The Ouachita River Art Gallery February 2011 Artist-of-the-Month is potter/sculptuor Don Hudnall of West Monroe. His show, Techniques: From Mugs to Moai, will treat you to a smorgasboard of pieces, various methods including:Coils: Stringing clay and rolling it into spirals to create individual pieces.
Petrified Forest: I made several stone posts, that when put together, create a forest of pieces that have been paddled.
Chattered bowls: Wheel thrown bowls made using the chattering technique.
Modern Moai: These are hanging pieces inspired by the Easter Island Moai. These are hand formed using a plaster mold I created and then altered.
Saggar: Wheel thrown then Saggar fired in a raku kiln.
Functional Mugs: Wheel thrown, with handles and sprigs added. Microwave/dishwasher safe.
Totem: Hand built with individual pieces assembled on rebar.
Noobs: Extruded and altered to create characters.
Don grew up in West Monroe, Louisiana, attended area schools and graduated from The University of Louisiana at Monroe with a BS in Toxicology (poisons). Although he has a formal education in the sciences, he finds himself returning to the art world taking classes in stained glass, sculpture, metal casting and, of course, pottery, where he continues to "get dirty" in his gardens.
Don states that he discovered the art of pottery by accident. While grinding on a metal sculpture, he accidentally threw sparks over bisque ware pieces. The sparks permanently marked the pottery and after a glaze firing, iron oxide "meteor streaks" appeared on the pieces. Curious and wanting to know more about what produced these interesting results, Don enrolled in classes and discovered new ways of playing in the dirt (clay).
Don continued to discover more about pottery at the Lockheed Martin Recreational Pottery Studio where he became the newsletter editor, then publicity chair, followed by two years as president of the studio. He was also a member of the Texas Pottery and Sculpture Guild where he met many productive artists. After 20 years in the DFW metroplex area, Don returned home to West Monore, Louisiana where he continues to "get dirty".
The Ouachita River Art Gallery, 308 Trenton Street, West Monroe, invites you to come see this special show of Don’s work during the entire month of February. When you shop at your local gallery, you not only help our economy by keeping your money in the area, you also save on taxes and shipping.
The gallery is open Tuesday through Saturday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission is free. Paintings and photographs by gallery members can also be seen at ORAG’s extension gallery located in the lobby of Ouachita Independent Bank/Bankers Mortgage Plaza at 18th and Louisville in Monroe. Call 322-2380 for more information.
