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Leslie Thompson/Carved Porcelain

It was in a class of Native American pottery that Leslie clarified her goal to work with surface designs on clay. The pots are created by coating a high-fire porcelain vessel with black slip, then carving through the black, back to the original white surface. The high contrast enhances the movement and dimensionality of the designs. The interiors are glazed with a non-toxic glaze and the lidded pots given handles using animal fetishes carved by the Zunis of New Mexico. The line of the fetish compliments the form of the vessel and contrasts the formality of the design. The animals represent spiritual qualities which are sacred to the Navajo and Zuni.
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Emma Luna/Raku Vessel

Emma loves the unpredictability of raku which involves firing the clay at a very high temperature, then placing the pots into a carbon chamber filled with combustible natural materials including leaves and pine cones. These burst into flames that literally paint the surfaces. In her version of raku, the end product glows, creating the feeling of a mountain landscape or a sunset. Emma also does saggar firing and sculpted porcelain. Her work in ceramic clothing grew from her frustration with her kids throwing their clothes all over the place. Confronted with this problem, other mothers yell. Luna turns the issue into art. In 1999, Emma won a grant from the Pollock-Krasner Foundation.		 Ceramics
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Nancy Craemer/Porcelain Environment

Nancy is celebrating her 25th year as a full-time potter. She has a Master of Fine Arts degree from the University of Massachusetts. She started her career as a printmaker but soon realized that she attained more fulfillment and self-expression by working with the unlimited possibilities, pliable nature and sensual qualities of clay. She has a great attraction to color and animal subject matter. She works alone in her studio but is very connected through her network of friends. Nancy's loving and supportive nature comes through in the charming and warm pieces she creates.

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