new coasters. new colors. off to chicago for the randolph street market. hope to see you there sat and sun! i'll be in the indoor indie artist area.

Ceramics Workshop!

Hand building Workshop: Form and Surface

I will be hosting a ceramics workshop at my studio will focus on creating hand built clay vessels (both functional and sculptural). We will also integrate texture and pattern to create one of a kind pieces. Topics will include carving, sprigging, stamping, inlaying, stencils, and sgraffito. This class is designed for all levels of ceramics artists from beginners to more seasoned students.

Dates: Tues evenings 7-9pm, Aug 4th-25th (4 weeks)
Fee: $105 (The class fee includes one 25lb bag of clay, all glazes and firings.)
Payment is due one week before session begins.

Location: Lake Erie Building at the Templar Industrial Park
13000 Athens Ave
Lakewood, OH 44107

Contact Gina DeSantis at artzy_grl@yahoo.com for more information and to register.

RAINED OUT!

looks like i will see you next week at open air in market square. they cancelled today due the thunderstorms. of course now its sunny and nice out. anyways...visit bridget and i next sat, july 18th. my seconds sale will go on as planned. nothing over $15!

in the meantime enjoy some new art. some of these are making the trip with me to chicago.

Seconds Sale at Open Air in Market Square

I will be at Open Air in Market Square this Saturday, July 11th from 10-4pm. Joined by the lovely and hilarious Bridget Ginley, we will be selling all kinds of goodies including ceramics, cards and prints. Open Air is located on W. 25th in Cleveland...across from the Westside Market.

Why attend? Well because the Ingenuity Festival downtown won't have awesome art from locals at low prices. Not to mention there is no admission charge for Open Air. Great live music. And of course its right by Great Lakes Brewing Co., The Market Avenue Wine Bar, and Bar Cento.

So what is a seconds sale? Seconds are pieces that don't represent my current line of work. The pieces are either from older collections, experiments or pieces with minor flaws that annoy the artists. i.e. these little cracks that form on the bottom of my pots due to the amazing Cleveland humidity. I don't feel right selling work at my normal prices that isn't perfect. Perhaps I'm a touch OCD. But basically little hairline cracks like this don't affect the use of the piece at all. So you get a $25 for about $10-15 instead. Good deal, right?!

All of my pieces will be marked at $15 or less!!! But please note I will not have any new work with me. If there is something you want email me directly at artzy_grl@yahoo.com so I can be sure to bring it with me. And you can always stop by my studio. Again, email me to set an appointment.

Please join me for the summer session of course I teach for Art House. My next class begins the end of July. My current class is full.

Clay on the Wheel with Gina DeSantis
Mondays, July 27-August 24, 2009
6:30 - 8:30
$125, materials included

Throw bowls and cups on the wheel. If you are more advanced, work on plates, teapots, and large bowls. Classes are small so this course is tailored for each individual. Enhance those thrown shapes with hand-built handles, spouts, and decoration. All clays and glazes are food, microwave, and dishwasher safe!

i have 3 spots left in my hand building ceramics class that starts tomorrow at the lake erie building at the templar industrial park. (lakewood, oh). visit http://www.ginadesantisceramics.com for all of the info. i hope you can join us!

i am very excited to be participating in the randolph street market on july 25 and 26. i have never done an out of state show so this will be interesting. the organizers seem amazing and have been putting up with me asking all kinds of questions. i have heard nothing but good things about this show so i can't wait to set up shop then do some shopping of my own.

in the meantime i am spending july making a couple of new things but mostly taking pictures of work before i haul it to chicago. i do a good job of keeping my website info up to date but i haven't updated the pics in a very long time. i can't wait to get some new stuff up there.

i also need to clean house on the etsy site. time for an overhaul. i should also mention on july 11th i will be with bridget ginley at open air in market square. but please note i will not have any new work. i am getting rid of old stuff with a seconds sale! nothing over $15. how can you not like that. i just moved and i need the space. so off it goes.

I have work at Heritage Studio and Gallery in Canal Fulton. Check out my work on their blog and be sure to stop by their space.They are located at 2381 Locust Street, Unit 3 in Canal Fulton, OH 44614.

Its almost time for my hand building class to begin. Visit my site for the info and to sign up. I have a few spots left.

