At this year’s Red Cross Designers’ Show House in The Mansion in Old Northwood, open now through Feb. 18, area design firms have decorated 15 spaces and in three of the spaces, you will see the work of local artists incorporated into the décor.

Arruza's 'D-Vine Baby, $1,500.

Interior designer Joseph Publillones’ dining room is eclectic with a continental flair. The color palette is gray, with black, orange and touches of gold.

He started with a table base with feet created by Pedro Friedeberg, who is known for his Hand Chair sculpture. The chairs are Louis XVI style; the 1950s screen once graced a Christian Dior boutique, and the side table is hand-artisan-made from metal. The carpet is a new style by Stark, a patchwork with an overdye.

The table is beautifully set with crisp linens, a centerpiece featuring a collection of Japanese Kutani vases and Meissen china, celebrating the Year of the Dragon.

For art for this room, Publillones used a work by West Palm Beach photogrpaher Tony Arruza.

“I choose Tony’s photograph because of its detail,” Pubillones said. In the photograph, there’s an image within an image of a trellis and a vine. “It’s beautiful, taken in Puerto Rico, and as you look at it you’ll see an Asian baby’s face,” he said.

“The image appealed to me, but in addition, since the room has an underlying Oriental flavor with the vases, carpet and the dragon plates, it tied into the overall theme of the room.

“I call the painting, D-vine Baby.”

To lighten and update the dark mahogany den, Joseph Cortes of HomeLife Interiors used whites and ivories, and the Stark grass cloth on the walls is backed with silver, “to reflect light and give the room the glamor factor,” he said.

“The Stark carpeting is another big focal point. Its contemporary geometric pattern sets the tone in that room.”

He chose to integrate works by Palm Beach artist Clemente into the decor. “Clemente works in many different styles,” Cortes said. “The works we used in the den are free flowing forms of geometric shapes with energetic color. He wants to engage the viewer’s imagination to create his or her own interpretation.”

'Pendant' by Clemente, $11,500.

Cortes was drawn to Clemente’s work because they are expressive and airy. “They also created a focal point backdrop with our two HomeLife custom-designed chairs and the Mies van der Rohe table. Pendant, with its bold lines against a background of color, had the right amount of energy for the space and imparted a contemporary accent to the interior.”

Christopher Leidy of Christopher Leidy Images said that he painted the upstairs hallway his “usual color of battleship gray” and then he installed pieces of his limited edition fine art photography. “You will feel like you are doing the breaststroke through my upstairs underwater hallway world,” he said. “Please come and check it out!”

Christopher Leidy's photographs start at $4,000.

The 36th Red Cross Designers’ Show House is at The Mansion, 3001 Spruce Avenue in Old Northwood. The house was built in 1923 by Orrin Randolph and currently owned by Monique and John Book. Show House hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Saturday, and noon to 4 p.m. on Sundays. Tickets are $30.

Photography by Carol Korpi-McKinley

The Palm Beach Cultural Council is hosting the South Florida Cultural Consortium Fellowship winners of Palm Beach County for its inaugural exhibition now through April 14 at the Council’s new headquarters at the Robert M. Montgomery, Jr. Building, 601 Lake Avenue. An artists’ reception is scheduled for Feb. 29, from 5 – 7 p.m.

Kevin Boldenow

Kevin Boldenow of Stuart chose to break away from the dimension of mania that he feels entangles most people. Rather, he uses his camera to capture the essence of the world as he sees it. “It’s like gathering proof that indeed we live within more than concrete and asphalt,” he said.

"Antelope Canyon," B/W Photography; 50 by 45 inches, (frame size); $1,500.

“More than six billion people walk this Earth and within minutes, another 1,000 are born. There are 300 million Americans working. They grab a cup of coffee in the morning, run out to the car with cell phone, and find themselves on the road fighting swarms of people doing the exact same thing.”

It’s important to notice the natural world around us, he believes –“the old oak tree or Florida pine standing beside the road, the majestic Washingtonian Palm and the Bougainvillea in full bloom.

“There is more to life than running to the next appointment.”

For more than twenty-three years, the Council has awarded $345,000 to 23 artists through the Fellowship program.

