Rachel Ballentine – The Clay Woman

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Rachel Ballentine - The Clay WomanAn Ole Miss Graduate with a Master’s degree in Education and Art Education, Rachel Ballentine has been potter since the summer of 1999.  During her upcoming workshop, the artist will work with her own natural clay. This two-day workshop will center around the wonder of nature and using nature to create an object/objects from the natural clay of the earth. Processed clay will also be used by the participants to create a vessel that can be useful to the owner.

 

In the artist’s own words, “I have worked with the natural clay since I was given this gift, and I want the participants to have this experience. I do not work on a potter’s wheel, allowing the participants to let their creative juices flow with the wonderment of using their hands to create clay objects from beginning to finish.  I have always enjoyed working with my hands. When I was given the gift to hand-build my vessels and stay close to nature to what I put on the outside, I listened and did as instructed. My hands and the clay work together to create my vessels. The clay tells me how to form each piece. So my vessels are one of a kind, built one at a time.”

 

The workshop will be held Thursday, August 23rd from 1:00pm to 5:00pm and Friday, August 24th from 10:00am to 4:00pm.  Registration is $100 per person for two the day workshop, and class size limited.  Also on Thursday, August 23rd, Ballentine will present a free demonstration that is open to the public, beginning at 11:00am.  Rachel will demonstrate her technique of working with natural clay, discussing her use of firing techniques and providing a question and answer session proceeding the afternoon workshop.

 

The exhibit and reception on August 24th will also feature the works of  Ballentine in an exhibit entitled, The Gift in the Bolton Davis Gallery.   River Oaks Resident Artist Marilyn Wellan will be featured in an exhibit entitled, Culture in Clay in Galerie des Amis.   Elements from the Holcombe Collection featuring select works from the vast collection of Dr. & Mrs. David Holcombe will also be on display in the Stokes Harris Gallery.   All three exhibit’s will run from August 21st through September 29th. The reception on August 24th is free and open to the public.  All exhibits and workshops sponsored by GAEDA.