Jurors for the Online Ceramics Show
Nina Ward,
Juror for the 2016 Online Ceramics Show
Nina Ward has a BA degree with an Art major from Scripps College, 1956, and an MFA degree from Claremont Graduate University, 1964, with a Sculpture major. She studied with Albert Stewart and Paul Soldner, and Betty Davenport Ford. She taught high school students at Girls Collegiate School in Claremont, California for two or three years, and was an Adjunct Instructor in the Department of Art, University of Northern Iowa for nine years. Nina has taught numerous workshops in clay and drawing to various ages. She has shown her ceramic sculpture in group and one person exhibitions in Iowa and the surrounding states, and on the East and West coasts. Her work is in several collections. Nina is still working in clay and printmaking. Animals are her usual theme.
For more information, please visit ninadecreeftward.com.
Robyn Miller ,
Juror for the 2014 Online Ceramics Show
“I attended Pratt Institute for my BFA and Tyler School of Art for my M.Ed. For 36 ½ years, I taught art in the School District of Philadelphia and retired in June 2013. I spent the last 28 of those years at John Hancock Demonstration School, where my role was like that of an Artist–in-Residence. I gradually transformed the school into an art showplace with 2-dimensional work and ceramic tile installations. Ten years ago, I took my first mosaic workshop with Isaiah Zagar, and then brought my newfound knowledge to Hancock to create a 36’ x 10’ Rainforest Mosaic Mural. This mural project launched my own personal passion for making mosaic art. My other creative outlets include tap dancing, water aerobics, fiber arts, jewelry making, set design and costumes for the theater. I actively participate in Fresh Artists, an innovative non-profit organization that supports Art in public schools.”
—Robyn Miller
Danyel Dean,
Juror for the 2013 Online Ceramics Show
“The creative process has wonderfully enriched my life. The ability to transform space and add dimension to form is a joy to experience.My reverence and appreciation for nature is expressed with clay and oil painting. Ceramics has always brought me a create sense of freedom and peace. Clay has been a constant in my life, from my graduate work in ceramics at UCLA through teaching ceramics since 1976. I am fortunate to have my pieces collected throughout the US, England, Israel, and Canada. I find great joy in the process of working with clay, it’s a delight to share my love for this art form.”
—Danyel Dean
Lauren Hanson,
Juror for the 2012 Online Ceramics Show
Santa Barbara ceramic artist, Lauren Hanson, studied at UC Santa Barbara and then later transferred to California College of Art in Oakland, where she earned her BFA in painting in 1978. For the past 20 years she has focused on clay, particularly high-fired and wheel-thrown functional ceramics.
Most of her pieces are decorated using an involved process that begins with a pencil drawing on bone dry clay, followed by incising, wax resist, slips, underglazes and a final glaze. Other pieces are similarly decorated but are fired in a salt kiln available through the UCSB Recreation Department at the West Campus Pottery facility where she co-teaches a class with Dane Venaas. A third line or work is carved in relief and covered with a celadon glaze.
Lauren draws her inspiration from nature as well as from historic imagery and patterns, especially those of Asian and Islamic origin. Her work has been displayed in the Tierra Solida Gallery as well as in Ventura Pottery Guild shows, where she has won awards.
Geoff Flash,
Juror for the 2011 Online Ceramics Show
Ceramic artist, Geoff Flash, has a BFA in Sculpture and an MFA in 3-D Digital Sculpture. He teaches ceramics at Kinnelon High School in Kinnelon, New Jersey. Mr. Flash also owns and operates americapotters.com, the national, searchable database of potters and artists involved in clay. His “Heydt Fluting Tool” is used across the country and sold in dozens of ceramic outlets which may be located at www.claytools.com.
“As a ‘recovering potter’, I’ve been teaching ceramics at Kinnelon High School in Kinnelon, New Jersey, for the past 5 years (17 years total). Because I have a ‘black belt’ in Photoshop, I started the Digital Graphic Arts program here, back in 1999. When the opportunity presented itself, I moved back to my first love…MUD!”
— Geoff Flash