Pottery a family affair

The deep love between a mother and daughter is evident while talking to Jan Maiani and Ami Higbee. Although the studio creations of the mother-daughter potters vary considerably, their mutual respect and admiration of each other’s work is evident.

They share the same Athol studio, but Maiani’s preference is mainly one-of-a-kind, multidimensional ceramic hand-built forms. Higbee’s preference is use of the pottery wheel where functional ware including bowls, platters and mugs take shape.

Both potters are participating in this weekend’s fifth annual Clay Arts Guild of North Idaho Mud & Spirits Christmas Pottery Event.

For the first time Mud & Spirits is being held at the Kootenai County Fairgrounds primarily to accommodate the event’s growth. Twenty-six potters will be showing a variety of functional and sculptural pottery.

Viewing the pottery will be enhanced by a variety of local musicians who are scheduled to perform throughout the days. Performers include: Anne and Brad; Bill and Laurie Klein; Jackie M. Fox and Dave McRae; Aaron Castilla and the Afterthoughts; The Turner Sisters; the Wylie Family Band; Bill Klein and Friends; Frank Delaney; Brad Keller; River City Four; Bluegrass Spectators; Sondahl and Hawkins; and The Tumble Weed Posse.

New this year will be the presence of Hayden Lake Farmers’ Market vendors who will be selling produce, wreaths, and various other handicrafts on Saturday only.

The event is sponsored by The Clay Arts Guild of North Idaho – a nonprofit communication network for clay artists and supporters, promoting clay art and education in the community.

Maiani has been treasurer of CAGNI since its inception and has devoted many volunteer hours to the nonprofit. CAGNI has been active in the community sponsoring educational workshops and children’s clay activities.

Maiani and Higbee are busy in their careers, children and grandchildren, but both make time to “work and play in the mud.” Maiani owns Maiani Construction Services with her husband, Leonard, and Higbee is a surgical nurse at Kootenai Health and mother of two.

They have created a distinct style and recognizable brand for themselves, and consider themselves still learning about glazing and firing.

Maiani likes earthy colors and a mixture of unglazed and glazed pots. Higbee prefers bright colors, intricate designs, and lots of glaze – much like Italian style pottery.

Maiani started her fascination with clay by taking pottery classes from local clay instructor Tim Mosgrove in 1998. Maiani then told her daughter that she had to try it, and signed her up to take her first class from Mosgrove about a year later.

“Tim Mosgrove’s pottery classes have been educational about every aspect of working with clay, and also great fun,” Maiani says. “It has also been a place where I have connected with like-minded souls.”

There are two main areas of ceramics – hand building and wheel thrown, according to Maiani.

“Most people think initially of the mesmerizing spin of the potter’s wheel, but hand building can be very creative and rewarding in its own right,” says Maiani.

Maiani says it is frequently possible to create interesting pattern and surface effects during the process of building and shaping a vessel or sculpture.

Maiani is a gardener first – she simply loves the earth. Her clay pieces are influenced by nature and feature flowers and birds.

Higbee, on the other hand, is contemporary in her approach to clay, combining different methods and techniques to achieve dynamic results.

“It’s fun to use different processes with clay which makes waiting for the results even more exciting,” says Higbee.

They both feel a strong connection with the clay, and view their clay sessions as therapy.

“Clay is therapy and it energizes the soul,” says Maiani. “Your imagination is your only limit.”