November 2009
A Fall Celebration of Flame and Form
pENELOPE dEWS
JAN SCHMITZ
Our November exhibit showcases the vivid colors, natural beauty and textures of the harvest season.
Penelope Dews returns from an exhibit in Japan, displaying her Anagama wood fired ceramic sculpture, in a show entitled, “Flame and Form.”
Jan Schmitz shows her, “Fall Celebration,” a vibrant collection of abstract acrylic paintings.
Dews, LLAMAS ENTWINED
Flame and Form
Penelope Dews started making pottery as a child and eventually graduated from the San Francisco Art Institute in 1984 with a BFA in Ceramic Sculpture. A fifth generation from the Rogue Valley, she returned to live here thirteen years ago and has been teaching Ceramics for the past twelve years, most recently at Clayworks in Talent. Penelope was recently awarded “Best in Show – First Place” and the “Poster Award” at the Oregon Potters Association Showcase in Portland, Oregon.
Dews' sculptures are built in a modified coil technique allowing clay to be moved quickly. Once the material is in place the main shape is formed, animals and handles are added. Then the subtractive method is used, carving away material to define the details. Sometimes “sketching” loosely on the piece, helps one get a feel for the direction the work is going. Animals, architecture, ancient artifacts, natural forms and dream images are the themes of the pots. Often forms are combined. The large pots are great stages for the animals to interact on.
Dews was one of the thirty members of the Oregon Potters Association that exhibited in Sapporo, Japan this past September. Dews, along with 15 others traveled to the two week show, “Art Fest of Clay and Fire,” held at the Sapporo Art Park. They participated in workshops, lead demonstrations, and toured local studios. Dews spent part of her stay with a Japanese family and traveled with several other members on a mini tour to important pottery sites in the Kyoto area. Penelope will give a presentation and slide show showcasing her experiences in Japan here in the gallery on November 12th , at 7:00 PM.
Schmitz, PAIR
Fall Celebration
Jan Schmitz’ exhibit includes four large abstract acrylics, displaying the beauty of harvest and approaching winter. Spending the past eight months adding to that, and focusing on using strong color, “have been a treat and a challenge.”
Her experiences this year growing and caring for her first vegetable garden, planted and cared for all by herself, watching things grow, picking them, and hauling them to the studio, has shaped what you see in this exhibit.
“I have tried to celebrate the paint as much as the subject matter. The freedom to work new ideas and look for challenge is central to my work. This show is much different from my last two exhibits which were done completely in grey tones or using just black and white. My range of interest has intrigued some and baffled others, but I say, "I'm having fun, still learning, and painting helps to keep me balanced and "out of trouble."
Jan grew up on a tree lined street in the small town of Gothenburg, Nebraska, the youngest of six children. She credits her early interest in art to a resourceful mother who provided simple materials---flour and water paste, scrap papers, things with color, mud, plants, string, etc. and freedom for the family to use them, each in his or her own way.
Later, Jan graduated with a B.F.A. in art from the University of Nebraska, Lincoln. She now spends most of her time painting and making pots in her home studio in Medford.