Jump to content

Recommended Posts

  • Administrators

This forum is for participants of the 2015 Potters Council Ceramics in Tuscany V. This will be a good place to share travel tips and introduce yourselves. 

I'll go first. My name is Holly Goring and I'll be representing the Potters Council during our tour in Tuscany. I am currently the Editor of Pottery Making Illustrated and the Associate Editor for Ceramics Monthly. I have been with the American Ceramic Society for 10 years now, starting as an intern while I was in graduate school at The Ohio State University. I am also a studio artist, primarily making sculptural wall pieces. I am originally from Minneapolis, Minnesota, and I currently live in Columbus, Ohio. I looking forward to meeting everyone in Florence!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I hope you'll take advantage of this forum and introduce yourselves.

I am Marcia Selsor, and I'll be assisting Holly with the tour. I am a retired University professor from Montana State University. 

  •  I  have been taking groups to Spain and Italy since 1995. I am looking forward to meeting everyone. 
  • Please pack light. If you can travel with only a carry-on and a tote, do it. It makes things much easier for everyone. Weather should be great. You may need a light sweater. We'll be staying at three locations: Florence, Faenza and Certaldo Alto so you can wash clothes if you need to do so. If you are interested, Boccaccio wrote the Decameron in Certaldo Alto during the plague. You may want to read it. Short stories told by a group of young people entertaining themselves in the countryside. 
  • There are maps of Florence at the hotel. Look up Ravenna where we go on a day trip. We'll be having a banquet Sunday night. One Wed. night. in Faenza and one Saturday night in Certaldo Alto. and one on the last Thursday as a farewell dinner. The rest of the dinners are on your own. In Florence there are good little restaurants near the Mercado and even in the mercado in Florence.Tza Tza's is highly recommended. Feel free to contact me if you have any questions. Best to post them here because others might want to know as well.
  • Bring sun screen, sun glasses,  and mosquito repellent.  Get a good rest before you come because we'll be busy. But Italy is very relaxing especially once we leave the crowds in Florence. Be mindful of your pockets in the markets and crowds. Ciao!- Marcia
  •  

 

post-1954-0-15533500-1432996497_thumb.jpg

post-1954-0-15533500-1432996497_thumb.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Jon,

Welcome. It will hopefully not be as hot as Orlando and Brownsville. I am looking forward to

meeting everyone. I am also especially excited about the Varasi Corridor as part of our Uffizi visit. This is a rare treat.

One year we had three sprained ankles in the first few days of visiting Florence. People looking up and walking off the slight curb. 

Pietro broke his ankle but will still demonstrate and lecture. Always something. I will be helping Claudia with the Raku Dolce firing.

The Obvara firing is on our last Wed. 

I hope Pietro gets well quickly. The steps down to the dining room at La Meridiana could be tricky in a cast.No one wants to miss a meal by Lucia!

 

Marcia

Link to comment
Share on other sites

From Florence we go to Faenza for the ceramics museum and studio visits. Then we do a day trip to Ravenna, the last capital of the Roman Empire. A city with 10 UNESCO World heritage sites.

Here is a video from You tube. It doesn't do the colors justice.

You will be getting the day pass and a Diocese pass.

 

 

See you soon!

Marcia

Link to comment
Share on other sites

This is our hotel in Florence http://www.hoteldelanziflorence.com

They do have laundry services. Someone wanted to know. 

It is an easy walk from the train station. You can take the bus from the airport. Exit the front of the airport and walk to the right. Follow the curve of the street to the bus stop. It is very obvious. The cost is 6 or 7 euros. A taxi can be 30-50 depending on traffic.

 

Marcia

Link to comment
Share on other sites

After Florence we'll be going to Faenza. Our hotel http://www.hotel-vittoria.com

Just a few blocks away is the International Museum of Ceramics and the site for the International Ceramics Biennial. We'll also visit the Carlo Zauli Museum and several pottery studios.

post-1954-0-65935900-1433514739_thumb.jpgpost-1954-0-08266200-1433514798_thumb.jpg

 

 

Why are there few participants signing on? No Introductions except Jon's.

post-1954-0-65935900-1433514739_thumb.jpg

post-1954-0-08266200-1433514798_thumb.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

My name is Cecilia Cunningham. I first studied in Florence almost 48 years ago. Then off and on lived there for a few years. I last visited in 2006 with two other artist friends. Florence, Faenza and Ravenna are incredibly wonderful. Really looking forward to the trip.

