Ruth Sachs Ceramics

Trying to get to spring things

2011-03-22T13:59:00.000-07:00

The winter has been delightfully wintery. Now, I am trying to do some spring things like, cleaning the studio and making new art. I will start with my studio in Jewett then down on to my Melville one. My new work will include garden balls- wonderful textured round objects to put amongst your garden to delight the creatures that visit and give your plants a change of scenery.
I will continue to Tampa for NCECA to get my fill of all things ceramic to last me for the year. I will then come back, very ready to start my new classes at the Art League of LI. Get ready to hand build- I will be introducing some new ways to get your dinner ware going with good tricks and some easy tips.
I am planting a new garden to go with my new treasures. Cant wait to reap the harvest. Since my diet is very veggie, I hope for success. I always promise to post more so I do hope this year I will.
Remember to find me at BannerHill School this summer. Raku, raku,raku. So much fun,fun,fun.

Presidents Week 2010- new classes

2010-02-04T06:31:00.000-08:00

I will be in Windham, New York teaching a five day ceramics workshop at Banner Hill Fine Arts and Woodworking workshop. Now to include Ceramics.
This is a new, exciting studio and is part of the Banner Hill school. All new equipment in a bright spot overlooking the Windham valley will be just what you need to improve your skills or learn new ones. Look for future workshops and week-end classes with me at the Banner Hill web sight or give them a call.
The school is directed by Kip Christie of woodworking fame. For questions, call him at 518-929-7821.

Mid May 2009

2009-05-17T06:48:00.000-07:00

May is here and I am ready for the exhibit "Journey's in Clay- contemporary Ceramics, 2009. Please come to the opening on May 30 , 2-4 PM. If you cannot make it , the show is there until July 18. ( Mountaintop Gallery, Greene County Council on the Arts, Main Street, Windham, NY) 518-734-3104.
The lilacs in Greene County are magnificent this year. They must have loved the winter. Everywhere you look it is purple!
Check the Art League of LI web sight for the summer schedule. I will have a fun and very educational workshop in Bas Relief Tile Making. I also have a five week class on Wednesdays. You will find my classes very informative and relaxing. There is a very good group of students to rub elbows with. Ruth

March 2009

2009-03-11T12:30:00.000-07:00

Welcome to my web sight. It is so nice of you to visit. Spring is almost here. What have I been doing lately?
I have been very busy getting my one of a kind "Begonia Leaf" platters and bowl shapes ready for the Begonia Society Convention in Florida in April. They are coming out very beautiful. I will have about 50 to ship out soon. Each leaf is used once to imprint it's design on to the clay. After imprinting the leaf, I shape the clay into an appropriate shape that is dictated by the size and shape of the leaf. It is then dried and fired to bisque temperature in my kiln (about 1900^F ). After it is fired once, I glaze the piece and fire it again to 2232 ^ F. in an electric kiln. Most of the platter and bowl shapes have small feet to lift them off of the surface the they are on.
Skiing at Hunter Mountain this season has been great. Since it is almost St, Patrick's day, the crowds are slimming but the snow is still good enough to slide on . In between doing my ceramic work, I spend at least 3-4 days skiing.
I am preparing for the "JOURNEY'S IN CLAY, CONTEMPORARY CERAMICS 2009" . I am excited to invite wonderful artists this year. Please join me at the reception May 30. 2-4 pm at the Mountaintop Gallery, Main Street , Windham, NY. The exhibit will be there until July 18, 2009. Some of the artists will be,Corinne Alexander, Susan Beecher, Marybeth Bishop, Karen Battles,Frank Giorgini, Fred Koshetski, Steven Fabrico, Joan Snyder, me and others.
This will be the first semester at the Art League of LI that I will be teaching "Raku Buttons, Baubles and Beads" It will be so much fun to make and fire the beads. We make a bead gadget to wire the beads on to a stand and quickly fire the pieces to red hot temperature (about 1900^F) The bead holder is then lifted out of the kiln with tongs and placed into a chamber with combustible materials. The fire it creates is smothered which creates wonderful smokey glaze colors mixed with carbon. Please see some photos on my web sight. (or see class listing at www.artleagueli.org)
Until next time. Please feel free to contact me. Ruth

