Involvement with Clay

Judy Guth

Involvement with Clay

I, Judy Guth, was born on November 26, 1930, in Budapest, Hungary. When I was a young child, it was my maternal great-uncle who brought an interest in clay to my life. He worked with clay at Times Hungarian Zsolnai Factory Pécs.

Talented in drawing since childhood, at school I exhibited my pictures and won awards. After World War II, I returned to school, the Art Institute of Hungary in Budapest. My clay work was exhibited and sold. I graduated with Associate of Arts degree in art, in 1948.

In Hungary at the Haziipari Szovetkezet company, I altered Herendy porcelain ceramic tall vases into lamps. I painted the vase designs onto the lamp silk shades. Also for export, using textile paint, I hand-decorated silk shawls.

In a Lyon, France doll factory, 1957-1958, I painted faces on dolls and designed their folkloric clothes.

Finally in the U.S.A., at Pasadena Clay Company, California, worked with clays making molds, finishing, and glazing the ceramics.

During two years in Japan, painted in Sumi-e style, and created live Ikebana floral arrangments. Visited ancient and active pottery sites, visited exhibitions, museums, and studied Japanese ceramics–and created clay art.

Los Angeles Valley College, California, for four semesters was ceramics student of Dale Fulkerson. I learned Raku firing and clay art design, graduating 1979 with another A.A. degree in art.

California State University, Northridge, and Glendale College, California, studied ceramics.

At the most famous Otis Art Institute, LA, California, as a student of Professor Ralph Bacerra, I learned low fire glazes, molds and more.

Studied with Vivaka and Otto Heino, world-renowned ceramicists from Ojai, California.

Active member over 50 years with the American Ceramics Society, Design Chapter, Southern California. Established home ceramics studio with three kilns.

May 1991 issue of international "Ceramic Art and Crafts Magazine" 5 page cover story is "#1 in Ceramics, Judy Guth,  23 inch ceramic plate Bouquet".

Exhibited Earth Forms at Museum of Science and Industry, Los Angeles, California. Won award for 22” plate with precision carved designs, sand blasting and other techniques.   

Judge: Professor Ralph Bacerra.

At Kfar Hachoresch, Israel, exhibited eleven ceramic pieces; all were sold.

Involvement with clay, canvas, ink, paint, pencil, paper, scissors and rocks, as well as textile and needlework arts, has given me a lifetime of treasures. My soulful art expressions come also from decades of travel. Now, creating my art for others' fundraising gives me great pleasure. With admiration and respect for the Los Angeles Police Department (to support LAPD), I give to them hundreds of my newly hand-painted stones with original art.

As it has been said a thousand times, you touch clay, it stays under your skin for a lifetime. It stayed under mine. I love clay.

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                                                                                     Edit by Joy and Faye