tony clennell
For my fiftieth birthday, I gave myself a gift. I decided to be brave and travel to Italy by myself. My mentor suggested that if I could raise the funds to take a course internationally, I should do it. He also suggested in the same conversation that I look at a course with Tony Clennell, a Canadian potter ,who teaches all over the world. Tony was very gracious in helping me navigate the decisions to be made regarding his course. A fortuitous meeting with a Seattle potter (to be shared in another posting) help make my three week adventure a wonderful experience. Not only did I take Tony’s course but traveled to a few other Italian towns with classmates. Tony is known for his handles. He loved debating with me about whether a drinking vessel should have a smooth rim or not. Tony’s wife, Sheila Clennell, added to the course focusing on handbuilding techniques. In 2011, I organized a ceramics workshop for Tony to teach in West Michigan. We had a fun weekend and with his nudging C2C Gallery was created. Thank you, Tony, for the community that you build in the ceramic world. Oh, if you are looking for ceramic courses outside of North America, have a look at La Meridiana in Certaldo, Italy.
