Wood Fired Terracotta
Dates:
July 3-17, 2008
Price:
$2,400 for shared room; $2,700 for single
This fee includes all expenses of the course at Spannocchia including instruction, studio, materials, kiln firing, lodging, 3 daily meals (delicious), estate wine on the terrace & with meals, use of the pool & estate grounds, historical tour, and all course excursions. The fee does not include airfare or transport to & from Spannocchia.
Program Coordinator:
Don Davis
Address:
P. O. Box: 1117 Cedar Place
Johnson City, Tennessee 37604
Telephone:
423-207-1228 (home)
423-439-7864 (work)
E-mail:
davisdr@etsu.edu or davis1clay@charter.net
Preferred method of contact:
email
Downloadable Flyer: PDF (670k)
Program Description:
This two week program is designed for participants at all levels of experience from beginners to advanced workers in clay. The emphasis will be on experimentation, creativity and enjoying the process of working with clay. Participants will use some rapid hand building/forming techniques to create pieces for the outdoors: garden towers and lawn sculpture. Italian terracotta clay will be used. For surface treatments we will find local naturally occurring clay and experiment with processing it into engobes & terra sigillata. Our inspiration will be the surrounding landscape, architecture, stonework, art and culture. The first week will focus on forming the pieces and the second on firing them. With wood provided by the estate we will fire the kiln to approximately 1000 degrees centigrade. We will take several excursions to visit historical sites, museums and a working Italian pottery studio. College credit is available.
Coordinator Biography:
As the son of a Naval Officer Don’s childhood was spent in various locations including Florida, Italy, California and Hawaii. Graduate Studies in Ceramics were accomplished at Rhode Island School of Design where he received his MFA in 1974. Most of his career (1976-2001) has been as a full time studio potter working in Asheville, N.C. From 1994-1995 he was hired as the initial director of Odyssey Center for the Ceramic Arts in Asheville. He is the author of Wheel Thrown Ceramics, published in 1998 and is currently an Associate Professor in the Dept of Art & Design at East Tennessee State University. His work is exhibited at Signature Gallery, Atlanta, GA, and Blue Spiral 1, Asheville, NC among others. His work is in collections including Rhode Island School of Design, International Museum of Ceramics in Alfred, N.Y. and Shirikawa Public Hall, Japan. Teaching workshops conducted include La Meridiana, Tuscany, Italy, Atelier Cirkel, Brasschaat, Belgium, and University of S.C.
He was awarded an invitational artist’s residency for the month of July 2005 at Studio Art Centers International, Florence Italy.
Condensed Statement: Don R. Davis - July 2006:
My ongoing dedication to clay work is due to an enduring love for the material and the processes of forming and firing it. I cannot think of anything better to do. My first ceramic love was early American folk pottery. More recently I am drawn to the most ancient forms, especially Minoan and prehistoric European. Most of my work has been wheel thrown porcelain vessel forms although experimentation has been pursued with many other ceramic techniques. Lately terracotta has become a predominant material for my work. In the past, form, surface treatment and the concepts of duality indicated by the play between interior and exterior have provided sufficient content. My latest work has become considerably more sculptural and often involves content of a more specific and complex nature.
“… magical, wonderful place and the Spannocchia mission of preservation and sustainability is inspiring.”
“The students were thrilled with their work progress, which was so dependent not only on the beauty, but the peacefulness of Spannocchia.”