Baltimore-American Craft Council, Finale

Lori Katz had very graphic black and white pieces. The black comes from the black clay being carefully inset, not from black glaze. She also makes pieces that show a great range of colors.

Another potter, Justin Rothshank, had some very interesting pieces that combined good design sense with decal application, as explained on his website. He had some pieces similiar to these Lincoln pieces but with Obama's image on them: "Sold out, taking orders." Of course. He was another person who was very patient in answering our "How did you do that?" questions. Being a student means you constantly feel intimidated by all the skilled artists you see, but being a student means you can get away with asking a lot of questions. They probably look at me and think "This guy can't possibly be competition" and give me lots of help. Which I need.

I don't exactly understand what Richard Saja does because he says it is "Historically Inaccurate", but Susan says it is very clever, very humorous and meticulously done. When she went to look at his blog there was a link for another blog where she found his very cool ProtoBolsters and fell in love with Emmanuel.

Carol Owen makes Spirit Houses (or Shrines) that draw you in and make you look more than twice. Susan is planning to take a class with her soon and we've already been talking about what will go in her Spirit House. Carol also makes beautiful altered books in addition to being the author of a book about her techniques.

Carolyn Morris Bach's work is incredibly tiny and detailed but she admitted she uses magnifying glasses. I still can't image how she does it anyway. Each small piece tells a magical, enchanting story.

These are just a few of the contemporary artists whose work we fortunate enough to see. Going to this show definitely keeps me humble! There are some incredibly talented people out there trying to make a living with their art. Think about giving them your support by joining the American Craft Council or your local craft organization.

Note: All artists shown here gave us their permission to post from their websites and/or cards.