The Herald-Zeitung

Dee Buck of Buck Pottery will be getting his game on when the 17th Annual Texas Clay Festival takes place Oct. 24-25 in Gruene.

It’s not that he isn’t producing exquisite pieces any other time of the year. It’s just that this is a show for potters, featuring more than 60 fellow craftsmen.

“It really pushes you to do your best work,” Buck said. “People come who have a better understanding of what you do and are more critical of your work. A lot of university professors come and bring their students. It is a nice, dynamic crowd. It is a very discerning crowd.”

Dee and his wife, Terry, along with five other potters in the area, first started the festival by advertising in a brochure, and they knew they wanted it to be more than a craft show.

“We wanted to put a big emphasis on the demonstrations, on the educational side of it,” he said.

Many people come to the show to watch the demonstrations. Some are amateur potters who want to learn more.

Participants will show off skills such as wheel-throwing, hand-building and glazing techniques. There will be four demonstration tents and another area exclusively for firing techniques. More details about the demonstrations can be found at the Web site www.texasclayfestival.com.

With so many participating artists, variety has become a central theme to the show.

“Every artist has their own following, and everyone seems to have their favorite,” Buck said.

The show will include colored porcelain pots, abstract sculptures, serving pieces, whimsical yard art and much more crafted in a wide spectrum of techniques.

“The great thing about ceramics is that you kind find something at the low end of the price range as well as at the higher range,” Buck says. “It’s affordable because of the nature of the functional type of art that it is.”

Ron Boling of New Braunfels has been making pottery for 35 years. He started out on a college scholarship to become a painter, but soon discovered that pottery was in his blood. He has been participating in the Texas Clay Festival for more than 10 years.

He has been preparing for the show for the past three months, putting out some new forms.

Boling’s uses the Raku process for his pieces. He puts extruded legs on some to give them an “animated character, almost cartoon-like or animalistic.”

He said he looks to natural textures for inspiration for his pieces.

Buck said show patrons will be happy to see the return of Vorakit Chinookoswong, known widely as V. Chin, of Seabrook, who was unable to attend last year because of Hurricane Ike.

“We have several collectors of his pieces in this area,” Buck said. “His work always sells out during the first half-day of the show.”

Also, Susy Siegele and Mike Haley of Arkansas will be bringing their distinctly colored porcelain pieces. The former Texans have been widely recognized for their colored clay techniques.

In addition to demonstrations, a children’s area will allow young festival patrons to work with clay and tools for texturing. Artists also are donating work to a silent auction that will take place on both days of the event. Auction bids are final at 3 p.m. Oct. 24 and at 2 p.m. Oct. 25. Proceeds will be used to help potters in need, award clay-related scholarships and fund festival events.

“This is real gratifying for us,” Buck said. “We don’t travel to other shows, so this is fun for us. It is like a reunion.”

For information, call Buck Pottery at (830) 629-7975 or visit the Web site at www.texasclayfestival.com.

17th Annual Texas Clay Festival

Where: Gruene, on the grounds of Buck Pottery, 1296 Gruene Road

When: 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 24

and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 25

Cost:: Free admission

Info: Call (830) 629-7975 or

visit www.texasclayfestival.com.