 3rd Annual "Cousins in Clay".

April and May ads in Carolina Arts Online

This year the Carolina Arts went online. We appreciate Tom and Linda's publication about what is happening in the Arts in South and North Carolina. This month they did included Cousins in Clay. You can read the article at their online newspaper at Carolina Arts Online. We begin on page 36 and on page 37.

3rd Annual Cousins in Clay May 28 & 29

We are in the last three weeks until this years Cousins in Clay. Always such an exciting time for us! Getting the house and yard ready, and pottery made and fired. Recently we have been up early in the morning clearing out the area that Michael will be giving his brushwork demonstration. On Saturday, May 28 he will be presenting his demo at 2:00pm and on May 29 Sunday, 5/29 he will showing at 1:30 pm. He has been making some great work over in the mountains. Michael and his wife Stacey just had an opening at Crimson Laurel Gallery in Bakersville. Follow Michael on his Saw Dust and Dirt blog to find out what he will be up to next!

Jack Troy is at a wood firing conference in Australia. When he returns he will be firing up his own wood kiln.

Peter Lenzo has told us that he has been filling his days with making his head sculptures. He will be bringing various sizes to Cousins this year.

As for Bruce and I, we are throwing and glazing for our Moka glaze kiln. Which means we will have an assortment of bowls, mugs, plates, and jars in our soft and satiny matte glaze. Bruce is also pulling out his bucket of shino glaze, and will be revisiting shino on porcelain and stoneware for this kiln and kilns to come. You can follow us on our blog "Around and About with Bulldog Pottery".

Please join us for this years Cousins in Clay! Sat. May 28 or Sun. May 29, we all will be here and are looking forward to your visit and conversations!