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ANDRE BALLY


What clay body do you use?


"My preferred clay body is Armadillo’s Cone 5 Porcelain."


 

Primary forming method?

"Wheel Thrown forms and Hump and slump molded pieces"


Primary firing temperature?

" Cone 5 (2167° fahrenheit)"


Favorite surface treatment?

"I am obsessed with the versatility of sandblasting clay and glass surfaces. The technique can be used to develop texture or it can be used to alter or remove glazed surfaces"


Favorite Tools?

"My Sand Blasting booth (& my Shimpo Whisper Wheel)" 


Describe your studio environment.

"When we built our home in the Texas Hill Country just north of Canyon Lake, we intentionally built our two-car garage out as a studio space. The environment is great for working on projects although it can get a bit hectic and cluttered requiring a good spring cleaning every year."






How/Where do you market & sell your artwork?

" We market and sell our work through various galleries. Have been represented by the Houston Center of Contemporary Craft’s Asher Gallery, which is currently being remodeled. We show our work at Texcetera in Johnson City, Texas, and Gallery 195 of Boerne and can be viewed by appointment at their Texas Hill Country Studio. On occasion you can see our work on Facebook and Instagram "


What sparks your creativity? What drives you to work with clay?
" My wife Virginia, our travels around the US and abroad and working with other artists. And teaching "


Did you come to ceramics from a different career? Tell us about your journey to a ceramics career.
    " I still have my very first clay piece, an ashtray I made for my mother more than 50 years ago. It seems like I have always had my hand in clay as a child in community Ed classes, in high school art classes, in college and as a hobby my entire adult life. There have been times when I put clay away for a period of time but I always seem to come back to it. My career path (my day job) had me working for Harris County Public Infrastructure for 31 years but my nights and weekend almost always involved clay."



    How have you have taken your experience as a well-established maker in the field and passed that knowledge along to other artists?

      "My wife Virginia and I have held numerous workshops in our studio and we have done workshops for various other studios and school. I am currently an adjunct instructor at the Southwest School of Art in San Antonio, teaching ceramics and mixed media sculpture classes. I have also taught wheel throwing and sand blasting techniques for the Southwest School of Art."






      What’s the best advice you’ve been given by a fellow maker, mentor, or teacher?

        "Have patience, explore everything, practice a lot and above all have fun"




        Website URL and other social media platforms:

        Website: www.ballystudios.com , www.gallery195.com


          Bio:

          Andre Bally founded BALLY STUDIOs, with his wife Virginia, in 1994 and has been greatly influenced by the cultures and design motifs of the traditional Japanese Potters, that of the North American Indian Potters and various other Aboriginal Art Cultures.

          Andre Bally has been experimenting with ceramics, glass, and metal for over forty years. His primary focus has been on developing a sandblasting/etching technique which can be used on ceramic or glass.

          He has pieces on exhibit in private collections in Canada, Europe, Northern Africa and the United States.

          Andre is currently an adjunct instructor at the Southwest School of Art in San Antonio, teaching ceramics and mixed media sculpture classes.

          He and Virginia are both showing their work at Texcetera in Johnson City, Texas, and Gallery 195 of Boerne and can be viewed by appointment at their Texas Hill Country Studio.

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          CONTACT US - Info@ClayHouston.org

          Address:
          PO Box 667401
          Houston, TX 77266

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