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‘Lunch with Art’ will feature potter Ellen Hones-Martin

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West Plains Council on the Arts (WPCA) will host their quarterly “Lunch with Art” event for current and prospective members from noon till 1 p.m. on May 2  in the Community Room at the West Plains Public Library, 750 West Broadway, West Plains. Ellen Hones Martin will be the featured presenter, demonstrating some of her pottery process.

Martin moved to West Plains when she was six years old. She has always loved art, thanks to the present, creative influence of her mother and grandmother throughout her childhood. Since graduating from SEMO in 2018, Ellen has been pursuing her pottery career while working part-time at a local florist. Her ultimate goal is to become a full-time artist and gallery owner and contribute to the growing art community of West Plains.

Martin says, “The process of making my functional pottery consists of muscle memory and varying pressure to control where clay distributes on the pottery wheel. Once the basic form is created, the vessel’s surface becomes a blank canvas, where I begin to translate my fascination with naturally beautiful colors and textures of the earth onto the clay. After being kiln-fired for the first time, I enjoy applying red iron oxide wash to the carved portions of the exterior, mimicking the rich, matte browns of bark and rocks. I then brush or dip numerous glazes on the remaining smooth surfaces and allow the high-heat temperature of an electric kiln to activate, melt, and mutate the rutile raw glazes into a glamorous, beautified version of nature’s most recognized colors.

I fuse together the inspiration from my grandma’s colorful, patterned collage styles with natural elements of bare clay bodies and red iron oxide, to create a neutral, organic design that peacefully coexists with the smooth, jewel-like glazes. I freely hand-carve patterns and symbols reminiscent of both the doodles in my past sketchbooks and the natural elements of my Ozarks surroundings. My ultimate goal is to create a unique, eye-catching piece of art that not only will serve someone functionally but will invite them to see the beauty of the colors and textures that surround them in their everyday lives.”

In addition to the program, WPCA board members will open discussion on current plans, programs available through Arts Alliance partners, and invite discussion regarding future arts endeavors for the area. Here’s an opportunity to open conversations with current board members and contribute to the future of arts in West Plains.

Lunch will be catered by Dawn Dionne. Cost of the luncheon is $10 for WPCA members, $15 for non-members. Reservations may be made online through the May 2022 Lunch with Art Facebook event page, by calling Paula at 417-293-2325, or via email info@westplainsarts.org   Attendance is limited, so reserve your spot early.



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