Mildred Gordon 1923 - 2010
My mother studied painting at Tilden High School in NYC, and was accepted into the art program at Cooper Union. She later received a B.A. in art education and psychology. In 1954 she shifted from painting oils to various crafts, including mosaics, copper enameling, etc. until she discovered ceramics. After exploring handbuilding, she took classes with Olin Russum at the Baltimore Museum of Art where she learned wheel throwing and eventually became his class assistant (running the studio). She became a professional potter in the 1960's, founding Clay Spirit and Going To Pot galleries at the Torpedo Factory in Alexandria, VA beginning in 1976. She also taught ceramics classes in her basement studio in Rockville, MD. Below are photos of some of her major pieces, including very large scale work which, considering she was barely five feet tall, were quite an accomplishment.
Below are a few of her larger pieces, including two ceramic seats, tall bottle shape vases, etc. The Octopus Urn was thrown by my Mother, and used by Olin Russum to demonstrate brushwork glazing for a workshop. The large sculpture I named "Winged Avenger" was my mother's homage to Russum's "Prague Pot" (see below), but turned out to be the larger piece (in her memory, Russum's Prague Pot was loomed larger than in life). Both works use the same technique: a large cylinder is first thrown on the wheel, then paddled with sticks to change the shape and opened to allow adding of more clay to expand the side "wings."
Below are a few of her larger pieces, including two ceramic seats, tall bottle shape vases, etc. The Octopus Urn was thrown by my Mother, and used by Olin Russum to demonstrate brushwork glazing for a workshop. The large sculpture I named "Winged Avenger" was my mother's homage to Russum's "Prague Pot" (see below), but turned out to be the larger piece (in her memory, Russum's Prague Pot was loomed larger than in life). Both works use the same technique: a large cylinder is first thrown on the wheel, then paddled with sticks to change the shape and opened to allow adding of more clay to expand the side "wings."
Olin Russum, 1918- 1998
Russ was a world-renowned potter who lived and worked in his restored barn-studio in Monkton, MD with his wife Jean Bosley Russum, a wood sculptor and furniture maker. Though highly regarded by international clay celebrities including Hamada, Bernard Leach, Michael Cardew, and others, Russ was unfortunately virtually unknown outside the Baltimore region because of politics within the American Crafts Council. In 1962, one of his pieces won a gold medal at an international ceramics exhibition in Prague (see "Prague Pot" image below). His biography is available at Maryland Art Source: http://www.marylandartsource.org/artists/detail_000000164.html
He was best known for making large murals and sculptures installed at a variety of public schools, restaurants, banks, etc. in the Baltimore-Washington region. You can view his work at a pedestrian underpass in Reston VA, Americana Landmark (1964), Watergate Village (Annapolis, 1964), Hampton House Apartments (Towson, 1965), Magna Properties (Baltimore, 1966), Uptown Federal Building (1966), Gulf-Reston (Reston, Virginia, 1967), Adam's Rib Restaurant (Washington, D.C., 1969), Maryland National Bank (Baltimore, 1969) and The Elizabeth (Chevy Chase, 1990-91), Jewish Community Center (1960), City Spring Elementary School (1966-67), Patterson High School (1968), Callaway Elementary School (1970-71), Church of the Nativity (1971, 1975), Samuel Coleridge Taylor Elementary School (1971-72), Briscoe Junior High School (1971-72), St. Joseph's Parish (Cockeysville, 1976) and School 260 (1984).
After growing up as my mother's studio assistant, and taking her wheel-throwing class for the first time in the summer of 1971, I was most fortunate to be accepted by Russ as his class assistant at the Baltimore Museum of Art for 2 years while i attended Johns Hopkins U. next door. He was the best teacher I've ever experienced and a wonderful person to know. Jean's wood sculptures and furniture are also superb. I hope to add images of more of his work from time to time.
The fist photos below are Russum pots in my and my brother's collection. Below thaem are images of Russ and his wife Jean, who made beautiful wood furniture and sculptures and was a major influence on Russ' work. They met as art students at RIT, and moved to Monkton, MD where they lived in a large barn on the banks of the Gunpowder River. The bulk of the first floor was their combined wood and clay studios, with a living room at the rear. As they were beginning to build a kitchen, their child Bligh was born, so that room became her bedroom (with built-in wall oven). Jean's kitchen for many years was a narrow space with a hotplate. Russ made the tile for their bathroom as well as their ceramic sink. They slept in the barn loft next to Jean's lumber which was curing fur future projects.
A group of photos taken at the Nov. 1962 open studio below show the interior living room with the furniture Jean built, incorporating work by Russ. I've also posted clippings from feature articles on them in the Baltimore Sun.
He was best known for making large murals and sculptures installed at a variety of public schools, restaurants, banks, etc. in the Baltimore-Washington region. You can view his work at a pedestrian underpass in Reston VA, Americana Landmark (1964), Watergate Village (Annapolis, 1964), Hampton House Apartments (Towson, 1965), Magna Properties (Baltimore, 1966), Uptown Federal Building (1966), Gulf-Reston (Reston, Virginia, 1967), Adam's Rib Restaurant (Washington, D.C., 1969), Maryland National Bank (Baltimore, 1969) and The Elizabeth (Chevy Chase, 1990-91), Jewish Community Center (1960), City Spring Elementary School (1966-67), Patterson High School (1968), Callaway Elementary School (1970-71), Church of the Nativity (1971, 1975), Samuel Coleridge Taylor Elementary School (1971-72), Briscoe Junior High School (1971-72), St. Joseph's Parish (Cockeysville, 1976) and School 260 (1984).
After growing up as my mother's studio assistant, and taking her wheel-throwing class for the first time in the summer of 1971, I was most fortunate to be accepted by Russ as his class assistant at the Baltimore Museum of Art for 2 years while i attended Johns Hopkins U. next door. He was the best teacher I've ever experienced and a wonderful person to know. Jean's wood sculptures and furniture are also superb. I hope to add images of more of his work from time to time.
The fist photos below are Russum pots in my and my brother's collection. Below thaem are images of Russ and his wife Jean, who made beautiful wood furniture and sculptures and was a major influence on Russ' work. They met as art students at RIT, and moved to Monkton, MD where they lived in a large barn on the banks of the Gunpowder River. The bulk of the first floor was their combined wood and clay studios, with a living room at the rear. As they were beginning to build a kitchen, their child Bligh was born, so that room became her bedroom (with built-in wall oven). Jean's kitchen for many years was a narrow space with a hotplate. Russ made the tile for their bathroom as well as their ceramic sink. They slept in the barn loft next to Jean's lumber which was curing fur future projects.
A group of photos taken at the Nov. 1962 open studio below show the interior living room with the furniture Jean built, incorporating work by Russ. I've also posted clippings from feature articles on them in the Baltimore Sun.
The next set of images were generously shared by Richard Roeder, a long time Monkton, MD neighbor of Russ & Jean.
Olin Russum in his last year, picture by Richard Roeder
Here is May 1962 Craft Horizons review of the American potters' work exhibited at the Smithsonian Museum in D.C. before being sent to Prague.
prague_show_in_craft_horizons.pdf | |
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Randy Brodnax and Don Ellis
These are photos of Randy & Don and their work taken during the July 2013 Flashing & Fuming workshop at Sugar Maples in the Catskills of New York. Randy works in Texas and is from Louisiana, while Don teaches at a college in New Mexico. Both have tremendous skills, knowledge, and teaching abilities, and are a hoot to experience, especially when they are together. Don't pass up any opportunity to experience their workshops!