Dori DeCamillis

This is one of my favorite paintings of Red Dot Gallery student Pat Conrad. She is free and uninhibited  with her brush (a talent of which I am always jealous) and she is very prolific (another thing I envy!)  This painting affects me, in a good way, on so many levels.  One of Pat's best qualities is that she has no equal when it comes to following directions, and, as I am her teacher, that is a delightful thing. It also means she has progressed by leaps and bounds since she started a few years ago. 

Red Dot Gallery painting student Ellen Moore frequently paints her grandchildren in simple landscapes. Her family is honored to be the subject of such a talented artist. She has been taking classes at Red Dot for over 4 years, and is one of the most enthusiastic, dedicated, and FUNNY people in the place. Red Dot wouldn't be the same without her.

Hundreds of ceramic artists and enthusiasts from around the region and across the country converged in Birmingham February 16-19 for the Alabama Clay Conference at the Birmingham-Jefferson Convention Complex.  Gryder, Isupov, and Meaden demonstrating They found plenty to pique their interest.  In this 27 th annual edition of the conference—the largest and most prestigious clay meeting in the Southeast—more than 400 attendees witnessed live demonstrations from some of the country’s top ceramists, toured an exhibition of the invited artists’ works, visited a ceramics trade show, shopped at a marketplace featuring the work of Alabama ceramic artists, toasted handmade “pints” at the Good People Brewery, and enjoyed the incredible collection of ceramics at the Birmingham Museum of Art. Attendees flocking around artist's work Scott Bennett, 2012 chair for the Alabama Clay Conference, a ceramics teacher and co-owner of Red Dot Gallery in Homewood, was gu...

A series of blog posts to come will feature the Alabama Clay Conference of which my husband, Scott Bennett, was this year’s chairman. The 27 th  annual Alabama Clay Conference kicked off this year with the Alabama Clay Market at Art Folk Gallery in Birmingham, Alabama. For the first time, ALCC 2012 hosted this week-long pottery and sculpture sale, offering the work of some of the state’s best ceramic artists. The Clay Market opened with a reception on Thursday evening, February 16. The market continued through Saturday, February 25th. The event was very successful, with a large turn-out and higher-than-expected sales. Held at Art Folk Gallery at the Young & Vann Building at 1731 First Avenue North, the Market brought together the work of approximately 30 Alabama ceramic artists, with styles ranging from folk to modern. Not to be confused with traditional street fairs or craft shows comprised of booths and elaborate dis...