Fox Valley Ceramics Expert Shares Talents Her Classes Teach, Provide Valuable Social Interaction

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Leona Richards has been turning out ceramic masterpieces for nearly two decades, but hardly any of the one-of-a-kind works decorate her home.

"I don't have the pieces very long before one of my children or grandchildren says they just have to have it," she said. "They snap them up pretty quickly."

Richards hand-paints and glazes ceramic pieces of all shapes and sizes - everything from pheasants to angels to vases and planters at the Dundee Township Senior Center every Thursday from 9 a.m. to noon.

Guided by former ceramics store owner Marie Jessogne, even students who have never dabbled in art create professional-looking pieces at the weekly sessions.