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My commitment
to creating art has been a life-long adventure. I began as a painter turned weaver and fiber artist. And while my education
in ceramic is traditional, my broad base of experience in other media informs my work and allows me to manipulate clay in
non-traditional ways. Clay is the warp, the weft, the fabric and the canvas.
I build, glaze, stain and sometimes paint the surface to achieve a result rather than a preconceived notion of how clay should
look. The creative possibilities in combining hand building with traditional and non-traditional techniques are especially
compelling. I totally enjoy manipulating clay and glazes; the process is exciting and energizing. I have a pottery studio in my home in Western Iowa with a view into the woods. Nature is a predominate
theme and I make regular trips outdoors in search of inspiration and materials for texturing my clay. I like living where
I work. Life feels better to me when I can play in the clay as the day's needs fall in around. Susan M. Sutherland Barnes
Education: BFA ~ Saint Mary's College, Notre Dame, Indiana Skidmore College, Saratoga Springs, New York Additional
course work in fibers ~ Michigan State University Numerous workshops & seminars on clay and fibers
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FIBERS Libby
Crawford Moira Geoffrion [ND] Nancy Searles [MSU] Virginia West Barbara Wittenberg
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CERAMICS Marvin Bartel [Goshen College, IN] Val Cushing [Alfred University, NY] Marc Hansen [Western MI University]
Bill Kremer [Notre Dame] James Paradis [Saint Mary's College, IN]
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