For those who give a whisker about all things furry, clay artists have dedicated handmade wares to the paw-er-fur animal kingdom at the Torpedo Factory Art Center.
Trot, romp and scurry down to Scope Gallery this month for the "Ode to Animals" show featuring fuzz-friendly statuettes, chow crocks, water dishes and more. Potters welcome all friends feathery, wooly, wild, domestic and doggy, elevating them to high, functional art.
If you let a four-footed amigo dine off a dinner plate, your animal-inspired tableware should be the pick of the litter. Horsehair-singed pots and raku polar bears can decorate a domestic habitat.
Old MacDonald is not the only person who has dogs, cats, pigs, chickens and horses. Artisan piggy banks, handpainted hen tableware and kitty dishes have come out of our workshops (ee-eye, ee-eye, oh).
Want a tenant with more feathers than rent? Potters provide ceramic birdhouses with natural construction and an organic bamboo front perch. For those who like the wild side, adopt a wolf plate, moose vase or fish platter.
Get some flair for Fido with a squirrel food dish or pottery for Polly with a bird bath. Make somebunny hoppy with a rabbit appetizer tray, teapot or statuette. Embrace insects with dragonfly and butterfly plates and cups.
Whether it be for birds or bees, there are no bones about it, Scope Gallery's high-fire tableware is food-safe and can be used in the microwave, dishwasher and oven.
The Kiln Club show runs from July 30 to August 26. Scope Gallery hours are Monday through Sunday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., with Thursdays open until 9 p.m. The gallery is located at 105 North Union Street, ground floor Studio 19, Alexandria, VA. 22314. For further information call the Scope Gallery at 703-548-6288 , visit www.torpedofactory.org/galleries/scope.htm and www.kilnclubwdc.com
Kiln Club is an organization of more than 90 Washington D.C. area artists working in the clay medium. Juried members exhibit themed shows every other month at the cooperative artist-run Scope Gallery in Alexandria's Torpedo Factory Art Center. Visit www.kilnclubwdc.com