"Somber," B/W Photography, 28 by 20 inches, (frame size); $500.

"Blue Cypress Revisited," B/W Photography; 43 by 50 inches (frame size); $1,500

Boldenow received the 2004 South Florida Cultural Consortium Fellowship Grant for Visual and Media Artists.

There’s still time… artpalmbeach runs through January 23. And you’ll see some familiar faces (and canvases) there!

So, quickly, so that you can go rather than read about it…

At JF Gallery:

William Finlayson, "Disenchanted"

Co-owner of JF Gallery William Finlayson said he’d been thinking about how to have some fun with the Disney font, when an acquaintance joked about being enchanted. Put DIS in front, and that would be a great word to play with using that font, he thought. So, here you have it — a mixed media on panel, 17 1/2 by 16 inches, $4,400.

Chisolm, "Layers in Time with Warm Reds"

Part of Chisolm’s Layers in Time series, Chisolm explained the makings of his “Warm Reds.” “What you see are layers of runs. I paint on plastic and cover my work with epoxy for the high gloss.” Price of this piece is $7,000.

Sibel Kocobasi, "Black Dot Come"

Sibel Kocobasi explained that she had just finished a series with animals, and, adopting a vegetarian diet, she needed a break, and this painting is part of it. What’s next? We’ll see…”Black Dot Come is priced at $6,400.

Jacek Gancarz with "Disposable Lighter Repair" and "Horse and Lion. Both are limited editions, 1/6, and $3,500.

At Whitespace, Jacek Gancarz was lounging about… Most likely, he’s thinking deep thoughts. As he has written (and photographed), so it is… “A blissful feeling comes over me as I wander through neighborhoods, looking and making pictures. Sometimes I connect with my subjects in the intimacy of their homes or sidewalks and realize there exists a reassuring sameness of character, one that is adaptable and resilient, regardless of status or location.”

And here’s some work by Ellen Liman, owner of Liman Gallery.

Ellen Liman with "Still Life Fruit," oil on canvas, 72 by 48 inches, each is $7,000.

Because of the scale, she said, her colors are bold and her strokes are loose. “I love texture, heightened color, figurative paintings. Like Cezanne, I’m trying to honor the flat surface and add dimension.”

And from other places at the show, and just because…

ArtPalmBeach’s fair schedule encompasses events, special exhibitions, topical lectures, special museum tours, site specific art installations, art performances and VIP programs. The fair runs January 20th-22nd from noon – 7 P.M. and January 23rd from noon – 6 PM. Tickets can be purchased at the door, $15 for a one-day ticket and $20 for a multi-day ticket.

For more information on ArtPalmBeach exhibitors and programming, travel accommodations, and additional exhibition openings, please visit www.artpalmbeach.com or call 239.949.5411.

Photos by Carol Korpi McKinley

The SeaFair became a floating art fair, for the 3rd edition of Miami International Art Fair, now through January 16. Docked at 100 Chopin Plaza, Miami, it’s “housing” 28 international galleries, including a couple (Art Link International, Lake Worth and Arcature Fine Art, Palm Beach) from Palm Beach County, as well as one of our “local” artists (sculptor Edwina Sandys).

Miami International Art Fair aboard the SeaFair

Along with artwork by a host of well known artists, Art Link also featured the work of a Miami artist, Daisy Papp.

Daisy Papp and Howard Brassner

“Daisy’s work takes common imagery and brings it to life in a way that creates excitement in viewers,” said gallery owner, Howard Brassner. Two of Papp’s large Marilyn Monroe works were on exhibit, as well as a sculpture.

Papp's rendition of Marilyn

Papp’s work features a variety of glamorous “Lady” icons from the past, and believes that with their passing, an era passed as well. Too bad, she said, while ladies listening in looked askance. “Women today could learn from them.”

In any case, Brassner has a Marilyn piece living in his home, and it makes him feel good just to look at it, he said. “It’s got a sensuality as well as sexuality about it that’s exciting and relaxing.”

Among other works at Arcature Fine Arts, Ryan Ross is featuring artists John Chamberlain and Hal Buckner at the fair, who share a booth of their own.

