Thirteen Clay Artists, also called Ceramic Artists, will exhibit hundreds of pieces of clay art at Artisans on the Square in Greenville from August 3 – September 14, opening with a reception on Saturday August 3 from 2-5pm.
The artists, from 6 Georgia counties, all present different styles of clay art. There are bowls, pots, pitchers, plates, mugs, vases, urns and more in all sizes made on potter’s wheels and sculpted by hand. Other hand molded creations include humans, animals, birds, whimsical creatures, wall hangings, Christmas tree ornaments, and jewelry. Finishes on clay are called glazes and are baked onto the clay in ovens, called kilns, at very high temperatures. High temperatures in the kiln challenge the artists and sometimes result in surprising colors, changes in shape and disastrous breakage. This exhibit includes a wide variety of finishes – smooth, textured, hand painted images, and raku. Raku is a Japanese technique where the fire creates the designs and colors. Foreign objects such as horsehair, features, metal or paper, are thrown into
the kiln to create designs as they burn onto the clay.