Presenter: Amy Sanders | Altered Ceramics

AMY SANDERS

The Stamped Surface

Working with cone 5 stoneware, Amy’s presentation will focus on soft slab construction and altered thrown forms, while also considering how stamped patterns and clay appliqués enhance the surface. Amy will demonstrate how to make several forms using varied building methods with slabs, while focusing on how to create a sense of volume and “breath†in your work. She will also work on altering thrown forms at the soft-leather hard stage, stretching and patterning the clay with stamps to add interest.

Some pieces will be created by pinching, folding, and draping thin slabs over bisqued clay molds; while others will start with simple paper templates or thrown form. Discussion will focus on how pattern, line, texture, and proportion inform composition and aesthetic decisions made while creating a pot, as well as balancing studio practices with a busy family life. Glaze recipes will be shared, and questions and open discussion is encouraged!

Additional Information

Amy first discovered clay as an undergraduate studying biology at Centre College in Danville, KY where she quickly switched majors and graduated with a BA in art and secondary education. She and her husband Brian then moved to Charlotte to work for Habitat for Humanity as Americorps volunteers and happily discovered an amazing clay community in NC. Amy has been teaching throwing and hand building classes at Clayworks Studio in Charlotte for 11 years, and also greatly enjoys teaching workshops all over the US. After completing a 1-½ year artist residency at McColl Center for Visual Art, she has been a full time studio artist for 6 years (in between hanging out with her two young boys: Guthrie and Sammy). In 2009, Amy completed a large-scale public art tile project for the city of Charlotte in conjunction with a residency at Garinger High School. Amy’s work is exhibited nationally and has been featured in many publications.

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