Thursday, August 25, 2011

Expanding an Idea


Behold... something new from the studio. (Ha! doesn't it feel that monumental some days!)

These are first editions for The Arts Center's Portals show later on this year.

Last month attended the mini-workshop hosted by Gale Everett-Stahlke of the StickStones PaperStew Blog. She showed how to create wire sculptures with either layered paper or gut skins. It was a process that I thought could be a nice variation on the "inside/outside" theme I've toyed with over the years on the sculptures with 23k gold leaf (see example below).

Anyhoo, these two porcelain beauties have had some holes made in them for wiring up after they've been fired. Both were pinch pots that just grew organically as I pinched. On the first one I tried to smooth out my finger marks and on the second one I accentuated them. I'm going to low-fire cook them so that the clay will accept some cold wax/oil paint treatment after they've been fired.
Will be interesting to see where this goes from here.

Wednesday, August 10, 2011

Potters, pottery everywhere...

Just became a part of the Studio Potters Team on Etsy and it's an association/community that feels very nice.

Some fantastic work being done by so many of the potters whose work I'm now getting to know. And since joining this team the traffic back and forth and sharing has been phenomenal. Yikes, I can't keep up!

Yesterday my "Meditation" was included in a Treasury of work featuring Eva Funderburgh who makes the most incredible wood-fired sculpture you'll see almost anywhere. I hope you'll give a gander and then go to Eva's Shop, Woodfired Beasts.




Monday, August 1, 2011

What Inspires Us?

Walking the Iron Mtn/Cone Peak Trails in the Cascades over the weekend we came upon this wonderful tangle of peeled sticks. They had been jammed up when the stream was running high and were left high and dry by the time we passed. Could I or any other human have created a nicer sculpture than this one the water made as it smashed twigs and rocks up against this tree root? Then juxtaposed with more roots in the background and the jagged basalt rocks to the side, it was just a photo op waiting to be snapped.

Sorry the photos is a little fuzzy...

I often wonder what type of sculpture I could make to respond to this, but it would take some wire and twigs and other detris instead of clay, I think.