Meet Lisa Madden...
I live in North Ridgeville and have for the past 15 years. Before that in N. Olmsted and Mayfield Village. I graduated from Notre Dame College with a BA in Graphic Communication. While at Notre Dame, I took Ceramics One and Two. Did so well, the school created a third, more advanced, class, and I was the only student! Won first place in their annual art show one year for a painting I did, and another year won a special award for a clay dinnerware set I designed.
Eventually got a job with NASA as the Macintosh Engineer (not even close to anything in art), and worked for 20 years both at Glenn Research Center here in OH, and also Goddard Space Flight Center in MD. Retired in 2018 and moved back to OH.
I have a studio for my pottery in my home and an electric kiln in the garage. I have two adult children, a son in Mayfield Hts., and a daughter in Sommerville, ME. NO pets at this time. Overall have been playing in clay for about 35 years. I do all hand building as my arthritis is so bad cannot stay bent over a wheel for very long. Besides, I still like to paint, so do a lot of painting on my pots, especially plates and tiles.
Before moving to MD, I did participate in several Avant-Garde shows, maybe 3-4. But this one in Avon is first since moving back to OH. I am currently represented at Bay Arts Center in Bay Village, and Burning River Boutique in Vermilion. I also do the Bay Village/Westlake Rotary Art show every July. AND go back to MD, where I am in the Montgomery Potters group (I do their monthly newsletter) and we hold “pottery tours” where we set up outside someone’s home.
What inspires me.. I love color, and creating pots with vibrant colors that can still be used for more than decoration, gets me going!!
How I discovered my talent.. In the college classes, it was evident early on I had an eye for color and shape, and loved the pliable clay. I’ve since taken classes in MD, doing outside firing, called raku, mask making, and other fun endeavors. I took a class sponsored by Amaco years ago, and what I made, the teacher wanted to keep to take on the road to inspire others. That made me feel really good!!!
My creative process... I have to be in the mood, and have the time to put into making pieces so they turn out as I envisioned. I do a lot of the drawings ahead of time, then transfer them to the clay. This way if I need to change something it is much easier than once the design is already on the pot. I also like using items from nature and make a lot of dishes from leaves, or use tree branches for handles, etc.
My five year goal.. I would love to be in more galleries. I have had two commissions from a Federal Agency in Wash., DC, and commissions from out of state friends, plus one of my large masks is now hanging in the house of the daughter of a TV producer!
Meet Dave Simon from from Dave Writes and Draws...
I'm an ad agency creative director by day, illustrator and writer by night (and weekends).
I started selling artwork in high school, so I guess I've been putting pen and pencil, and now Apple Pencil, to paper/screen for about 45 years. This is my second Avant-Garde Art & Craft Show.
What inspires me to create.. I get inspired by lots of things, from animals and nature to books and movies. I've been drawing since I was a little kid. When I realized you could make a living doing it, that was just a bonus.
How I discovered my talent.. From an early age, I could draw just a little better than my classmates. 
My creative process.. I don't usually sit down to work unless I have an idea that's begging to be realized.
You can learn more about me and my work ad davewritesanddraws.com. I also have a redbubble shop with artwork mostly inspired by iconic books, authors, and movies at redbubble.com/people/fan-tasm. And a few samples of my work are attached.
Meet Phil Haller from Blue Heron Ceramics...
I am a part time potter trying to juggle working full time and pursuing my pottery passion.
I started this adventure with my daughter (pictured) in 2016. We had taken a random pottery class together and I haven't stopped yet. Covid put the brakes on her taking classes, but someday soon I hope she will join me again.
This will be my first Avant-Garde show.
The idea of taking a lump of clay and creating something that people use every day is just completely awesome.
Question 5 and 6 are both tied in with taking a random class with my daughter.
My creative process is blending glazes together to create a beautiful piece of pottery that will last for years.
In five years i see my business exactly what I'm doing with this show. Creating beautiful pieces and sharing with whomever should take an interest in my work.
Meet Courtney Cook from Boardroom Charcuterie Boards and Trays...
I’ve always been a creative but just now finding my true passion. I’ve been making boards for over a year now but I’ve always been an artist .
Life and colors is what inspires me to create.
How I got into my craft.. The idea came to me in a dream!
My creative process.. The first step is always finding what colors I want to use, although a lot of my work is custom so the colors are already chosen
My five year goal... I would love to have a small gallery/retail space.
