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Source: Standard-Examiner, Ogden, UtahSept.儲存倉 04--Ben Behunin has always been fascinated with women's shoes."Guy's shoes seem lame and boring," he said.He recently purchased about 25 pairs of ladies' footwear -- ridiculously expensive shoes made of Italian leather that had been donated to Deseret Industries. He's not wearing them, but turning them into an art series called "If the Shoe Fits.""It's fancy women's shoes, with ceramic faces inside, and they'll hang on the wall," Behunin said. "They're hilarious -- you can't not laugh at them."If that doesn't tickle your funny bone, how about the artist's "Party Animals"? The silly, ceramic creatures are multicolored, and have antlers made of forks and spoons.An exhibit of Behunin's work opens with a reception from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Friday, Sept. 6, in Gallery at the Station.His ceramics, including serious works of art, will share the gallery space with paintings by Marion Hyde, art professor emeritus from Utah State University. The show continues through Oct. 1 at Ogden's Union Station.Written in clayJulie Lewis, a member of the gallery board at Union Station, describes Behunin's ceramic works as playful and experimental -- and also gorgeous."The thing about Ben is that he started working, and was poor, and had to get by with very little clay," Lewis said.As a result, he developed the ability to create very thin pottery."They're gorgeous things -- practically see-through pots, that are light and durable," she said. "He continues to experiment with clay, and come up with new and exciting things."Behunin, of Salt Lake City, started making pottery as a high school student, and continued studying at universities in Idaho, Utah and Hawaii. He also served an apprenticeship in Germany. He began making pottery full time about 12 years ago, and at one point was working with galleries across the country.In 2009, he authored and published a book called "Remembering Isaac: The Wise and Joyful Potter of Niederbipp." He followed it up with two more books about the same characters, set in a Quaker village in Pennsylvania. According to Behunin's blog, he's sold 28,000 copies of the self-published books."Since writing the 'Remembering Isaac' series, people have come to the studio and buy my work here, so I'm not having to go out and travel as much as I used to," he said.His studio is at his home, which he remodeled about 1 1/2 years ago."There's 500 square feet of handmade tile scattered throughout the home -- on stairs, backsplashes, fireplaces and in bathrooms," he said.Behunin inscrib迷你倉價錢d funny and serious sayings on some of the tiles."I know my kids will stop listening to me at some point, and I wanted them to at least be able to read the writing on the wall," he said.Muddy magicBehunin enjoys spending time with kids because they're naturally uninhibited artists."When you can create art without fear, magic happens," he said.But fear sets in, for most people, all too soon."When you're in kindergarten, first and second grade, everybody believes they're an artist. Then someone tells you your dog looks like a monkey, and pretty soon you start doubting your ability," Behunin said. "You give up on your art, and become a lawyer or dogcatcher instead."He'd rather live an artful life."If we can put our fear away, we can really create amazing things, and an amazing life," he said.Among the amazing things Behunin creates are extensively textured and colorful bowls, platters and teapots. Then there are his silly shoes, which include a pair of slippers with a mustached cowboy face, and animals like the walrus with whiskers made from broom bristles. He also embellishes ceramic pieces with glass and metal; he's bringing a new series of these mixed-media pieces, called "Guardians," to Ogden.The guardians are inspired by petroglyphs from Southern Utah, but with silly names like "Guardian of Whispered Love Songs," or "Guardian of Sexy Legs."Silliness and joyBehunin is serious about being silly."I think there's a lot of room in the world for joy," he said. "If you can find joy in the silly things in life, in the simple things in life, then it's easy to find joy in just about anything."A friend of Behunin's passed away not too long ago. He visited the 72-year-old several times before cancer took him, and they talked about art and joy."He said, 'It's all art,' and I think what he was trying to say is that if we can make anything artistic, we can make life beautiful," Behunin said. "You can make anything boring into something beautiful, just by spending a little extra time at it."Contact reporter Becky Wright at 801-625-4274, bwright@standard.net. Follow her on Twitter at @ReporterBWright.PREVIEW* WHAT: Art by Marion Hyde and Ben Behunin* WHEN: Opens with a reception 6-8 p.m. Friday, Sept. 6; continues 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Saturday, through Oct. 1* WHERE: Gallery at the Station, 2501 Wall Ave., Ogden* ADMISSION: Free; 801-393-9890, theunionstation.orgCopyright: ___ (c)2013 the Standard-Examiner (Ogden, Utah) Visit the Standard-Examiner (Ogden, Utah) at .standard.net Distributed by MCT Information Services迷你倉