2013 Artisans Road Trip Artist Mel Myers

 Pottery Works ©Mel Myers

All artists of the 2013 Artisans Road Trip are finding themselves very busy this summer.  This week we are taking a look at 2013 A.R.T. artist Mel Myers of Spencer!

Don't 'Do Clay', let Mel Myers make pottery for you. Ames, Marshalltown, and Clear Lake have outdoor art shows coming up respectively the next three weekends and Mel (Clay County Clay) will sell pottery to new and returning customers.

"Returning customers like checking out my newest glazes. I have a new baby-blue glaze that people seem to like a lot." From warm to cool colors, his original glaze formulas offer something for everyone's taste.

Clay County Clay will be at Art in the Park in Okoboji on August 3rd. Mel also sells from his studio located at 717 11th Ave. East in Spencer.

Thank you for stopping by; check back again for artists of the 2013 Artisans Road trip!

Meet 2013 Artisans Road Trip Artist Karen Ruddy

 

Artist Karen Ruddy

 100 foot Mosaic Wall teaching project (5th Grade)

 

I graduated from Doane College, Crete NB with a Fine Arts Degree in Art and Education in 1973 and due to my husband being relocated, I had to take advantage of what was available to me at the time and place - and that led to a Masters and Ph.D. in Library Science. Thus I secured positions as Library Director for library Consortiums, College Libraries, and taught Library Science online for my Alma Mater, Texas Woman’s University in Denton, TX.  For thirty six years I toiled in these positions and only occasional Christmas Cards allowed me to do what I loved best, create art. 

 

Bead Paintings - the artist like to combine media

© Karen Ruddy

 

In 2004, my husband, Victor, and I retired back home to Emmetsburg, Iowa and I relished producing Art in all it’s forms since that time. 

 

Mural - "Eleven Birds and a Butterfly (6X8')

 © Karen Ruddy

 

I try to decide what I love doing best, and I love doing ALL of it. Drawing, sculpting, pottery, ceramics, jewelry-making, printing, mosaics, murals, painting, teaching art, statuary reconstruction, all are my passion. 

Stop by again to visit more about the artists of the 2013 Artisans Road Trip!

 

2013 Artisans Road Trip Artist Mel Myers

Pottery/Ceramic Art  ©Mel Myers

Mel Myers' hand made pottery shows his years of experience, care and attention to detail. His winter's work has produced new glazes in soft spring colors and rich earth tones. His vases, bowls, trays, and vessels are usable and beautiful.

Myers is known throughout the state for his intricately carved pottery. Return customers look for him at summer art shows in Des Moines, Ames, and Iowa City; however, he also sells from his studio located at 717 11th Ave East in Spencer.

His one-of-a-kind pottery make for nice gifts...or may be admired and used in ones home or work place.

Buy pottery made by your home town potter/ceramic artist ...the man who exhibits under the company name of "Clay County Clay."

Check back again soon for more artists of the Artisans Road Trip! 

2011 Artisans Road Trip Artist - Mel Myers

This 2011 A.R.T. spot light is on artist Mel Myers! Mel Myers of Clay County Clay fame has ten summer/fall art shows planned including the upcoming one in Iowa City on June 3-4. He will be showing at the Humbolt Art Show on June 18. July 10 is Reiman Gardens in Ames followed by Marshalltown's Linn Creek Art Show on July 17 and Clear Lake's Art Festival on July 23rd. Mel always enjoys Art in the Park at Okoboji on August 6th.

A new glaze experiment turned out successful — a warm, toasty light brown color shows off his carving and works in anyone's home with wood grained tables/furniture. All of Mel's work is decorative, but highly usable —- safe for food, dishwasher and daily use.

Customers are welcome at his studio on non-show dates. Clay County Clay is located at 717 11th Avenue East in Spencer, Iowa. His studio phone number is appropriately 712-580-CLAY (2529).

Check back again for more great art from the 2011 Artisans Road Trip!

Potter Mel Myers

This 2010 Artisans Road Trip blog highlights Potter Mel Myers from Spencer.

Local Potter Mel Myers has been busy showing at the Iowa City Art Show and the Spencer Alumni Art Show at Arts on Grand in Spencer, Iowa.  

Mel's ceramics are hand thrown, delicately carved, with original glaze formulas - thus making truly one of a kind pieces.  The result is both a decorative and functional piece of art.  His high fire pottery can be used in the oven, safely used for food, and nicely cleans up in the dish washer.

Mel's studio is practically always open for visitors at 717 11th Avenue East in Spencer, Iowa.  His studio, Clay County Clay, can be found by turning east at the Hy Vee/Walgreen's corner on Grand Avenue, and going east as far as one can (and still be in Spencer).  Feel free to stop in and see Mel's most recent work!

Check back again and see what's new on the 2010 Artisans Road Trip!

Artisans Road Trip Artist Hank Hall

Hank Hall

This A.R.T. highlight introduces Hank Hall!

Hank Hall is a full-time artist in Olde Town Spirit Lake where he has renovated a 1948 wood-working shop into an art studio and gallery called Art on 16th. He taught middle school and high school art in Iowa for 34 years and continues to teach clay, painting, drawing, and sculpture classes in his studio. He is very proud of the fact that many of his students have studied art in prestigious art institutions and pursued art-related careers.

Celebrating Clay Cone 6 Stoneware

Hank’s creative skills were shaped early in his career by two summers of intensive training at Pond Farm Pottery in Guerneville, CA with Marguerite Wildenhain. A Bauhaus-trained master potter considered to be one of the ten most significant clay artists of the 20^th Century, Wildenhain demanded high quality craftsmanship and then encouraged him to develop his own signature work.

Dotted Teapot

Today Hank creates one-of-a-kind teapots with mixed media embellishments and other functional and sculptural forms. His artistic goal is satisfying his own esthetic sense of what makes for an entertaining, inventive, and personal form. “If others experience a creative kick, then I think that’s as good as it gets.”

Hank’s artwork has been exhibited nationally, and he has earned several best of shows in recent juried art exhibits.

For more information visit www.hankhallarton16th.com.

Check back again for more on events, activities and artisans of the 2010 Artisans Road Trip!

Join Us!

Join us for a year of creativity; for a spring, summer and fall of painting, throwing pottery, printmaking, photography, glass blowing, stained glass, mosaics, making jewelry, you name it!

We are the Artisans Road Trip of Northwest Iowa, and our member artists are working in their studios, showing in galleries, and even working afield - toward the ultimate art studio tour to come on October 1st, 2nd and 3rd in 2010.

Join us for some weekly commentary from many of our artists...commentary about what they are up to, obstacles they are hurdling, artwork they are making, goals they are progressing toward; see what transpires!

Join us for the year on the road from studio to studio - then on to the Artisans Road Trip!