Empty Bowls, 2011

This year the proceeds from the Palouse Studio Potter's Guild donated the proceeds of our annual Empty Bowls Project to the food bank that serves the Kendrick-Julietta, ID area and to OxFam international. We appreciated the gracious response from the Kendrick-Julietta Food Bank staff.

As in previous years, we had a beautiful array of handmade bowls from which to choose.

And the choice offered to people was so vast. Different shapes, different glaze colors, and different techniques of surface decorations.

Often, people exclaimed how difficult it was to choose their favorite bowl because there were so many great pieces of pottery.

Potter's Guild members Ryan Law and Val Boydo accept the donation money and explain to the participants about the charities that will receive the proceeds and about the beautiful bowls.

Then the participants choose one of the delicious soups donated by the Moscow Food Co-op in their new handmade bowl.

To add to the enjoyable atmosphere of the day. We were treated to entertainment by musicians who also donated their time and talent.

We couldn't do it without the help of volunteers. The effort of Gary Marvin, in the kitchen the entire event, is our favorite.

Individual bowls

Some of the beautiful bowls that were handmade and available for lucky participants during the 2011 Empty Bowls organized by the Palouse Studio Potter's Guild. With help from the Moscow Food Co-op who provided soup and bread, and the "Heart of the Arts" who donated hall space, the kitchen and helpers for this event.




This bowl was another collaborative effort between the glaze painter, and Carolyn Guy, who threw the pot.

Different styles done by different people. Judith Marvin's pot in the center is handbuilt. The others were thrown on a wheel.

Another wide variety of bowls. Some are painted with underglazes.

Moscow Late Winter Art Show, 2011

Some members of Palouse Studio Potters Guild showed their work in State Farm Insurance building as part of the All City Art Show that coincided with the Lionel Hampton Jazz Festival. State Farm has been generous in sharing its Main Street business space with artists of the Region.

First display upon entering the building is by Jeanne Wood. Her work is wheel thrown and then carved, or they may have underglaze painting as surface decoration. All painting is done freehand.

Jeanne's work here is high fired and all functional pottery.

Judith Marvin's work is next in line. Much of Judith's recent work has been handbuilt and primitive fired work. The taller vase is a raku pot and the bowl is covered with terra sigilatta and then pit fired to get the smoke blackened areas.

Here are Judith's highfired handbuilt vase and her saggar fired wheel thrown vessel. The colors on the smaller pot are not glazes, just the effects of the flame and smoke in the sagger-style firing. High-fired glaze covers the texture of the vase.

Undersea forms are the inspiration for Val Boydo's current sculptural ceramic art.

Hand building is the prefered method for Val's creative art. They shine with lusterous glaze.


This deserves a closer look.

Carolyn Guy does mostly wheel thrown work, but some of her pieces, such as the large bowl on the right are handbuilt. Carolyn constructed this bowl using the drape mold technique.

Carolyn alters each of her pots after they are thrown. All are one of a kind pieces and are of high fired porcelain. Carolyn makes her own porcelain clay and glazes.

An Empty Bowl workshop

For Empty Bowls, we often encourage friends who are not potters to paint designs on bisqued bowls with underglazes. We then cover their designs with a transparent glaze and fire as usual. It is always a treat to see what people come up with and their unusual approaches to surface design.
The following pictures was from a bowl painting workshop in Lacey WA. We painted a whopping 24 bowls that afternoon.

Gavin Eveland, the young man is a painter in oils. His approach to painting bowls is unquestionably different.

Tamm is an all-around artist. Her work is being admired by Aaron, her greatest fan.

More people donating their time and talent to make Empty Bowls a success. In addition they are having a great time working on their designs.

Although this is a blurry picture, Patrick's concentration is still apparent. The bowls he painted were crazy and creative.

Empty Bowls, 2010

Empty Bowls sponsored by the Palouse Studio Potters Guild, Moscow Food Co-op, Heart of the Arts, and assisted by PCEI and many artists, both local and from far away, was held April 17th, 2010.
We brought in more money this year than ever before! The funds will be split between a local food bank and OxFam International as donations.


A porcelain bowl by Guild member Carolyn Guy is appreciated.


Sometimes a bowl just pops out at you and you must have it!


With such a vast array of bowls available many thoughtful choices were made.


Our invaluable and tireless kitchen crew. Gary referred to himself as our "kitchen wench".


Laurel McDonald gets some of the delicious soup served by guild member Sasha. This year the Co-op gave a choice of Caribbean Black Bean or Roasted Red Pepper and Coconut Milk. Both were fantastic.


Guests enjoying Jazz, company and Moscow Food Co-op Soup.

Bowl Construction Workshop in February

The Palouse Studio Potters Guild held a workshop to make bowls during the "Haiti Benefit Breakfast" held in Moscow on February 21st 2010 at the 1912 Center. The Benefit raised funds for Haiti to be distributed by Moscow women who traveled to Haiti. One of the women was Ryan Law also a member of the Guild.
The Potters brought clay and tools and took over the arts and crafts room of the 1912 Center. Community members were invited to do handmade bowls for the April 17th Empty Bowls Project.

The workshop was so popular we had more interest in making bowls than we could handle.


Most of the bowls that made were constructed by the "pancake" style in molds.


Here Guild Member, Carolyn Guy, instructs Andy on some of the important points of a slab built bowl.

Allie is having a wonderful time with her bowl.


Celadon is doing a few variations with her bowl.


Here are a few of the bowls made that day. After this the members of the Potter's Guild took the bowls back to their individual studios, dried them carefully, loaded bisque kilns and fired them, applied glazes and then high fired them. Still a lot of work to do before they are ready for Empty Bowls.

Working with the Community

This year our Empty Bowls Project promises to be bigger and better than ever. The Palouse Studio Potters Guild has been holding workshops in the community to make bowls for sale this year.

The first workshop was painting underglazes on bisqued bowls. Jeanne led this workshop with the local S.C.A. branch. Notice the concentration and interest in the participants!


Just one more touch of blue.


This was a bowl painting workshop done at the Palouse Women Artists Retreat. Here Celia Boland carefully applies underglaze to a bisqued bowl. The Potter's Guild will cover the bowl with transparent glaze and fire it for the Empty Bowls Project. This composition looks like it will be a facinating bowl.

Linda paints Palouse Hills on Palouse Pottery athe the PWA Retreat.

The PWA weekend was a wonderful weekend of friends, beautiful scenery, surrounded by creativity and creative pursuits. These bowl painters are obviously enjoying the good times. Many of the Palouse Potters Guild members are also members of the PWA.