One of the comments I get most often about this blog is that I need to post more often. And my intention for years has absolutely been to be a more prolific writer here, but I have a tendency to let research for my posts spiral out of control, and they end up being dissertations instead of more simple articles. I really enjoy hunting down minutiae. It's fun! But it also results in this blog being way too quiet for months at a time while I chase sources and fall down research rabbit holes. So that said, I'm going to attempt to write more bite-sized posts in between the novellas. My goal for now is to try to post once a week, and if I can find the time to write more frequently, I will.
I know we're about a month out from BreyerFest now, so I hope this won't be boring content, but reentry after BF is always an adjustment, especially when you throw in a 50 hour work week and problematic sleeping habits. But there are shiny ponies to be seen here which has to count for something!
My sister Sarah and I kicked off BreyerFest week with a trip up to Hagen-Renaker Tennessee to commune with our fellow clinky lovers at the Hagen-Renaker Collectors Club Fellowship get together. Held at the Ceramic Animal Museum, the educational wing of the working pottery that is HR TN, Fellowship was a low-key event where club members could do a little shopping, catch up with friends, and see the sensational ode to American animal figurines that Kristina Lucas has carefully curated and displayed in the museum.
Sarah and I got into town the evening before just in time to grab a late dinner which we ate while sitting by the hotel pool, soaking our feet and enjoying utterly perfect weather. The sunset that evening was spectacular.
The following morning, we got up early to take advantage of our budget hotel's complimentary breakfast. We're used to staying in slightly less budget hotels that at least have the basics like eggs, fruit, cereal, and yogurt for breakfast, but we were very underwhelmed to find only plain oatmeal packets, no hot water for said oatmeal, and the tiniest, most pathetic coffee cups for the sad beverage that passed as coffee there.
We headed out, thus unfortified, but at least with the knowledge that there would be real food and coffee available at HR TN.
This was the first Fellowship event since before the pandemic, and the turn-out was terrific---around 40 collectors from all over the country visited. It was wonderful to see old friends and to meet a few longtime online friends in person for the first time, too.
The Ceramic Animal Museum is (not surprisingly) mostly devoted to the work of Hagen-Renaker, particularly Maureen Love's incredible body of sculpture. It also features Maureen's work from other ventures (Maureen Love Originals, Made With Love, etc) as well as pieces from related artists like Robyn Sikking, her daughter Laurilyn Burson, and fellow California artist Dorothy Kindell.
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A peek inside the museum (featuring Heather Mays!)
(Photo by Kristina)
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Just inside the front door is Sue Nikas'
personal painting booth exactly as she left it when the California
factory closed at the end of 2021. Sue was the daughter of
Hagen-Renaker's founders, John and Maxine Renaker, and she ran HR for
many years before passing the torch on to Kristina.
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A poignant bit of Hagen-Renaker history
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The first museum cases hold an interesting sampling of Hagen-Renaker history as well as ware from related and neighboring potteries. Here is just a small sampling of the delights to be seen!
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The mold book!
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This sweet pair is by Dorothy Kindell, a southern California potter best know for her tiki ware and ceramic nudes. She made a number of horse figurines as well with distinctive mottled glazes in several colors.
The museum also features a large exhibit of Robyn Sikking's work. She is best known to HR collectors as the artist behind the Designer's Workshop Chatter squirrel family and their mini counterparts, but she was also a prolific artist who made many collectible animals, angels, and other cute figurines for her own ceramics business. Robyn's daughter Laurilyn Burson learned the pottery craft from her mother and also worked for Hagen-Renaker. Later, she partnered with Maureen Love for several projects including Made With Love and Molds From Maureen's Garage. Laurilyn is particularly well-known for her innovative raku work.
The museum has some very interesting displays showing the behind the scenes work of running a successful pottery---molding samples, slip milling consistency examples, and many tiles showing how glazes look once fired. The photo below shows a sampling of these trial pieces along with a variety of unfinished ware. The initialed tiles were included in the kiln by the artist who worked on each batch of ware. If something went wrong or needed to be fixed in the next batch, the artist could be identified to correct the issues.
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The Performing Misty mold
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Many examples of Maureen's horses and animals made by Hagen-Renaker are on display. This shelf is a memorial display for late HRCC member Jayne Kubas.
There are also many examples of ware tested by HR that never went into production for one reason or another. Collectors call them "Never Mades." The pieces below were created in a similar vein by Maureen and fellow HR artist Helen Perrin Farnlund for a venture of their own.
My favorite displays are the many birds (and other small animals) Maureen made for her Maureen Love Originals line, made as gifts for friends and family, or finished in the same style on HR waste castings. Her water birds in particular are my absolute favorites. Someday, I hope to own one of her lovely herons or egrets.
The museum is also home to an incredible collection of Maureen's two dimensional art, from cards she made for family members as a child to sketches of the real horses and animals her sculptures were inspired by to exquisite finished pastels like this one.
When Sue Nikas passed away in June 2022, Kristina Lucas inherited full ownership of the Hagen-Renaker company and has carried on producing ware from the original molds in her studio in Tennessee. Several displays feature models from this new era of HR.
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Just a sampling of the extraordinary work created by Kristina for HR TN
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Hagen-Renaker had factories in several cities in California over the years---Monrovia, San Dimas, San Marcos---and while Tennessee is a bit further afield, the company continues there in Kristina's capable hands. At the moment, most of what is being created are smaller runs geared toward collectors rather than giftware, but I highly recommend joining the Hagen-Renaker Collector's Club for more news on that front. Exciting things are always afoot with HR TN!
Next up will be pix from the Breakables live show! Thanks for reading!