I survived Clifton this year. No tents falling on my table. Thanks to everyone who came out. Have a good weekend!

tomorrow (sat, june 20th) i will be at the clifton arts and musicfest with plenty of new work and my wareables line (jewelry, made of clay and other stuff). rain or shine i hope to see you there.

visit my site and click on events for more info.

We had a fun time at Open Air in Market Square this past Saturday. I was hanging out with Elizabeth Emery of Art House. We were there to promote Art House...one of my favorite places in Cleveland! Check out their summer schedule and sign up for a class today!

Speaking of classes I have a few spots left in my hand building class at my studio at the Lake Erie Screw Factory. Visit my site for more info!

See you at the Clifton Arts and Musicfest this Saturday, June 20th. I will have a lot of new work to share with everyone!

Art House Presents
Wheel Throwing Demostrations
by Gina DeSantis
at Ohio City's Open Air in Market Square

June 13, 2009

Time: 10am-4pm
Location: Market Square Park at the corner of W. 25th and Lorain Avenue.

With Demos by Gina DeSantis (moi)
I will be making bowls, mugs, and other functional items out of clay

right in the middle of the bustling Ohio City Open Air Market.

Ohio City's Open Air in Market Square, Cleveland's only urban outdoor market, features an eclectic variety of vendors as well as weekly live music and performers.

Market Square Park is located at the corner of West 25th Street and Lorain Avenue, just across the street from the West Side Market.

For more info visit www.arthouseinc.org
or call Elizabeth Emery at 216.398.8556

I will be starting to post about some of the Etsy and Art Fire artists that I like. There are so many and its hard enough to get some good pr on the internet with the over saturation of artwork.

Today I want to share luckalilly's shop. There is gorgeous, colorful pottery with a mod feel to it. As you can probably guess I love the black and aqua combo. Not to mention the meticulous handling of decoration. I do not have that kind of attention span. So stop by and check out the shop! And of course the blog as well http://luckalillyceramicsstudio.blogspot.com/.
Below is one of my favorite bowls in the shop

My aqua mug is included in this beautiful treasury today. Click on the photo to go to the page. Thank you to fundamentalfindings for putting together this stunning treasury full of aquas and blues.

more wareables! i'm trying to keep up with my etsy site, twitter, facebook and blog all for the sake of marketing. its exhausting. plus with switching jobs (did i mention i have a snappy fancy new art job in cleveland no less!) and getting a freelance gig writing for handmade news i'm a bit overwhelmed. i don't see any days off for the month of june. and with the cold weather its adding to my frustration. i just get more done when its warm. there is motivation to leave my house when i can just do so in flip flops and muddied studio clothes. oh well.

did i mention my one weekend only sale on etsy?! buy one mug, get one half off. no one ever takes advantage of these things. don't know why? but go get one, actually 2 now!

Please go check out my first article for Handmade News. I am writing for the "Crafty Kids" section. Stop by and read it here.

One of my wareables has made it into a treasury with some other awesome clevelanders from Cleveland Handmade (search word clevelandteam on etsy). Thanks SimpleAdorning!

I have been busy busy busy with art. I have two shows this month. I will be at Open Air in Market Square June 13th then the following Sat, June 20th at the Clifton Arts and Musicfest. I'm trying to list new things on Etsy to freshen it up and Art Fire as well. I'm starting to write a column through Handmade Nation on Art Fire so please check it out starting soon in the Crafty Kids section. Off to list more things. Thanks for stopping by.

Hand building Ceramic Classes at the Lake Erie Screw Factory

13000 Athens Ave
Lakewood, OH 44017

5 weeks: Tuesday evenings, June 30th - July 28th from 7-9 pm

Cost: $130, includes 1 25lb bag of clay, glazes and firings.

Payment is due one week prior to class. No refunds after June 25th. You must sign up for 5 week session. No drop-ins.

This class will focus on basic and intermediate hand building techniques. All levels are welcome. Students will learn the fundamentals of coil and slab construction. Working with stoneware clay, we will learn how to create sculptural or functional objects. A variety of decorative techniques will be covered as well.

Please contact artzy_grl@yahoo.com to register!

i made new things but not with clay this time...

I will be offering hand building courses out of my studio in mid summer. In addition I would like to have a one day workshop each month on a Saturday. These workshops will cover various topics from ceramics forms and techniques to various glazing methods.

If you are interested in classes please email me at artzy_grl@yahoo.com or keep checking back at this blog and http://www.ginadesantis.com.

