Coil Pottery by Hank Allred...Part I

Hank Allred is an amazing potter from Ramseur, North Carolina. He and I met at an arts festival last spring, and his work bowled me over at first sight.

He explains, "My work is a refreshing break from traditional pottery, leaning in a sculptural direction. My creations run from small turtles and mushrooms to large coil pots, from realistic looking waves with tiny surfers in action positions, to giant face pots with earthy colors of glaze, from modern fossil bowls, to shrines and fish. It has been said that I have a whimsical streak that reveals itself in my intricate creations."

Hank's work is built by hand, using mainly the coil method, and he just delivered an assortment of his latest creations to Artist Alley!

I'll tease you today with a single photo, and I'll provide a few more for your viewing pleasure at the beginning of the week. Stay tuned...

Love Potion #78 ?!?!

Yes, Love Potion #78. If you thought that #9 was good, you're going to love this!
If you want to wrap the one you love in love... Bless Their Heart...

or tell them that you're sew in love...You'll find the perfect Valentines Day Gift at Artist Alley. Artist Alley is home to affordable artwork created right here in North Carolina by over sixty talented artisans. Hope to see you soon!

One-of-a-Kind Valentines for Your One-of-a-Kind Love

Gifts for the men in your life...

Gifts for the women...

And gifts for your happy home...

Affordable Artwork Made in North Carolina...The Gift That Keeps Giving.

Six Days and Counting...

Six days and counting...until Valentines Day! This week I'll be highlighting the wide variety of gift options that are available at Artist Alley. There's still plenty of time to find the perfect one-of-a-kind gift for the one you love.

I'll begin the week with a general description of gift ideas. For the remainder of the week, the story will be told in photos.

At Artist Alley, our usual lineup of art jewelry is well stocked. There's sterling silver from Christy Clark of Silverwear, handmade glass beads and beaded jewelry by Debbie Keen of The Keen Collection, fine silver jewelry by Zoe Nelson, fused and dichroic glass jewelry created by The Gilded Lily, stone and leather jewelry by Jari Custom Leathers, Swarovski Crystal jewelry by Charlotte Smoot, collage jewelry by Amy Smith, clay jewelry by Jeanne Rhea and Jan Graindorge, and of course my own copper and brass selections.

For the men in your life, we have handcrafted ships-in-the bottle by Jim Goodwin, woodcut pictures by Wayne Black, woodcut clocks, banks, and other accessories by Regis Shultis, handforged silver coin rings by Carl Head, and handcarved walking sticks by Doug Biggerstaff.

Of course there's also pottery, paintings, home decor items, art glass, metal sculpture, handbags, clothing, handpainted silk scarves and more too!

There are so many choices! The challenge won't be in finding a gift, it will be in narrowing down your selection!

First Friday February 5th - Art That You Wear!

This Friday from 5:00 - 9:00, we'll be celebrating Art That You Wear at Artist Alley! Just in time for Valentine's Day, we'll be filled to capacity with an amazing array of handmade clothing, jewelry and accessories. You can also expect our usual lineup of delectable treats and the company of many of your favorite North Carolina Artists.

I hope that you'll be able to join us for this much-anticipated annual event!