April 2, 2003
Local resident takes part in Indian Way workshop in Arizona
By Carol South
Herald contributing writer
Robin Nance wrestles with finding time to be an artist and around her life as a full-time mom. A potter who also teaches in Northwestern Michigan College's Extended Education program, she carved out some time last month by attending an Indian Way Pottery Way workshop in Tombstone, Ariz.
The two-day workshop had students recreating the ancient methods of making pottery used by Native Americans. Nance was thrilled and inspired by the methods she learned during the workshop.
"It was awesome, I'm drawn to Native American work," she said. "I like to throw pots but I like to do handwork, too. I like them to look older and have a primitive feel to it."
Toby LongFace of Tombstone conducted the workshop at his studio in Tombstone, guiding participants through digging clay, preparing it and making pots. The next step was to burnish the pots with bacon grease.
"The Native Americans do this because they don't use glazes," said Nance, noting she brought these works home to fire and finish here. "You burnished them inside and out and this ties together all particles of clay, making a smooth surface."
After burnishing, LongFace sent students out to collect yucca leaves, which they used as paintbrushes. They painted red and white slip, which is liquid clay, onto some bowls LongFace had already prepared by firing once for the class. Each student also brought along five pieces of bisque ware, or clay that has been fired once, which they also painted and included in the pit fire.
LongFace then taught students the basics of pit firing before sending them out to gather cow chips, which create a hot fire. They all loaded the large pit, which was lined with sawdust, with the clay pieces, piling the top with cow chips. He sprinkled wood and nails and pieces of metal on the bottom, just as the Native Americans did to alter the colors of nearby pots.
After dinner, LongFace and his students fired the pit and left for the night. The next morning, they opened the pit to remove the finished pieces. The final, optional step was to rub the clay with wax or tile sealer to make it shinier.
"The pots feel different because they are more porous when they are done and do not have a high glaze," Nance said. "These pots are not food save."
Nance began working with clay five years ago when she moved back to the area from downstate. A Traverse City native, she took classes at both Northwestern Michigan College and the college's Extended Education Services program.
Last year she began teaching a class called Clay Therapy for Extended Education students that is all hand building of items, no wheelwork. She enjoys the loose format of the class, with music playing and lots of class discussion, and often works on her own projects between helping other students.
"I love it, it is great working with older students," Nance said. "They span the range of experience, some have never touched clay before and others are experienced."
A stay-at-home mom of a teenager and a preschooler, Nance, relishes the block of studio time during class. She has tried to work at home during her daughter, Emma's, preschool hours, but does not always find the time or focus. She and a friend also made mosaic pieces together to sell, which helped her discipline as an artist, but they are not currently collaborating.
"The class gets me in a great studio and I know every Saturday at 9:30 I can work on my stuff," she said. "When I'm here, I really have to schedule myself."
A nurse by training, Nance worked in the field for ten years until her children came along. She said pursuing art is a recent passion, not one she was ever encouraged to do growing up.
"My family really stressed working, we all worked like dogs from a young age and my dad always owned restaurants in town," said Nance, whose family owned Chamberlain's Family Restaurant and Charlie's Deli. "We were all very hard workers so art was kind of a frivolous thing. Now I have some time and money to explore art."
She hopes to explore further the Native American techniques she learned at the workshop, perhaps enlarging a fire pit at a vacation cottage to fire some objects.
"I could just get lost in this for days, hours and hours," she said.