Hal Buckner

Over the years, Ross has collected many pieces by Chamberlain, who died Dec. 21, 2011, and is known for his colorful crushed, bent and twisted automobile-part sculptures. He once said: “I think of my art materials not as junk but as garbage. Manure, actually; it goes from being the waste material of one being to the life-source of another.”

Artist Hal Buckner does another twist on metal, and an opening of his work, “Hal Buckner: Cutouts,” is on January 20 at Arcature in its Palm Beach Gallery, 6-8 p.m. An RSVP is requested…

Most of us know Edwina Sandys… From her site:

“A New Yorker by choice and marriage, Edwina Sandys was born and raised in London. In 1969 she considered standing for Parliament, which placed her squarely within her family’s tradition. Not only was her father the British Cabinet Minister, Duncan Sandys, but her grandfather was Winston Churchill. It is telling that these major political figures were both talented artists. Through her richly varied life experience, Edwina is uniquely situated to create work related to the global issues of our time.”

Edwina Sandys

She’s recently launched her new book. Click here to go to her site.

“Your life is your art. It’s you canvas,” she said, and that pertains to everyone.

The Miami International Art Fair, on the SeaFair, is located at 100 Chopin Plaza, docked at the Intercontinental Hotel adjacent to Bayfront Park. Hours are noon to 10 p.m. Jan. 13-14, noon to 7 p.m. Jan. 15-16. A one-dy pass costs $15.

For information on the fair, and events surrounding it, please visit the fair’s site.

Photos by artist Carol Korpi-McKinley

This weekend, for Live Oak’s kiln opening and sale, I went out to Justin Lambert’s home and studio to see how that all worked.

The photo he had on his site of the kiln looked interesting, a kind of cross between Noah and the Whale and … I’m not sure what.

Click here to see that earlier article.

I had no idea what he was talking about, soda, fire, whatever, and so, I had to go to see for myself. Here’s what I learned…

Wood-burning kiln

A peak inside the kiln.

Lambert doesn’t like glazing his pottery. So, he’s developed a clay body that vitrifies after being fired in his wood-burning kiln for 76 hours — the heat saturates through the clay, making it very strong.

The effects he produces on the surface of his pieces has to do with controlling the way the heat and ash go through the kiln, as well as the way he and his team load the kiln.

Here's what a piece made of the special clay looks like in its bisque form. That's Lambert holding it up for us to see.

Then, they take a piece of wadding (sort of looks like a hot-dog wreath, and glue it with Elmers to the bottom of a mug, for example, and they place that on top of a dish, and that creates different designs depending on the type of pieces that they are loading in, as well as the way the flame and the ash are moving across the surface, marking the work.

Lambert holds up the mug, so that we can see the wadding glued to its bottom. Later the wadding will be removed (obviously).

Lambert sets the cup on top of the plate, demonstrating how the pieces are loaded in the kiln.

Here's a piece already fired, showing how the markings are made, and how the ash colors the plate as it is blown across it.

Every time they do such a firing, they keep careful documentation of what works and what doesn’t: when they start firing the kiln, when they are stoking it and how much air is going in and out.

As I said before, it goes on for 76 hours and the team has to stoke it, throwing in bundles of wood (like you’d see at Publix sold for the fireplace) every five to eight minutes. They end up using two to three cords of wood. They rotate the four people on the firing crew and they also have a team of assistants to bring them the wood bundles, etc.

Realize, too, that it took them two days to load the kiln, so that they could get all the pieces positioned properly for the effects they were after.

“We want to block the flame from going right though the kiln and when it’s bouncing around inside, that’s how we get the different colors,” Lambert explained.

Here are some of the finished pieces, showing a variety of coloration and markings.

Very cool…

Lambert won’t be having another kiln opening until March, however, you can go to his ETSY site to see his work, pricing and to purchase. Click here.

You can also visit his Web site, to learn about his process. At his home, he does have a studio, and he does sell out of his studio. Click here.

This day, potter Fong Choo was on hand, so I had the good fortune to learn what he does, too.

Fong Choo holding two of his teapots.

