Take the mystery out of art history
 
Russell - "Acorn Lidded Jar" Dark red porcelain jar with a lid that has acorns for the handle
 
 

Gail Russell • American: 1954-

Acorn Lidded Jar • Porcelain 9” x 7.5” x 7.5”

As a young girl in a rural Indiana Catholic school, Gail Russell loved the earth. She thought of becoming a geologist studying the natural world. Unfortunately, her mind leaned more toward art than science. One day her classmates in their crisp school uniforms gathered around a special guest. Les Miley, from nearby Evansville University, started turning the new potters wheel. His foot beat out a steady rhythm as his hands formed a pot from lumps of wet clay. Most girls were amused, but, over 35 years later, Gail remembers that class as the day her life took a new direction.

Gail’s mother, a seamstress and her father, a mechanic, were good with their hands. In her own way, Gail followed their lead. She enrolled at the University of Evansville to study pottery and spent her Junior year at Harlaxton College, in Britain’s famed ceramic heartland. Classes four days a week, the other three spent visiting ceramics studios, pottery manufacturers, and the sites of western Europe. “It was the most phenomenal year. Away from home for the first time, studying in an 1830’s manor house and seeing other cultures.” 

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Russell fell in love with porcelain, a particularly pristine material that’s only half clay. The rest is natural components of glass giving it unusual strength and translucency. “It’s pure white. You don’t have impurities coming through to alter the glaze. It even rings when you tap it.”

Like many modern day potters, Russell was inspired by Bernard Leach and Shoji Hamada. They swam against the tide of mass production, championing studio artists. She was attracted to their Asian sensibilities and visited Japan in 2002, a pilgrimage for potters inspired by the centuries-old pottery traditions of Eastern cultures.

In 1986, Russell opened Peachblow Pottery north of Columbus, Ohio and still open today. Here she makes and sells beautiful porcelain pots, inspired by the earth and given life with her artistic flair. Many feature handles modeled after the Burr Oak acorns she found on her small farm. “I always seem to struggle for the right words. But, walk through my studio and you’ll know who I am. I’m a person who loves making something out of nothing, taking materials from the ground and figuring out how to create something beautiful from it.” A woman so in love with nature, she turns it into art.

Canton Museum of Art Permanent Collection • Purchased by the Canton Museum of Art 2010.14

 
 

4 Ways to Sound Smart When Viewing at The Canton Museum of Art

1.
“She wishes she could have done a triple major in college. Geology, biology, and art. Talk about an overachiever.”

2.
““Porcelain is half clay and half glass. It’s a material without impurities. Russell loves how it makes her glazes appear bright and translucent.”

3.
“She never enjoyed making handles on her pots, so she makes wheel-thrown acorns and details them by hand to use in their place.”

4.
“She has been a studio potter for over three decades and credits Bernard Leach and Shoji Hamada for championing the artist-potter movement. She was also inspired by their Asian style.”

 
 

Russell Timeline. Scroll over images to see timeline.