Alan and Rosemary Bennett's Resume

Alan received an MFA in Ceramics from Ohio State University and a BFA from Arizona State University.  Alan’s art has been exhibited internationally as well as throughout the United States.  Rosemary has a BAE degree from Ohio State University.  Her work has been shown nationally.  Alan and Rosemary met at OSU in 1980.  Alan worked as a designer and technical consultant for El Palomar Ceramics in Talaquepaque, Jalisco, Mexico.  They started this business together in 196 and have worked as full time clay artists in Bath, NY since 1990.

      “Our experiences snorkeling and fishing strongly influence our art.  We make art about fish, aquatic life and animals.  The process starts with a series of sketches.  We use stoneware clay or porcelain to make the basic forms.  We manipulate these forms, hollow them out and then we add the details.  Then we sculpt the teeth and eyes out of porcelain.  The pieces are fired again.  Our sculptures are about form, expression, color, texture, and movement.  Each piece is unique.  There are five basic ways we glaze the pieces. “  - Alan & Rosemary Bennett    

Fish Glaze:  This magnesium carbonate glaze shrinks more than the clay body during the firing process.  The finished glaze has a rough, dry, scaly texture.

Raku:  An ancient Japanese traditional technique, the pieces are pulled out of the kiln when they are red hot and smothered with sawdust.  The end product has a variety of blacks and grays in the clay body and elegant crackle patterns in the glaze

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Gas Reduction:  A technique from an ancient Chinese tradition created during the Sung dynasty.  The pieces are fired at high temperatures in the gas kiln where the oxygen levels are reduced to achieve rich surface decorations from the layers of glossy or matte glazes.

Wood/Soda:   Colored slips with over glazes are fired in a wood-fired kiln.  During the firing, wood ash deposits enhance the colors and the soda adds an orange peel texture.   The glaze result is a soft earthy finish with subtle color.

Crystal Glazes:  Special glazes are applied by brush to porcelain pieces.  The pieces are fired to 2300 and then “soaked” at a slightly lower temperature for six or more hours.  This creates an environment conducive to growing crystals in the glaze formed by a combination of zinc and silica.  The end result never comes out the same twice as the crystals are different sizes.