Updates Summer 2008

2008-07-31T20:36:00.000-07:00

Journey's in Clay at the GCCA Mountain Top Gallery is a satisfying once a year event for me to curate. This year it included seven artists from the New York area. I never know who will apply but I always know that it is a sure thing that those selected will make a cohesive , artistic display of excellent ceramic art. This year was no exception.
Last March I attended NCECA in Pittsburgh, It was a delightful experience seeing Pittsburgh and meeting my terrific ceramic friends. When NCECA comes to a city, the whole place changes into a huge ceramic event. Every gallery and shop is filled with the best ceramics in the country. Pittsburgh was transformed! (NCECA=National Council for Education in Ceramic Arts)
My work has taken me on journeys to wonderful places . Seeing other artists work is very inspiring and motivating.
The Windham Arts Alliance is the next event that I participtte in every year. August 9-10 this year my studio at 630 C Rt 17, Jewett, NY 12444 will be the place to see my work for sale along with my daughters, Lisajoy and TracieMax (jewelry) and my great friend, Sheila Trautman (watercolor). My studio becomes a small gallery. I will also be demonstrating on Sunday, August 10 from 1-3 PM. Please come to visit.
The Faculty Show at the Art League of LI. starts August 2. Please be sure to see it. The reception is on August 14 and the show will be there until September 2, 2008. I have two pieces in this show.
In the mean time , I have a cat on display for Cat'n Around Catskill show in Main Street in Catskill. He joins 61 other cat sculptures decorated by fine artists. My cat, "Leaf , the "Meowtain Cat " is sitting in front of Jim Wagman"s law office. Leaf represents the Green in Greene County with about 1100 green handmade ceramic leaves. He will be auctioned off on September 21 to support charities in the Catskill area. You can vote for my cat - best in show or other at several galleries in town or clip out the form in Art News.
I am preparing to display my ceramic art in a four person show at the main gallery of Greene County Council on the arts. It is called "RSVP" and will open October 4. The other artists will be David Slutsky, Kiko Gavales, and Michele Goldburg.
In addition to being very busy making my own work and sharing it with those who come to these various places to visit it, I also still teach at the Art League of Long Island. New classes start in September. Look on their web sight to see what that is all about.

Workshops and Shows

2007-07-23T19:27:00.000-07:00

As many of you know, I do special workshops and curate ceramic shows.

During my three day or three week workshops, I teach my method of designing and constructing large and small geometric forms.
I use tar paper to build mostly by hand. They are architectural and can be functional. I build teapots, vases, large sculptural forms . I sometimes use thrown elements to add to my constructions.
I incorporate slip methods and use incising or scraffito to add to the decoration of my pieces. I show how to avoid cracks and simple techniques which can be adapted to work with many shapes and forms.
My next workshop will be at the Art League of Long Island as part of the Potters Workshops Conference which will be held September 7-9 , 2007 . There will be other artists demonstrating various techniques and methods of working with clay.
I will also be curating a small show in the gallery. Ceramic work done by the presenters and assistants will be on display and for sale .

“JOURNEYS IN CLAY “ is a exhibition of ceramic work which I curated . It is in the Greene County Council on the Arts Mountain Top Gallery in Windham , NY.
A wonderful show with a variety of work done by artists from several states as well as local artists i n the Catskill area of New York.
Some of my work is available in the lovely Windham gallery as well as in the Catskill Mountain Foundation gallery in nearby Hunter, New York.