I have a new line of jewelry for the summer. It includes both handmade ceramic pendants and beaded work. I had missed making jewelry and enjoyed getting back into things. I will be listing a few on etsy each week so check back often. The new lined is called "Wareables". I feel they are directly related to my other ceramic wares.

I am also on the twitter bandwagon. I know, I know. But I hope to use it to network for art and I would like to post promotions for my followers so you can find me at cleveland_grl.

***SALE Through May 31st all non-sale items in my shop are 20% OFF. I will refund you via paypal after you purchase.*** This includes all items in my Etsy Shop or Art Fire shop. Just click the links on the sidebar to see the over 75 items I have on sale. I'm moving next month and I want less artwork to move with me!
(shipping charges still apply)

Art Helping Animals is seeking artist donations. The money will go to PAWS in Cleveland. As anyone who reads this blog knows I love the animal creatures of the world (often times more than humans). They need our help. Not all animals are as lucky at miss Bella (seen above). She is my dog and has a happy home with lots of walks, food and love.
The event will be held at MOCA on June 27th. If you can donate artwork or would like to attend please visit the website.

Check me out and some of my work from the Lake Erie Screw Factory Open Studio courtesy of the Lakewood Daily Snap blog. Many more artists are featured as well!

I've been working on a new business card. What do you think? Of course I didn't post the backside with my phone number...why? Because this is the internet! So you will just have to imagine it.

In other exciting news I will be participating in the Randolph Street Market in Chicago! I will be there on July 25 & 26. I'm excited to be in a show outside of Ohio. Not that I don't love it here but it will be nice to display my work to a new audience.

I have also been work on a line of "Wareables". Ceramic jewelry and even some beaded items. These will be listed on etsy in the near future. I missed making jewelry and have been slowly playing with PMC. Images to come soon. I also need to learn how to post new images to my webpage gallery. I have so much new work and I need to get those images on the site this summer.

Wheel Throwing Demonstrations by Gina DeSantis at Ohio City Open Air

June 13, 2009
Time: 10am -4pm
Art House presents wheel throwing demonstrations by Gina DeSantis at Ohio City Market. Watch as Gina makes bowls, mugs, and other functional items out of clay right in the middle of the bustling Ohio City Open Air Market.
Ohio City Market, Cleveland's only urban outdoor market, features an eclectic variety of vendors as well as weekly live music and performers. It is located in Market Square Park at the corner of West 25th Street and Lorain Avenue, just across the street from the West Side Market.

For more information about classes and events visit our website www.arthouseinc.org or call 216 398 8556.

i will be schleping my wares over to bridget ginley's studio this sat and sun, may 16th and 17th. check out the city artists at work site for the info on all of the artsy venues that will be open including studios and galleries. stop by and say hello and bring us mochas.

and thank you to everyone who participated in the open studio this past weekend. it was a huge success. and of course thank you to everyone who stopped by. i hope you had fun and i'll keep you posted on the fall open studio in the future.

open studio tonight! lake erie screw factory.
4-9 pm.

13000 athens ave
lakewood, oh

all of the info is at http://www.ginadesantisceramics.com

The open studio at the Lake Erie Screw Factory is this Saturday, May 9th from 4-9pm. The front entrance on Athens will be open. I have lots of new work as well as seconds sale items.
13000 Athens Ave. Lakewood, 44107.

rutabaga nights is tomorrow night...sat may 2nd. 7-midnight.
come by my studio. it will be open. ruth and bridget will be joining me!

more details further down the blog or at http://www.ginadesantisceramics.com

purpley vases. they look kinda blue in this picture but unfortunately this glaze doesn't photograph well in natural light.

I have 2 cherry blossom mugs in the Kent State Cup Show. One already sold. There are some other great cups left as well. Go check it out. Its an amazing and unique show. I'm very proud to be a part of it.

sometimes i stay at home (or the studio) so i'm not disappointed by life. here is something i make when i'm hiding.

A sneak peek of work that will be on display May 2nd during Rutabaga Nights, the LEAF Benefit (my studio on the 3rd floor will be open) and May 9th for the official Lake Erie Screw Factory Open Studio.


I think I need to make more teapots. I'm happy with how they turned out. One needs a refire for a slight glaze issue but I am confident it will survive looking foxier than ever.

tick-tock-tick-tock

i don't like waiting. for the kiln firings. or for other things. new things soon. hopefully in all arenas of life.