 

Faenza has a great artist community and an exceptional cemetery with huge ceramic tombs. A wonderful place to visit.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Cecilia, 

I think we met and you told me about the cemetery. We will have to see how we can get there.Maybe Saturday morning which we have free. 

Thanks for signing onto the forum.I am leaving Wed. with the other Cecelia on this trip, Cecelia Barnard.

Looking forward to meeting everyone and experiencing these wonderful places even if it is again. They are wonderful.

 

Marcia

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Holly:  with the free time we can even cab out there. It is not far but the cemetery has lots of ceramics and they are not recent. The Cimitero dell'Osservanza is old, beautifully done. It is even wonderful to see it in the dusk, as the candles, votive lights and oil lamps are so reflective. Quite breathtaking. Some burials from 1500's I think.

I'm game.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Sounds very interesting. Thanks again for letting us know. 

Faenza is a busy visit but we can figure it out. I was looking at a map and it doesn't seem so far away. It is about the same distance from the hotel as the Sports arena where the Medieval fiesta was several years ago. I walked that twice in one day to get the tickets for everyone. We can do it. It is probably a 20-30 minute walk.

Saturday is our best possibility for doing this. There is a street market and our participants love that. We have to be packed up and checked out of the hotel. We leave by bus at 1:15. But we need to be out of our rooms before that. So Sunday morning looks good.

Breakfast is served a little later, I think about 8.

 

Marcia

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Ciao tutti,

 

My name is Jill Sullivan and I'll be rooming with my good friend Lydia Bosley.  We met over 20 years ago at the L.A. Zoo - we were both zookeepers there.  We haven't seen each other for a couple years, but we will meet again on Sunday in Firenze.  We're no longer zookeepers, but we both loveworking with clay.

 

I've traveled to Italy every year since 2001 and have been to a lot of places, but never Faenza, Certaldo, Ravenna, Volterra, or San Gimignano.  I'm very excited about this trip.  What a bonus to be able to visit the Vasari Corridor!

 

Jill

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Cheryl, I went to that show while we were there. Wish I could post pics from my iPad to the Forum. We had a great time in Florence, Ravenna and Faenza.Departing for Certaldo tomorrow and La Meridiana.Everyone is exhausted from our visit to Ravenna today.great group.

marcia

Link to comment
Share on other sites

WE"RE BACK!!!!

Great trip. I will post a few high points now. I can add to the PC page later on Facebook or instagram.

No sprained ankles nor serious problems. Wonderful group of people from US, Guatemala, Singapore, Hong Kong. and Canada.

Here are some pictures from Faenza and the Carlo Zauli Museum, and San Vitale and San Francesco in Ravenna.

First piece represents a failed sculpture by Zauli where he contemplated the force of nature ovrer man and accepted it. The circular piece is about 3.5 feet in diameter and has never left the grounds of his studio. But it was a major influence on future work. Learn by your failures!

Second piece is a smaller version of his recognizable larger work where he used one glaze, Zauli Bianca>

It has selenium and can break with a slight red area near a ridge.

Holly and Emma in the Zauli Courtyard where drinks are served after 6 and discussion is encouraged.

Mateo is Zauli's son, he manages the museum. Currently a large exhibition of Zauli's work is traveling in Italy. A huge exhibition traveled to japan to 4 locations in the 1990s.

Ravenna- San Vitale's mosaics from 5-6th Centuries

San Francesco with a 4 ft.deep  pond under the alter with carp and mosaics.

 

I hope everyone made it home in one piece as well as all the pots!

Marcia

post-1954-0-78023800-1435930010_thumb.jpg

post-1954-0-36332400-1435930022_thumb.jpg

post-1954-0-15884600-1435930119_thumb.jpg

post-1954-0-34067600-1435930134_thumb.jpg

post-1954-0-93337800-1435930157_thumb.jpg

post-1954-0-28049300-1435930170_thumb.jpg

post-1954-0-78023800-1435930010_thumb.jpg

post-1954-0-36332400-1435930022_thumb.jpg

post-1954-0-15884600-1435930119_thumb.jpg

post-1954-0-34067600-1435930134_thumb.jpg

post-1954-0-93337800-1435930157_thumb.jpg

post-1954-0-28049300-1435930170_thumb.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I tried posting some photos in the gallery of our pieces from the workshop at La Meridiana

It didn't work. 

