Category: Reserve & Limited Editions

 

Artist Alek Schroeder throwing a Nodding Crocus Vase – Limited Edition Spring Collection.

1. Our seasonal collections are created in very limited quantities – on average less than one piece per state. Because the artists in the studio thrive on designing new pieces, creating them for a short time and then move on to explore new designs, these small collections are authentically limited by the number we can make by hand in these short windows of time.
2. These particular designs will never be offered again and in this collection there are some very fine, pivotal, and unusual aspects to each of the pieces.
3. Many of these build on Ephraim’s work from years past and would be wonderful additions to expand an existing collection. For example, the last two years in the spring we have created a limited edition frog vase and the Mill Pond Frog adds to this tradition. Where’s the Nuthatch vase is a transitional piece that fits in with our “Marblehead” line of pottery, which includes the Anniversary Rose and Revival Rose pieces from our Studio Collection. The Bonny Bluebells vase incorporates our rarely utilized snow glaze and could incorporate nicely with other snow-glazed pieces. The Southern Magnolia represents a departure with an unusual form, as does the Nodding Crocus Vase.
4. We designed a new shop mark for the bottom of limited-edition collections this year. The mark, designed by Kevin, represents the Earth with rays of sun shining from behind our planet. The mark symbolizes the seasons as the sun moves around the Earth. We will use this new stamp, along with our Ephraim Pottery 2017 mark, for all the pieces in our Seasonal Collections.
5. Financial advisors often recommend diversifying a portfolio with investment in high quality art. While investing in Ephraim’s highly collectible pottery you are also supporting the evolution of our mission – working collaboratively by hand, providing a living wage and sustainable model for artists.

In the making of the Harvest Moon

In the making of the Spider’s Tapestry

Video of Kevin Hicks throwing the Spider’s Tapestry

 In the making of the All Hallows’ Eve

In the making of the Sticky Bear

In the making of the Farewell Vase

In the Making of the Heirloom Raspberry

In the Making of the Summer Blossom Platter

In the Making of the Reflection Lantern

In the Making of the Creative Spirit

River Koi Vase: Achieving an Illusion of Light

“We lose a great deal when we lose the sense and feeling for the sun. When all has been said, the adventure of the sun is the great natural drama by which we live, and not to have joy in it and awe of it, not to share in it, is to close a dull door on nature’s sustaining and poetic spirit.” -Henry Beston

As the artists in the studio develop new pieces, there sometimes exists a very subtle element that we work to achieve. In the case of our new River Koi Vase, we wanted to convey the illusion of filtered, directional sunlight cast on the koi fish. To achieve this effect sculptor, Laura Klein, and glazer, Jennifer Grelk, coordinated their efforts.

Many, many experimental versions of the River Koi Vase worked their way through the studio as these two artists refined the luminosity. In the realm of sculpting, some very specific elements enhance a feeling of light. The arcing cutout under the fish’s tail provides a view into the dark interior, visually forming a deep value that contrasts with the surrounding tones. Also, the raised areas of sculpted decoration above the koi’s eye, along the edge of its fin and the ridge of its back, make the glaze naturally pool and recede. Finally, Laura worked to imbue a strong sense of movement in the fish and the grass. The rigid rim of the vase contrasts with the flowing sculpture. Movement and light work hand-in-hand to convey to the viewer the perception of catching a fleeting glimpse of a beautiful koi in a sunny river.

Jennifer’s glaze design on this piece brings the subtle aspects of sunlight to life. Through many trials, she worked with various glaze applications. In this final version, tones of orange, pumpkin, olive and amber blend on the koi to make it appear both realistic and illuminated. Jennifer contrasts opaque, cool-toned and deep-value glaze on the background with semi-transparent, warm-tone, and light-value on the koi. The interplay between opacity and transparency especially imbues the fish with a strong luminosity. The areas of brighter yellow that break more intensely along the higher relief on the fish’s tail and more delicately on the head and fin features further enhance the illusion of warm sunlight.

We hope you enjoy this wonderful piece as much as we do at the studio. The River Koi Vase represents one of our most sublime uses of artistic elements to pay homage to sunlight, “nature’s sustaining and poetic spirit.”