Biography
Frank Philipps was born December 19, 1942. He apprenticed with John Connors, a former student of Marguerite Wildenhain at Pond Farm near Guerneville, CA. This led Philipps himself to attend the summer Pond Farm workshops in 1975, 1976, 1978 and 1979. Philipps says of his time with Wildenhain that he found "inspiration and expert direction" and learned "strong, classic forms and functional design."
In 1994, Philipps and his wife opened Frank Philipps Pottery in Ashland. In 2003, they relocated to their present location. The pottery and gallery features pottery, hand-blown glass, ceramic garden tiles and a collection of art in oil, watercolor, and photography.
The Sunflower Bowl made by Philipps was donated to the Pond Farm Collection in 2003. It was wheel-thrown from stoneware clay in 2001 and features pulled handles. Sunflower designs are incised on the urn-shaped bowl and slip painted. The brown and tan bowl has a flared rim and short, flared foot. The interior is brown and aqua with aqua pooled in the bottom of the vessel.
Source of Biography
Ripples: Marguerite Wildenhain and her Pond Farm Students. Curated by Billie Sessions. San Bernardino, CA: California State University, 2002
Pond Farm Collection: Works of Art Created by Students Who Studied with Marguerite Wildenhain at her Pond Farm Studio. Text by Jane Kemp. Decorah, IA: Luther College, 2003
frankspottery.com