So here are some Raku Dolce and Obvara results.

Rosana Antonelli was the leader for the Raku Dolce and I lead the Obvara workshop.

The large piece is Rosana's. Truly beautiful work.

The rest are from the group and our groups portrait.

Marcia

post-1954-0-42276600-1435930225_thumb.jpg

post-1954-0-02462600-1435930265_thumb.jpg

post-1954-0-36662300-1435930280_thumb.jpg

post-1954-0-95537100-1435930293_thumb.jpg

post-1954-0-82323200-1435930307_thumb.jpg

post-1954-0-42276600-1435930225_thumb.jpg

post-1954-0-02462600-1435930265_thumb.jpg

post-1954-0-36662300-1435930280_thumb.jpg

post-1954-0-95537100-1435930293_thumb.jpg

post-1954-0-82323200-1435930307_thumb.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Faenza

Here are some artists we visited. Antonella Cimatti teaches at the design school.The banding wheel is for multiple painters.

Fiorenza is an  accomplished artist showing internationally and winnings awards in Korean Biennale.

Faenza antica sells traditional majolica and the banding wheel is part of her operation. 

The gelati cart was in the lobby of our hotel. They have added some new antiques to the decor. The restaurant is great, too.

post-1954-0-91340900-1435926318_thumb.jpg

post-1954-0-00167700-1435926328_thumb.jpg

post-1954-0-40043100-1435926349_thumb.jpg

post-1954-0-28923400-1435926367_thumb.jpg

post-1954-0-34507600-1435926408_thumb.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Here are some examples of our pieces. The  previous ones disappeared. 

The Raku Dolce was taught by Rosana Antonelli from Rome. One terra sig is made with ball clay. It absorbs the smoke because it isn't mature. The orange is a residual low-fire clay tested to determine its maturation point where it no longer absorbs the smoke.

Roxana'a work is beautiful. two shots are details of Rosana's work plus the picture at the table with Pietro show more pieces. CS from Singapore is joking around with Lydia from Oregon. We had a global group.

post-1954-0-58957900-1436178897_thumb.jpg

post-1954-0-42791300-1436179246_thumb.jpg

post-1954-0-62638400-1436179268_thumb.jpg

post-1954-0-12874400-1436180770_thumb.jpg

post-1954-0-50668400-1436180794_thumb.jpg

post-1954-0-44579900-1436180809_thumb.jpg

post-1954-0-58957900-1436178897_thumb.jpg

post-1954-0-42791300-1436179246_thumb.jpg

post-1954-0-62638400-1436179268_thumb.jpg

post-1954-0-12874400-1436180770_thumb.jpg

post-1954-0-50668400-1436180794_thumb.jpg

post-1954-0-44579900-1436180809_thumb.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Here are some of the local sites near our Florence hotel including food, shops and the bargello.and the Bargello Sculpture museum. The Annunciation by Andre Della Robbia is one of a few life sized sculptures by Andre Della Robbia. The Fashion Fair was going on while we were there and many window displays were interesting.

post-1954-0-03326500-1436526751_thumb.jpg

post-1954-0-41550900-1436526772_thumb.jpg

post-1954-0-99229900-1436526785_thumb.jpg

post-1954-0-64464300-1436526813_thumb.jpg

post-1954-0-72734100-1436526828_thumb.jpg

post-1954-0-86065200-1436526841_thumb.jpg

post-1954-0-71947800-1436526857_thumb.jpg

post-1954-0-42596500-1436527138_thumb.jpg

post-1954-0-03326500-1436526751_thumb.jpg

post-1954-0-41550900-1436526772_thumb.jpg

post-1954-0-99229900-1436526785_thumb.jpg

post-1954-0-64464300-1436526813_thumb.jpg

post-1954-0-72734100-1436526828_thumb.jpg

post-1954-0-86065200-1436526841_thumb.jpg

post-1954-0-71947800-1436526857_thumb.jpg

post-1954-0-42596500-1436527138_thumb.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

By using this site, you agree to our Terms of Use.