Ode to Monitors -- Fred Follansbee

1. What is your name (I may not always be able to tell by your email)? 

Fred Follansbee

2. When did you start coming to Lillstreet?

2003 - 5 week "Casual Fridays" class - 1/2 at old Lillstreet, 1/2 at new place on Montrose

3. What brought/brings you to Lillstreet?

clay, people

4. What is the nature of your clay work -- functional or sculptural? 

both - functional cups/yunomi, vases....sculptural - wall platters, vases, teabowls - wood-fired and soda-fired work, mostly

5. What is your process? 

Do you sketch, prototype and conceptualize? etc. yunomis/cups - make lots, step back and review now and again

6. What or who influence your work?

Peter Voulkos, Don Reitz, Japanese ceramics - Shoji Hamada, Tatsuzo Shimaoka, Shigemasa Higashida http://www.soshintougi.com/english/index.html  , Shiro Tsujimura, wood-fired ceramics

7. Do you work with other medium besides clay? 

lithograph, acrylic paints

8. What are your duties as a monitor? 

soda coordinator

9. If there’s one thing you absolutely have to inform the Lillstreet clay community that would make your work easier, what would it be? 

I am an expert cup-cake taster - I will sample and give feedback to anyone