APRIL 2023 JOEL GREEN & LAUREN RANTS

Joel Green

Art is part of the human experience.  Some choose to invoke art to bring about the emotions they wish to experience while others choose to create art so they can evolve.

Throughout my entire life I chose to express my evolution through means of drawings, paintings, ceramics, wood, and resin.  I strive to create a gallery artisan piece that expresses my moment in-time so that it will last through yours.

-Joel Green


Lauren Rants

A Career Well Spent
Lauren Rants

Forty-nine years as a dental technician/ceramist was an unrecognized, at the time, gift bestowed on Lauren. As a traveling musician throughout the 1960’s, and tired of the road, Lauren took an entry level job as a dental technician trainee. Having no idea this would become his life’s work, and in spite of that, he instinctively (read: genetically) threw himself into the work headlong. After some years into the field, Lauren developed a reputation for tackling the most difficult and demanding projects, specializing in cases that have failed in other hands and high profile “smile make-overs” like those currently seen in the media. His work is published in several books by various authors. He eventually became in demand around the country as a lecturer/demonstrator.

He was often introduced as an “Artist.” Never quite buying into the moniker, Lauren called himself a craftsman. As things change, after being a member of Pottery Place Plus for 7 years, and other professional associations, he finally has had to reluctantly agree with the descriptor “Artist.”

To maintain mental health Lauren needs to be making things. For nearly twenty years he made hand crafted pens. Currently his passion is making boxes of various types. Not content with the natural beauty of woods he has pioneered techniques for infusing/casting resins into the wood and into his fountain pens.

Not having much experience with woodworking has been oddly helpful to the “artist” side of Lauren’s personality and to the style he has developed. “Pretty much making it up as I go along” is the way he describes it. The result is a fresh look in box making and a true expression of his personality.

“I am excited to put my current work forward for all t