He’s originally from Singapore, and lives in Louisville, Ky. He studied business in college, and fell in love with clay when he took a class in pottery. He currently has a show at the Lighthouse ArtCenter in Tequesta.

Now, he does something totally different from Lambert. Here’s what he said (and by the way, he fires his pieces in an electric kiln: “I fire my glazes at lower temperatures. And then I overfire them to a much higher temperature, causing overmelting, which creates jewel tones.

To get the effects he’s looking for he does endless hours of testing, and his forms have depressions that are designed to catch the overrun.

He loses 60-70 percent of his work.

The handles that you see in these photos are his new idea and latest endeavor. Since he’s getting ready for the Smithsonian Crafts Fair (April 2012, Washington D.C.) he’s playing with ideas.

“I make teapots for a living,” he said. “In Singapore, tea drinking is a way of life. Traditionally, potters make these little teapots — Yixing. But I’m not one of those potters, however their work inspires me.”

Choo will soon be going to teach at the Torpedo Factory.

Here’s a link to Choo’s site, where you can see his work and prices.

And here’s a link to the show he’s presently in at the Lighthouse ArtCenter.

Photos by Carol Korpi-McKinley

Ceramics at Live Oak Pottery Ceramics Studio

Justin Lambert of Live Oak Pottery Ceramics Studio is hosting his Third Annual Anagama Kiln Opening and Holiday Sale, on Sunday, Dec. 11 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. His studio is located at 17847 Brian Way, Jupiter.

To find out what anagama means and to see all about wood and soda firing (very interesting) go here.

Lambert makes functional pottery and likes to set them in groupings (just like how we pair off or join groups — or don’t — in life). “The interaction of my pots lead to certain scenarios alluding to the ideas of companionship and solitude,” he said. “Some pots need a companion and others need to stand alone. Some pieces that are presented in pairs lead to the idea of lifelong relationship. Without one of the pieces, the piece will not serve its intended purpose and may visually look incomplete.”

Also, he believes, groupings of bottles or cups invite the viewer to slow down and take notice of the subtle diversities in form and the infinite variety of surface texture and color attainable through the wood and soda firing he employs.

He is particularly interested in high alumina clay bodies in both wood and soda firing. “I reduction cool these kilns to achieve deeper colors and palettes relatively unexplored by our ceramics community. Frosty, dry, movement-rich, glazed surfaces provide information for future work, and my careful analysis of surface-to-form integration provide insight to new formulas and firing schedules.”

Lambert is influenced by all functional pottery, but is very interested in pottery from Southeast Asia, Oceania and Africa. “Their honesty, simplicity, necessity and beauty are qualities I strive for in my own work,” he said.

For more information, call him at 561-676-5453.

The Lighthouse ArtCenter’s 2^nd annual Landscape Exhibition Show awarded Debbie Lee Mostel’s SouthWest By Sky as Best in Show. The piece is an abstract mixed media expression from her collection “Technology Deconstructed/Nature Reconstructed,” and features integrated circuits, a vintage globe and Tiffany Glass, all layered over a dramatic Southwest landscape.

Mostel with "SouthWest by Sky," Mixed Media on Wood, 48 by 24 by 12 inches, $3,200

Mostel has two other pieces in the show, which runs through December 31. JoAnne Berkow, gallery owner of Rosetta Stone Fine Art Gallery in Jupiter,  judged the show, which is comprised of 130 paintings, photographs and mixed media pieces.

As an avid nature lover and environmental activist, Mostel asks, “From the oceans to the deserts, are we going to take care of these gifts? Technology makes our lives more exciting and interesting but we still need to use this legacy wisely. Stepping back can be as important as stepping forward.”

Mostel, trained as a goldsmith and glassblower with a BFA from California College of the Arts, is an avid collector of the unusual. Combined into her works, the viewer will find tin wind-up toys, mummified amphibians, vintage hood ornaments and optically perfect Pyrex glass. To see her collection, go to Mostel’s Web site.

The Lighthouse ArtCenter is at 373 Tequesta Drive, Tequesta. Museum hours are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday, and 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturdays. For information, call (561) 746-3101.

