Lawhorn's ceramics on display at FMAAA in October

BY BRIAN RIGGS

FMAAA Director

FORT MADISON - Feature exhibition at Ft. Madison Area Arts Association for October is Susan Lawhorn of Macomb, IL. Her specialization medium is ceramics. A reception occurs for the artist on October 5^th from 5-7pm. Sample the flavors from Baxter’s Vineyards, as they are in the full swing of harvest mode at the winery. Bartlett Instruments in the sponsor for the exhibition. Susan will speak at the last Lunch-ala-Art on October 26^th for noon muster.

The ceramics of Susan Lawhorn of Macomb will be on display in October at the Fort Madison Area Arts Association. A reception is set for Friday from 5 to 7 p.m.

Susan (Ryan) Lawhorn was born in Vena del Mar, Chile, and grew up in Boston where her parents lived. Lawhorn received her BFA from Massachusetts College of Art in 1971. After two European trips in college and moves to Key West and Colorado after marriage, she, her husband, Terry, and three children settled in Macomb, Illinois. Since 1980 the Midwest has been their home.

She had been fortunate to renew her love of lithography and then immerse herself in ceramics with the help of artists/teachers at Western Illinois University. Now she works from her own studio. Her most recent work utilizes porcelain, stoneware and low fire earthenware. Her work is primarily shown regionally, but she has prints and ceramic pieces in collections on both coasts, as well as in the Midwest.

Susan began in printmaking but eventually tired of cranking out multiple images of replication with that process. With clay she began hand building unique works and built a studio for low-fire production. She also has the benefit of taking independent study at WIU, whereby she can hi-fire stoneware and porcelain. She will work in series mode for pieces, working on a heel/shoe series for a couple of years. Crowns also became a series. Subject matter is invoked by sketches and base ideas than awaiting for works to evolve within the clay building process itself. She does make some functional ceramics; but the majority of works stem from her imagination into nature and spiritual themes. Viewing available all month Tuesday-Saturday from 10am-5pm at 825 Avenue G.