Come and see me at my open studio in Jewett , New York. I will be at my studio along with three other artists as part ot the Windham Arts Alliance - ArtFest. The dates are August 11-12, 2007. 11AM to 4 PM.
The other artists are: Lisajoy Sachs- Jewelry. Tracie Max Sachs- Jewelry, Photography. and Sheila Trautman- Watercolor Paintings. E mail me at ruth@ruthsachs.us for further info. RS

Spring 2007

2007-04-16T10:39:00.000-07:00

Deadlines have been said to be the best inspiration.
A very busy season of planning is slowly creeping up on me. The deadline of March 9 for the Greene County Council on the Arts, "Journeys in Clay" has come and past. I juried a wonderful show which will I will install the week of June 11. The opening reception is on June 23. The gallery is on Main St. , Windham, NY. It will be there to August 3. Please don't miss it. This is a show that I look forward to every year. The work submitted has gotten better and better.
It has been my pleasure to host a workshop at the Art League of Long Island with Steven Fabrico in March. It began with a reception at my house on Friday evening and continued Saturday and Sunday March 23-24. Steven's outgoing personality contributed to a fabulous workshop. The participants all worked on a sculpture and several other pieces which will be fired and donated to the Art League's fundraiser. We all came away with a wealth of knowledge.
My Handmade Tile workshop has been postponed until the fall. Please look for it in the Art League's brochure.
On April 17-27 I will travel to Switzerland to watch my daughter, Tracie Max Sachs compete in her final races for the year. She has won her Fifth World Cup Globe in Chervenia , Italy this year. This is a record in itself. See her web sight He fastest time is 148.27 mph.
I will be teaching at the Art League of Long Island this spring starting May 1, Tuesdays and Wednesdays. My Tuesday class is a four hour workshop. Enough time to actually think out and make your art. Wednesday class is three hours and is as much fun as Tuesday. These weekly workshops end at the end of June.
On May 8-9 I will be doing a Classic Raku Fire at the Art League of Long Island. We will all gather our bisque pots and glaze on May 8th and fire on May 9th all day 9AM-5PM.
You can all come to see some of my new work at my upstate studio "open house" on August 11-12 . 10AM-4PM. I will be there as part of the Windham Arts Alliance , Artfest 2007. I will share my studio with three other artists. Tracie Max Sachs, Lisajoy Sachs and Sheila Trautman. The Artfest is free and encompasses many other studios and galleries. My studio is located at 630 Rt 17, Jewett, NY 518-734-3179.
September 6-8 brings me to my presentation at "Creations in Clay" conference at the Art League of Long Island. This is part of the Potters Workshops series. I will demonstrate how I build my geometric pots. There will be eight other presenters at this conference. Don't miss this one. I will be curating a wonderful pottery show in conjunction with the conference. It will be in the Jeannie Tengelsen Gallery at the Art League. The presenters work along with the assistants work will be on display and available for sale. If you are interested in a attending the conference, go to www.pottersworkshops.org for information. If you are interested in seeing the exhibit, come to the opening reception on Thursday evening , September 6 , 7PM.
Planning in advance takes a lot of effort and coordination. It is done with passion and energy. If you are reading this, please join me at the conference or at the opening of the exhibit.
Warmest wishes, Ruth

Once Upon a Bead

2006-09-23T10:25:00.000-07:00

It is fall and time to go leaf peeping. A big plus this year is a visit to the Catskill Mountain Foundation, Hunter, New York. There is a wonderful show entitled, "Once Upon a Bead". The opening is September 30, 2006, 6-8PM. The show will have hand made beads made in all media by nationally recognized artists.
The show was curated by Lisajoy Sachs. She is showing her fabulous sculptural glass beads along with hundreds of other beads including mine made from clay and Tracie Max Sachs made from glass.
I am busy working on my fall classes at the Art League of Long Island. I teach basics there on Tuesdays, day and evening. I will also be offering a terrific Bas Relief Tile class October 19-19. To see their class offerings, go to their web sight www.artleagueli.org.
Find me in my studio in my home on Long Island or in the Catskills on week-ends. I am working on a new series inspired by the mountains. Ruth

