MOur Members' Work

Elizabeth “Liz” Venuti discovered pottery in 2016 during an introductory class at Truro Center for the Arts at Castle Hill—and after one week with her hands in the clay, she was hooked. Driven by a naturally inquisitive spirit, Liz continued to study with a range of ceramic artists at Castle Hill each summer while deepening her practice during the fall and winter at Haven Art in Port Washington, New York. 

Although she has explored hand-building and coil-building, she remains most drawn to the wheel, where she creates elegant forms with a quiet sense of movement and balance. When working with mid-fire clay, Liz enjoys experimenting with glaze combinations that produce rich, dynamic surfaces. 

Her deepest passion, however, is high-fire clay—especially porcelain—where she often leaves surfaces minimally glazed or completely unglazed, allowing the flame, ash, and atmosphere of the kiln to shape the final piece. She has fired her work in wood kilns in Truro, Massachusetts; Cold Spring, New York; and Tuscany, Italy.

Zaid Abuhouran has been working with clay since 2023, having begun his practice while living in El Salvador during a diplomatic assignment with USAID. There he used local red Ilobasco clay with volcanic ash. After recently relocating to northern New Jersey, he's excited to explore new clay bodies and techniques at Icehouse. His time working with Salvadoran clay gave him an appreciation for how materials and environment shape the work itself. He's drawn to incorporating nature-inspired elements and unexpected details into functional pieces, experimenting with glaze techniques that evoke the landscapes and natural forms that inspire him.

Jennifer Crohn is a ceramic artist and painter who loves the elemental qualities of clay. She makes handbuilt and wheel-thrown vessels and Judaica and glazes them in colors that can be found in nature. She thinks there’s something exciting about the arc from dirt to transcendence—the ability of the human hand to record a beautiful curve in mud, then subject it to an inferno that transforms it into something almost as definite as stone.

In my work with colored porcelain clay, I am inspired by the translucency of the material and the way the light reveals and interplays with the layers of color. I strive to create impressionistic imagery reminiscent of the work of Cezanne, Matisse, and Monet. When held up to the sunlight, the delicate translucency of the porcelain reveals many hidden layers. 

My work consists mostly of things in nature—flowers, leaves, earth, water, and sky and has been featured at NCECA and various National and International Juried Shows.

Renee is full time physician but finds her zen throwing clay on the wheel. She has been exploring large bowls with new exciting glaze techniques. She also loves making Raku vases and plans to Sagar fire this June her new pottery collection.