Send in the clowns. Colorful collectors clowning around outside Scope Miami

This past week (Dec 1-4), art lovers of the world descended on Miami for Art Basel and its host of satellite fairs, public venues and private spaces.

Once one actually gets into the thick of things, and starts to comprehend just how much is going on, it’s easy to see how it can take four days to see it all (and why platform high-heel shoes may be artsy and fashionable, but not a terribly wise choice of footwear).

On Saturday, we managed to get through a few of the fairs, at high speed, and just scratching the surface.

So little time. So much art. And a whole world with its own language, sights and sounds. An international art fair like this one is like visiting a foreign place, where one’s mind becomes a sponge soaking it all up, while saving the processing for later…

Dead Flies

But getting back to shoes: At right, these comfortable sneakers — 26 pairs –were seen at Art Basel.

“Dead Flies” the installation was called. Handcrafted, using cast polyurethane resin, stitched canvas, shoe laces, cable, enamel and acrylic paint. For fun, I asked, “what size do they come in?” And received a serious answer. “Dimensions vary.”

And these (as are others we’ve seen in real life) appeared to be thrown with abandon. Over those cables. Just so.

Richard Hughes (lives and works in London) is the artist and “Dead Flies” was exhibited by Anton Kern Gallery, New York. Shown at Art Basel.

Rich Little Girls

And since we’re on the subject of clothing, here’s a wallfull of Victorian children’s dresses made of Dutch wax printed cotton and set against a striking blue background.

The artist is Yinka Shonibare. “Little Little Girls” was exhibited by Stephen Friedman Gallery at Art Basil.

Shonibare, 49, is a British-Nigerian artist, who lives in the UK.

“People have come to associate the fabric with Africa, but actually it is Indonesian-influenced fabric produced by the Dutch for sales to the African market,” he wrote. “It was made in Hyde…and I buy it in Brixton market. I like the fact that something seen as being African is actually the product of quite complex cultural relationships.”

A work by Umberto Ciceri using a lenticular lens

Ballerina

The work above, by Umberto Ciceri, is actually the result of a series of video still frames taken of a section of one of his ballerina works (at right).

Every frame is manipulated, pixel-by-pixel, to blur the images and obtain different color variations. Then they are shredded into many threads and intertwined together to create a silk-like pattern that is printed and placed behind a lenticular lens.

Since the artwork has been purposely blurred, it is impossible for the viewer to put the image into focus, and he or she must reinterpret the image in such a way that the figurative becomes abstract and vice-versa.

Ciceri works in Bologna. These pieces were exhibited by White Room Contemporary Art Gallery Positano and shown at Red Dot Art Fair.

"The Winding Way of Life" by Nahila Campos

Nahila Campos

Nahila Campos of Miami (and originally from Venezuela) is an architect-turned-artist.

Although she does not see life as easy, she keeps a positive attitude. For example…

Mixed into her road (the white ribbon-like strip that works its way through the canvas, you can see bits of rock if you look close, she points out. But her rocks are really tiny crystals, with all the magic that crystals have. It’s all about viewpoint, she believes.

“I want to represent our city spaces as a new visual model,” she said. “Viewers are confronted by hectic and rambling locations where they can journey and stray. Aerial spaces are populated by surprises and dreamlike visions, where humble and unnoticed city components are spotlighted.”

Sojiro Takarmura

The work at the right is by Sojiro Takarmura and was shown by Gallery Edel in Red Dot.

Interesting kind of body art, a tattoo that reminds me of a popular much loved Japanese china pattern that I’ve seen just about everywhere, including my parents’ dining-room table.

Jane Seymour

Below  is Jane Seymour at Red Dot with one of her Open Heart sculptures.

“I am always painting and designing,” she said. “Art is what I do for me.”

"Homage to Magritte"

Palm Beach Gallery Biba artist Robert St. Crox, whose “Homage to Magritte” is pictured above, said he gets his best ideas in the middle of the night. Which is when the image of the house in the background came to him. The figure of the man emerged later. He cut out that figure from the front of the house, hung an orange tree upside down, inside, and, outside, repeated the figure of the man, with a single orange as his face. Shown at Art Scope.

