Murphy – Mike Lalone was called the “art coach” when he taught at Dr. Phillips High School in Orlando, Fla. He was the basketball coach who built the clay art program at the school, inspiring students to give back with their art.
He said the two are similar. The discipline from athletics transfers to what a person wants to put in their art.
“As a coach, you want the best out of your students. It’s the same with the arts,” Lalone said.
Since moving to Murphy, he has filled in for art teachers in local schools, plus taught at John C. Campbell Folk School in Brasstown and Young Harris (Ga.) College. He’s now expanding his reach as a teacher with a workbook.
“I never thought I’d do a book,” Lalone said. “I think it will be a positive addition to what I already do.”
Pinch Pot Portraits provides simple, step-by-step instruction on how to create heads and faces out
of clay. For each facial feature, there’s illustrations drawn by Lalone to help the reader understand the techniques.
He said he always has people asking him how to sculpt a head or a bust, and he explains how easy it using pinch pot techniques. The book details those techniques without the need for special tools.
“I really think this will help students of all ages,” Lalone said.
The workbook idea came from all the handouts he had for his classes. He thought he should consolidate those handouts somehow, and a former student, Jonathan Allard, helped him create the workbook.
He looks at the book as a way to give back to the arts, like so many teachers did for him.
To give back to the art teaching community, he is donating one book to each art teacher in local schools. He and another local potter, Chris Jones, have helped obtain kilns for every school in Cherokee County at no cost to the art programs.
He may put together another workbook in the future, depending on the popularity of this one. The workbook is available to purchase at 361-2462 or mlalonepottery@gmail.com.