The Peachtree City Library Art Initiative welcomes seven artists working in pottery, ceramics, glass art and sculpture; Andrea Faye Boswell, ceramics, Charles “Chuck” Tryon, sculpture, Faith Somsel, ceramics, Kent Applegate, pottery, Gretchen Buczkowski, ceramics and blazed clay pottery, Michelle Lynn Thomasula, glass art, and Katie Ferguson, ceramics. The art reception is June 8, 3-5 p.m. The public is welcome.
Katie Ferguson‘s love for clay started in high school. After high school she attended The Art Institute of Atlanta to study graphic design .Realizing that using computers and technology to create art was not her cup of tea, and after 3 children and 3 degrees she returned Georgia State University and received her bachelors in studio art with a concentration in ceramics. She gets her inspiration from nature and Van Gogh.
Charles “Chuck” Tryon‘s passion for clay and sculpture has been a life’s journey. His work communicates on different levels, from the utilitarian to a simple reflection of the around him. Clay becomes a language to express that for which I have no words. The underlying thread in his journey has been growing to understand what it looks like to integrate the complicated dynamic of Faith – something which is not always pretty or positive or well understood, but which carries underneath it the reality of Hope.
Kent Applegate is a proud third generation potter following his grandmother Dorothy Kindell a prolific potter in the 1940’s and 50’s, known for her tiki culture ceramics that are still sought after today. Dorothy passed on her craft to his mother, June Kindell Applegate who taught Kent to throw pottery in 1975. Born in Flagstaff, Arizona Kent moved to Guam when 11then moved to Guam for 17 years where his parents taught school.. His family traveled extensively exposing him to many different cultures and art forms. After teaching in Guam for 2 years, and moving to Germany to teach with the US Army, Kent continued teaching in Georgia for 30 years in public schools. He started dabbling in pottery toward the end of his career specializing in functional pottery with simple elegant lines. His logo used to sign his pottery is a paw print in an apple. The apple is from Applegate and the paw is from Ludwig (Ludi for short), the pottery cat who used to jump on his lap while Kent was throwing pots. Ludi is no longer stalking the studio and is sorely missed by myself and my wife Wendy.
Andrea Faye Boswell is an award winning artist who began working with clay in 2000 with a six-week pottery course at the Fayette County Parks and Recreation department. This soon became a passion and a journey for her. In the following years she attended the Alabama Clay Conference every year and sought out classes from potters whose pieces turned her head. Andrea has learned the art of the RAKU firing and delights in hand-building functional pieces as well as sculptural pieces. She is known for her statement pieces that are mostly one of a kind. Andrea creates pieces for inside the house and outside in the yard, Recently, Andrea has taken up jewelry making using precious metal clay. Her Jewelry pieces are forward and feisty.
Faith Somsel born and raised in Michigan, an area known for its diverse landscapes developed a love for nature at an early age. Growing up she wasn’t encouraged to express herself through art but she was drawn to it, music, drawing, painting, poetry. After marrying Faith began attending college part- time. Her program had many electives which she filled with as many art classes as she could. While taking ceramics classes at Northwestern Michigan College, her professor focused on artistic expression through the clay medium. Faith’s pieces are often inspired by what she sees in nature; sunsets are a favorite. Using color and texture, she takes what she sees and incorporates them into each piece she makes. Her favorite pieces to make, however, are items that include sculpture such as the starfish mugs; art you can use every day.
Michelle Lynn Thomasula began her journey in art in elementary school shaping her into an aspiring art teacher. She specialized in Advertising Art & Photography in NY and graduated with high honors from Northeastern State University with a BA in Art Education. Her expertise spans various mediums, including sketching, painting, ceramics, photography, and award-winning stained glass artistry through her business, Prismatic Glass Designs, where she fosters creativity and a love for art among her students.
Gretchen Buczkowski took her first pottery class in high school and it became her favorite thing to do for fun! Before moving to Georgia, She spent 10 years as a middle school counselor. After relocating and at the onset of COVID, she decided to turn her passion into her job and founded Blazed Clay. Wheel throwing is Gretchen’s favorite technique, but she also like making slab and coil pieces. Now that Gretchen is doing pottery as a business, she likes trying new techniques, shapes, and creations. It’s also opened up a new world of meeting other artists at events. Gretchen enjoys being a part of the GA art community. Gretchen lives in Peachtree City, GA with her husband, two daughters, and her dog (aka her studio assistant). Gretchen likes to travel, hike, golf and all things true crime. She is often found drinking a caramel latte out of a homemade Blazed Clay mug.
The artists represent the Fayette Art Society (FAS) and the Newnan-Coweta Art Association (NCAA) and are invited feature artists for the Peachtree City library Art Initiative. Also displaying work throughout the library are members of FAS, NCAA and the Peachtree City Photography Club. Visit us on Facebook.