You can now find my work at La Lanterna Gallery in Little Italy. I don't have a website link for you yet. Its across from Guarino's. I have some pottery and what is left of my jewelry at this time.

Tomorrow I am taking work to Heritage Gallery. They are expanding their photography studio into a gallery. Its located in Canal Fulton, OH.

I'm going to check out the Kimono exhibit while I'm near Canton. I have heard nothing but good things so I'm excited.

I have new jewelry supplies arriving this week and I hope to have a new series completed by May for both my open studio and the LEAF party benefit. Off to teach.

Check out my spring wheel throwing courses at Art House. We have a lot of fun and explore multiple forms on the wheel. Its an all levels course. For beginners I cover bowls, mugs and handles. For the more intermediate to advanced students I cover lids, teapots, and platters.

Ceramics on the Wheel with Gina DeSantis

April 6 - May 4 OPEN

May 11-June 15 (no class May 25th, Memorial Day) OPEN

June 22 - July 20 OPEN

10 weeks or two 5 week sessions

6:30-8:30 p.m., Monday evenings

Class fee: $125 (5 weeks), $225 (10 weeks)

Class fee includes: 25lbs of clay, glazes, and firings.

All levels welcome.
Throw bowls and cups on the wheel. Or if you are more advanced, work on plates, teapots, and large bowls. Classes are small so this course is tailored for each individual. Enhance those thrown shapes with hand-built handles, spouts, and decoration. All clays and glazes are food, microwave, and dishwasher safe.

The following event will be held in my studio's building. I plan on having my space open. Ruth Sholtis-Furyes and Bridget Ginley will be joining me.

Please join us on May 2nd for Rutabaga Nights, Lakewood Earth and Food Community's first fundraising gala. There will be local food and drink from the area's best restaurants, multiple bands and a silent auction. Come celebrate the growing season and show your support for our local food system by benefiting City Fresh and LEAF. Download the Sponsorship Letter and Form for more information about event sponsorship and donations. Help spread the word: Download and print posters and flyers today.

Lakewood Earth and Food's First Annual Fundraising Gala
Support Local Food and Celebrate the Growing Season
Live Music, Food and Beer
Tickets are $100 $50 $25 and $15 for students
Proceeds will benefit LEAF and City Fresh

Tickets are available from LEAF members and at Phoenix Coffee 15108 Detroit Ave in Lakewood.

Rutabaga Nights
May 2nd 7 PM until Midnight
Screw Factory Building
13000 Athens Avenue
Lakewood, Ohio

Stay tuned to www.LEAFCommunity.org for more details about this event!

LEAF Community Mission:
Lakewood Earth And Food Community is dedicated to the development of a more sustainable, healthful and economically viable community through environmentally responsible actions producing broad access to fresh, local foods and culture.

from https://www.moma.org/collection/browse_results.php?criteria=O%3AAD%3AE%3A4915&page_number=7&template_id=1&sort_order=1

today i broke an $80 bowl by dropping a $25 mug on it. its amazing how i can exhibit such grace on the pottery wheel yet the minute i step away from it i am a total disaster. i am getting ready to take new work to local girl gallery. i also have new representation at la lanterna in little italy and heritage gallery in canal fulton. i will post links as soon as i get my work safely to them. this chore of organizing my work made me realize how unfocused the remainder of the work seems. i have an open studio in may, the clifton arts fest in june, and a show in chicago in july. alas i have plenty of free time ahead of me to get work done. this is assuming i don't drop it all.

i posted an image from a lucie rie set. as you know from reading she is my heroine. for some reason the art i like tends to be from women who were silent but strong and put up with a lot of crap. i sometimes get unfocused and over complicate my work so i find revisiting artists i enjoy refocuses me onto the correct path.

here is the thing i realized. i am creative. i don't know where the ideas come from. some of them are bad. most of them are good. bad ideas lead to editing. editing leads to me making great work. asking me to explain how i fill in the blanks with no direction is pointless. if you're not truly creative then you don't get it. i can see what you can't. and likewise. asking me to explain how i come up with ideas is pointless because their origins are countless. you can teach a person how to express themselves and hope to free them of inhibitions but you can't teach creativity. it needs to be molded. the moral of this is don't judge what you don't understand. if you don't get it you have no position to judge in the first place.