Groveland Twp.- Sue Kolb says her drive to create art is like a river that won’t stop.
‘I do art because it’s a passion inside me,? says the owner of Red Pine Pottery & Twigs, 345 Wolfe Road. ‘I have to get out there and create.?
Kolb, 56, is inspired by nature in her work. Her studio and home overlook a pond and are located on 14 acres of woodlands featuring red pines. It is here that she will display numerous pieces of pottery and furniture made of willow and cedar when she and her husband, Joe Wheeler, celebrate the 25th anniversary of Red Pine Pottery & Twigs with a two-weekend summer sale.
The sale is planned for 10 a.m.-5 p.m. June 13-15 and June 20-22.
Kolb took a pottery class while enrolled in college in Canada and when she moved back to the U.S., her father bought a potter’s wheel and kiln for her. She has been creating pottery for nearly 35 years now and has taken pottery classes across the country. In 1983, she started Red Pine Pottery and displayed pieces of her work at various art fairs. About eight years ago, Kolb began making twig furniture, using willow to create chairs, tables, and benches. She added cedar furniture to her repertoire about five years ago and often decorates pieces with painted fish.
‘People really buy those,? Kolb said of the folk art fish pieces as she walked about her studio filled wall-to-wall with large willow chairs and benches. Contemporary pottery pieces, including bowls, vases, and mugs line shelves. In a room at the back, Kolb opens her kiln, still warm and full of more high-fired stoneware that will be on display at the sale.
Kolb is unable to dedicate as much time to her art as she would like, since she is also a psychologist, but spends at least two days a week creating.
‘Making a chair takes a week of intensive work,? she said. ‘I get the wood and have to use it within four to five days while it’s bendable.?
‘I love to push the envelope,? said Kolb.