"Boyscouts"

Ursula Sprecher and Andi Cortellini, collaborative photographers from Basel, Switzerland, won the grand-prize of the Art Takes Miami competition with their “Friends in Leisure” series.

Each piece, a kind of “family” photograph, captures the inherent idiosyncrasies of a club or society of every variety. The group portraits are staged, with club members posed in an environment that plays off of each group’s hobby. We are defined by the company we keep, believe these two artists. Shown at Art Scope.

Room Divider

I’m always on the lookout for interesting “furnishings.” This room divider, above, dices, slices, shreds. It’s by Mona Hatoum and was exhibited by Galerie Max Hetzler. At Art Basel.

"Female Head Madonna #21"

The madonna, above, by Gugger Petter, was shown at Andrea Schwartz Gallery of San Francisco at Red Dot. Petter uses newspaper as her medium, weaving the neutrality of the black and white print with minimal amounts of color from the Sunday comics section or advertisements. The writer in me is glad to see that newspapers are still appreciated…

"Big White Pussy"

“Big White Pussy,” by Marion Peck, was exhibited by Sloan Fine Art, New York. Alix Sloan said that this pussy was in much demand and sold quickly, with other buyers lining up. Quite a character, this cat. At Art Scope.

Found Art

Presented by the Eleni Koroneou Gallery, Greek artist Eftihis Patsourakis arranges found amateur paintings by lining up the horizons to form a new landscape. At Art Basel.

Podrome #6

This is a section of a painting by Akio Aoki shown at Vermilho Gallery, Sao Paulo, Brazil. Here’s how this was done, according to the gallery representative. “The artist starts off with white canvas and white glue. He puts the canvas down (onto the floor) to get the remains of the floor. He stores it, aging the memory, and he makes them into empty bookshelves, which are full of memories.” These are all from different floors at different places and at different times. The places where the lines don’t line up are called headaches (podrome). This particular work is called “Podrome #6.”

Edwina Sandys’ art is a lot like Edwina Sandys: vivacious, with an abiding attitude of joy – a little Matisse, a little Picasso, a whole lot of Sandys.

Sandys (pronounced Sands) has been an artist for the last 40 years of her life, a fact that is now documented by a luxurious coffee-table book titled Edwina Sandys: Art.

Sandys’ sculptures are on permanent display at the Tate Gallery in London, the Brooklyn Museum, the Reagan Library. There’s also a major installation, using large hunks of the actual Berlin Wall, in Fulton, Mo., the site of Winston’s Churchill’s legendary "Iron Curtain" speech. The latter sculpture is no accident, for Sandys is Churchill’s granddaughter.

While she has never flaunted the Churchill connection – quite the opposite, actually – the first part of the book is devoted to her life before she became an artist, after two children and a divorce left her a woman in search of self-definition.

"We all decided it was the elephant in the room, a wonderful elephant. People like to know the family background of artists, where they’re coming from and where they’re going. I don’t fly a flag saying ‘I’m Winston Churchill’s granddaughter,’ but it’s part of my life.

"He was a great person to live up to, and some of my work has been influenced by him."

After a divorce in 1970, Sandys began moving toward a life in art by writing a novel with the ambivalent title The Truth Lies Somewhere in Between. After that, she began experimenting with art and had immediate success.

She finds it a lot more fun than writing – almost everything is – so she threw herself into the world of canvas and paint, of bronze and steel. As the book shows, she’s tried just about every medium from intimate collage to huge steel installations.

"Paint is more forgiving; sculpture is much harder. I do continue with some painting. I think I’d like to do more with illustrated books. I’m interested in sculpture, but that takes a lot of administration. It’s nice to have smaller projects that can be done without having to pre-sell things."

Sandys has managed to have a successful artistic career without studying, which, she says, has been intimidating at times.

"The bravado of youth is a great help," she says, although there are other times when she wonders about roads not taken. "I didn’t get my head so filled with stuff I might have been too nervous to deal with. It would have been great, but I would have been a different artist. Maybe better.

"Being a grown-up person made a difference. I already knew who I was and what I was. I think every artist wants to put their own stamp on their work, and I was able to do that because I came to it fully formed. It was easier. It’s part of my life; it’s me, and I’m it."

