About Me

Hey Everyone! I am Bianca Del Cioppo and I am in love with art!

I am currently a student at Sierra Nevada College in beautiful Lake Tahoe. I am working towards my BFA in ceramics. I am relatively new to the ceramic art world, but I am quickly making up ground and filling every moment of my life with art shows, conventions, ceramics history and time in the studio. This blog is just a collection of what I make, what I see and things that peek my interest in the art world. Enjoy!

Wednesday, December 14, 2011

New work

So I ned to catch everyone up on what's been going on lately. I finished my finals, yay, and had a private gallery show in Sacramento! Anyways, I really enjoyed getting my work out there away from the school.

Everyone responded well to my egg piece, both at my show and through my department committee. So I have decided to make a whole series of "eggs". I have also been reading a few books that my professor loaned me for my new ceramic adventure. Now I am exploring texture, shape, and design of my new hollow, closed vessels. I am also working in a smaller scale so I can start busting these out and really focusing on the texture.

Ernst Haeckel- Art Forms in Nature
Wabi-Sabi- for Artists, Designers, Poets and Philosophers
Andreas Feininger- Nature and Art- A Photographic Exploration





Tuesday, November 29, 2011

Desperately Seeking Symmetry

I posted a while back that our ceramics class was paired up with the schools printmaking class to do a collaborative piece based on a podcast from NPR. Well my partner and I have been working for two weeks on both prints and ceramic pieces for the assignment, and I have to say that we are on a roll. We have been in sync since the beginning, and right on track with everything. It is pretty fun working with another medium and bring designs to both our work. My partner, John, has never worked in clay before so we worked in my studio for a few days, while I taught him the basics of the wheel. Our idea is to make two complete sets of a pitch and matching mugs for each of us. The cups are pushed against the pitcher while still wet so when they dry, they will tightly fit around the pitcher. (pictures to come) I have to say that John picked throwing up quite well. Anyways, yesterday we worked on our prints, and needless to say, we went crazy. We had a base print, then took the dozen or so stamps that we made, and just went with it. The radio podcast was all about the balance of life, male and female, connection with nature. Their was another part that talked about the brain, positive and negative electrons and ideas. It was all pretty powerful. Please take the time and listen to the podcast, it is awesome. It is highlighted on my previous posting, NPR's RadioLab: Desperately Seeking Symmetry. It has been a lot of fun, doing a collaborative piece with someone who isn't a ceramic artist.

Friday, November 11, 2011

GUESS WHAT!!

I just heard back from the art department committee and I passed my Junior Art Portfolio Review!! I am so excited to get back to the studio and start working on my new ideas from the comments I received from each professor.  I understand each criticism and I have already gone through the hardest part of passing.

Time to work on my final projects and expand on my JAPR work.

Also, so far I have sold over 1000 dollars in pieces from my show. I am trying to set up a gallery show in Sacramento for the holiday season. Hopefully I can pull it off.

Thursday, November 10, 2011

There Is A Life After JAPR?!

After a weekend of doing absolutely nothing, I am back in the chaos that is the ceramic studio. I am already working on my next idea, my new project. Our ceramics class is now linked to a beginning printmaking class for our final assignment, which I am excited for. We were asked to listen to a podcast from NPR's Radiolab:

Desperately Seeking Symmetry
http://www.radiolab.org/2011/apr/18/

Then, we were paired up and asked to produce some images that reflect our thoughts on the program. Each group has at least on ceramics major, a.k.a., me, with a printmaking major. We are going to be making prints of our images, and stencils to use on ceramic pieces we are going to make. It is a chance for ceramic majors to experience a new way of decorating our pieces and test the printmaking majors to expand beyond 2-D.

I wanted to share this podcast as well simply because I thought it was an amazing show and very very interesting.

Anyways, I am really excited for this project and this will be our final assignment and part of Advanced Ceramics' final grade.

Pictures to come.

Friday, November 4, 2011

The Junior Art Portfolio Review was a success!

This morning was the official presentation of my first juried art show. Everyone at my school looking to graduate with a BA or BFA has to go through this painstaking, yet very thrilling process. Now all the art department professors will take their notes, process them, deliberate and determine if we had a cohesive theme, understood and worked with our mediums well and explained our thought process thoroughly. I will hear the results by Wednesday. We get two chances to do a Junior Art Portfolio Review (JAPR), so if we, hopefully not!, don't pass for any reason, we can put another one on next semester. I really hope I did, because putting in another seven months of straight work right after this is a very depressing thought.
Anyways, I am excited to hear the feedback from my professors, who have helped me so much, so I can start thinking about my BFA show next year. It will be three times as big and a million times more stressful, but after today, I feel like I can take on the world. Bring it on!

To look at everyone's work and look for upcoming photos and the recording of everything check out our SNC/FA Facebook page.

http://www.facebook.com/SNCFA


Thursday, November 3, 2011

Junior Art Portfolio Review: Close up

So I have finished all the little details for my show tomorrow. Here are just some close ups of my pieces. I love how the lighting looks on them.
















The JAPR students' hall, late night, working on finishing touches. I am so excited for tomorrow.

Tuesday, November 1, 2011

Last Piece Installed

I have been in the gallery all day working on my pieces. I will take many more pictures tomorrow, but I just wanted to get these up as a preview. I am really liking how everything is turning out. I have, however moved a few things around since these photos.

Now time to work on the speech.


Friday, October 28, 2011

Shelves Done and Gallery Space Chosen


Just some samples of my pieces on the distressed wood shelves I just finished yesterday.





We finally went to our gallery space and picked out a wall. There are eight people doing their Junior Art Portfolio Review on Friday. Only one more week.
This is my wall, the previous show is still being broken down, I can start hanging shelves this weekend. It's starting to become real,...super excited.

Sunday, October 23, 2011

Starting to Piece Together

This last week I have been thinking a lot about how my how my pieces are going to look. My professer and I are going to be making all my stands and shelves this week. I have also been working on putting the wire and ceramic pieces together. These are some pictures of what I have been playing around with, before the patina.

 By now I have finished this piece. (pictures to come) I have a small bunch of wire wrapping around the pot, and I have also put patina on the wire so it has an aged/worn look to it.



The vessels are equal to that of our own bodies, our own vessels. The wire is a psychical manifestation of our soul, what comes from a hero's journey, a personal journey to better ones self.

Thursday, October 13, 2011

Officially Done With Clay

I finished my last ceramic piece for my Junior Art Portfolio Review today. It was an amazing feeling. Now I just need to finish up my wire sculptures and then I will be done with my JAPR pieces. The count down begins, I only have three more weeks until I present. But now its just a matter of figuring out how to place each piece and building stands for them. So far I am  the only ceramics major that has any finished pieces to speak of. Also, today was the first day that I felt at ease, no stress. I got through midterms, got my pieces done and I  get to relax this weekend away. Life it pretty good.

Here is a nostalgic moment just before I flip my last piece. Also, another picture of my amphora piece. That my little space in the studio, completely full of work, tools and clay.

Wednesday, October 12, 2011

Third Raku Firing and New Pieces

Today I feel very accomplished. I finished firing all my bisque pieces and one of my three remaining greenware pieces. My shelf in the studio is so full, I have invaded another open shelf. I am very happy with how my pieces are turning out.

 This is what accomplishment really is. I feel great.







 My modern take on a Greek amphora.