What I am doing lately

2006-07-22T12:04:00.001-07:00

Since I last updated my news column, I have been very busy.I can't believe the last update was November, 2005. OOps, I have been negligent.
Starting last August, I have been working on curating an all clay exhibit at the Art league of Long Island. The Call for entries went out and the jury was May 17. After that, I started to prepare the design for the show which was deliberately dated to coincide with the "All Fired Up" Potters Council conference at Adelphi U. on Long Island.
The Potters council was July 6- 9 and the opening of the "Patterns in Clay" exhibit was July 9. It was avery well attended opening. I received work from 43 artists who reside in 14 states. I hung shelves and put up pedestals for 91 pieces. I am so thankful to all of the artists who participated in this exceptional show. I could not have done such a good job without the trust of all of these artists who send and delivered their work.
I also could not have done this work without my wonderful assistants and art handlers. Thank you all, Jack Fink, Barbara Karayo, Toni Rosenbaum, Norman Tishfeld, Chuck Sachs, and Tracie Max Sachs( mount maker). The exhibit will close on August 13,2006. I have a wonderful CD of the show if anyone is interested-$5 to cover my expenses. Send me an email It has photos of most of the pieces and shows the state of the art two level gallery.

In the mean time I also curated a wonderful exhibit in the Mountain Top Gallery in Windham , New York. Again , the work was exceptional. Thank you artists, and thank you to Donna Barrett who helped me install all of the work. This exhibit opened on June 17 with very good reviews. It is due to close July 29.

In addition to these great gallery events, I have also been busy with getting my own work done to have available for all of you to come to see at my open studio. This will be part of the Windham Arts Alliance Art Fest which is a gallery and studio open house happening on August 12-13 in the Windham , New York area. My studio will be open from 10AM -4PM both days and my daughters , Lisajoy and Tracie Max plus my good friend , Sheila Trautman will join me at my studio with their art work. Call for directions- 518-734-3187. There will be 15 stops all together.

If you don't have ceramics and art overload, please find my work at the Twilight Park art show the same week-end, August 12-13. Twilight Park is a turn of the century artists retreat in a most scenic area of Haines Falls, New York. The homes in the park date back to the 1900's and are wonderfully restored. The exhibit is at the Clubhouse which also dates back and has wonderful views of a gorge. If you miss these events in the Catskills this year, they will occur again same week end next year.

Oh, the Art Fest ends with a reception at Country Suites in Windham. At this time, the winners of the raffle tickets sold will be picked and announced.

Until next time. Ruth

New Work Exhibited

2005-11-29T09:00:00.000-08:00

At this busy time of the year when you may be looking for diversion from the normal Holiday crunch, please think of something "Hand made in America". My work can be viewed in several places. - The Art League of Long Island, Deer Park Road, Dix Hills, NY- b.j.Spoke Gallery, Main St., Huntington, NY - and The Catskill Mountain Foundation Gallery, Main St, Hunter, NY. There are wonderful displays of work for sale by many nationally known artisans along with my work.
Lately, you can see that my work is inspired by the beauty of my surroundings in the Catskill Mountains where I hike and ski. I take in the beauty of the summer and winter sky, the mountains and the flora and incorporate the colors and images in my glazes. I hope that whoever touches my pieces will be please with their images which are inspired by nature.

Working On the Potters Wheel

2005-10-07T09:15:00.000-07:00

I use a traditional electric potters wheel as a tool to turn a mass of clay from a formless lump shape into a recognizable functional cup, bowl or plate. These are the basic shapes which can be used to make almost all pottery shapes. I sometimes then alter my shapes depending on my creative decision at the time.
I love to teach wheel throwing to all of my students at the Art League of Long Island. I have been a teacher of ceramics for about eleven years. When I sit down to throw, I usually have an idea in mind of what I want to make. When I teach wheel projects to my students I always start with a simple bowl form. We graduate to other forms and sizes over an eight to ten week course.
Someone once made up a time frame of how long it takes to learn how to make a decent bowl shaped pot. This time is twenty hours. I am not sure if we can make an exact time a reality but it may be a goal to have in mind if you are trying to learn to throw a pot.

Welcome to Ruth Sachs Ceramics News!

2005-09-29T10:19:00.000-07:00

I will be posting news and upcoming shows and events here. Check back frequently.