Ceramics

Ruth Conway wants her pottery to be used and enjoys the challenge of making a pot that looks good, feels comfortable and also functions well. She is continually looking for the balance between a pot that is interesting enough to catch the eye but is subtle enough to be appreciated after years of use. All Ruth’s pottery is fired in a wood burning kiln fueled with scrap wood left over from local palette sawmills.

Pottery created at the Hickory Tree Studios consists of functional, daily-use stoneware for the home as well as bird feeders and wren houses for the yard. Also made are artistic vases, fish for the wall, bathroom sinks and accessories, and even mousetraps.

Pottery by Jim Halvorson focuses on wheel thrown forms based upon classical traditions from Greek and Chinese cultures. These pieces are accented by glazes that embellish the forms. All pottery is made to be used to enhance the food you serve or the flowers from your garden.

Handmade functional items are the most sensual objects of art you can own. A mug, for instance, is a very intimate object. You take sustenance from it. You caress it with the most sensitive receptors in your hands and fingertips. You place your lips softly on its rim. It’s a very personal item. So, if you choose to use handmade functional items, art is an intimate part of your life and it enhances your experience with the simple joy of a cup of coffee, tea or cocoa.

Marcy is influenced by plant-life and the microscopic world. She is fascinated with the idea of biological plant-like forms coming alive, growing, and aging. Branches, roots, bones, and microorganisms are some of the ingredients that occupy her imagination, and provide inspiration in the creation of her sculptural and functional vessels. Her work is wheel-thrown and hand-built. The process includes a layering of custom made glazes, slips, and underglazes, incised sgraffito and hand-painted surfaces, fired multiple times.

Scott Frankenberger has been a potter since 1974 and works from his studio in West Lafayette, Indiana. Most of Scott’s work is functional porcelain intended for use in the home or workplace. He enjoys embellishing the surfaces with a variety of marks and textures, as well as building up a layered blend of colors from overlapping glazes, slips and overglaze decoration.

The majority of Larry’s work is thrown stoneware & porcelain, with several pieces incorporating hand-built appendages into their design. He utilizes various individually formatted glazes and glazing techniques, with surface decoration to embellish the exterior of each piece. The work is reduction-fired in a down-draft kiln during an approximate 15 hour cycle. Larry believes the best explanation he has of the pots he makes are the pots themselves.

With Italian tools in hand, artist Susan Snyder draws on her experiences and master training in both Fraenza, Italy, and at home in Bloomington, Indiana, to create original maiolica pottery. She remains dedicated to Italian methods and colors, creating hand-painted one-of-a-kind pieces, finding inspiration in elaborate floral, fruit, celestial, animal and geometric designs from 13th-18th century Italy. At the same time, she stays true to herself, creating original pottery with both contemporary and traditional themes. Her lead-free, food-safe, and dishwasher-friendly pieces align with modern needs, and are destined to become family heirlooms.