West Chicago
Host: Laurie Pollpeter Eskenazi at her studio in the garage adjacent to her home
Laurie’s work is inspired by the traditional needle crafts made by women in the 19th and early 20th century. Her work is filled with a palate of lush and vibrant colors and textures influenced by her travels through out France, Italy, Spain and the rural Midwest.
Amy Song is a ceramic artist working out of Plainfield, IL. She holds a BA in studio art and ceramics from Hope College. She fell in love with wood firing at Waubonsee Community College in Sugar Grove, IL. In 2018, Amy established River Song Ceramics where she holds workshops firing her wood fire train kiln.
After signing up for an elective ceramics course during his graphic design studies Neil was immediately hooked. He had to quickly come to terms with the fact that he liked ceramics way more than graphic design. He switched majors, left his parents a message on their answering machine and became a potter.
Anne’s work is primarily functional, inspired by the Japanese aesthetic, with glazes she formulates herself. Often using various types of plant and wood ashes as well as local clays. She pays careful attention not only to how a piece looks, but also how it functions as they are meant for daily use.
Samantha makes functional, comfortable pots to encourage people to slow down and enjoy the rituals and conversations of everyday life. She designs each pot to create depth, tension, and comfort, hoping to draw you in and inspire you to linger a bit longer. Her surfaces are inspired by natural landscapes and the contrast of order and chaos.
For CJ each piece is a reflection of a specific memory or set of memories, and the emotions and associations that come with them. The feelings and thoughts that they evoke, through subject matter and environment, is an attempt to reach the viewer and connect with their own memories to gain a deeper understanding of the way in which memory shapes our lives.
For Linda her clay studio is a place where she can become fully engaged and all her cares, and the aches and pains of living with Multiple Sclerosis are pushed aside. She gravitates to figurative images, most prominently dogs, in her work.