Of her grandfather, a pretty fair country painter himself, she says, "He was the first artist I knew, and it was always very exciting to watch him paint. I was always drawing as a child, but I never thought it would be my life."

There is undeniably a feminist tinge to much of her work – she’s interested in the fecund female form and what it can signify. Some works, notably Christa, a female Christ on the cross that caused no little amount of stir when it was first exhibited in 1975, or a witty piece titled Marriage Bed that is split diagonally between roses and nails, are more overt.

What a career retrospective does is bring out tendencies that aren’t always noticed on an individual basis. Shapes reappear, no matter the medium, as do colors. Sandys’ work has always had energy because she loves the primary colors.

"What is going to draw our eye most? Red – the brightest color, although yellow comes closer. That competes with white. Red is it for me. I have an awful lot of red and white. Sometimes I have to hold myself down and use pastels."

With her second husband, the courtly, enthusiastic architect Richard Kaplan, she divides her time between New York City and Palm Beach. Sandys is an affable, cheery woman, but she’s also shy – except when it comes to her art. Then, it’s full speed ahead.

What would the Edwina Sandys of 1960, a wife and a mother in the English aristocracy, think of the Edwina Sandys of 2011 – a successful artist with a career?

"I always hoped to do something interesting with my life. I was quite successful in school in sports and work. But then after that I was expected to get a nice husband, make a family and support my husband in his wonderful career. But that didn’t quite work out. Then, I got quite interested in drawing and painting and it became a passion.

"If the 1960 version of myself could see me in 2011, I think I would be surprised. And pleased!"

Find the perfect handmade holiday gift — unique bowls, ceramic sculptures, platters, pitchers, cups, mugs and teapots made by 15 professional and student artists at the 8th Annual Ceramic Art Show and Sale, Palm Beach State College, the Art Gallery at Eissey Campus. Mark your calendar for Friday, Dec 2, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Saturday Dec 3, 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Ellen Bates

Ellen Bates of Palm Springs is currently exploring the effects of atmospheric firing in both soda and wood kilns. With porcelain as her clay body, she is developing a sense for using various clay slips in combination with thoughtful positioning in the kiln to enhance the decorative effects of flame, soda and wood ash as they mark and glaze the work during firing. “Throughout my career, I have been attracted to a juxtaposition of rustic, earthy, textured or matte glazes with strongly colored clear, silky glazes,” she said.

Soda Fired Sandwich Plate by Ellen Bates, $40.

“I think of this as “precious color,” like a still, turquoise pool in a field of gray volcanic rock, or a surviving red maple leaf after a forest fire. I am experimenting with techniques to add elements of vivid color to the natural, earth tones produced by these firing methods.”

Soda Fired Cheese Plate by Ellen Bates, $40.

Joshua Meives

Joshua Meives of North Palm Beach has always been fascinated by the world around him. Little did he know that his strong tactile nature and love for texture and color as a child would pave the way for the future artist he would become. His first experience on the potter’s wheel at the age of 16 was not as frustrating as it can be for most. As he interacted with the clay, it was then that he became aware of his natural talent and skill.

Joshua Meives' "Trancendance Tile," $250.

“I understood that the clay was an extension of my mind as a medium for expression and creativity and with this new understanding, I formed a passion for the act of creating. From then on I’v been captivated by the clay and learned how to throw production quality pieces with artist David Bradley, raku fire with instructor Sue Raymond and I was able to study high-fire wood techniques with Don Bendel in Flagstaff, Arizona.”

Large Bowl by Joshua Meives, $100.

Hoping to perfect his techniques with a strong historical and philosophical foundation Meives graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Art History with an emphasis in art theory and philosophy from Northern Arizona University. Currently, he continues to cultivate his artistic gifts through different mediums such as music, painting, writing and of course ceramics, all of which can be viewed and are available for purchase on his website www.meivesmedia.com.

The Art Gallery at Eissey Campus is located in the BB building, 3160 PGA Blvd. For more information, contact Karla Walter, art gallery specialist, at 561-207-5015.