There is something satisfying and at the same time continually a discovery about
working with clay for a long time, which is what Guerneville artist, Angela Mills
has been up to for the last forty years. Angela first put her hands in clay in the
third grade and created a fox figurine, which became her totem animal. These
days, you will find Angela busy at work in her home studio creating ceramic
pieces with the slab and coil methods. She works with a technique called
‘sgraffito’, which means scratching through a layer of colored slip that is applied
to a leather hard, unfired piece. Another technique she employs is ‘Mishima’
which is inlaying a colored slip into the leather hard clay. This clay artist mixes
her own slips from Mason stains, which gives her a unique color palette that she
finishes with a clear glaze.
Much of Angela’s work is characterized by carvings of ginkgo leaves and floral
designs. Her coming series will be more decorative wall hangings and moon
baskets for flowers or small plants. “I love working with clay and just can’t not
do it”, she says with her friendly smile as she puts another piece on the shelf.
“I’m inspired by Japanese ceramicists as they are master clay artists”. Angela
is part of an artistic tradition that has been around since the dawn of mankind.
She says that clay vessels last forever and that “this is a way to leave a little
piece of me behind”. Her work can be seen and purchased at the Russian River
Gallery, 16357 Main Street in Guerneville. And if you are lucky, she just might be
in the gallery to tell you her story herself!
Carolyn Wayland, interviewer