Back in the Saddle

Hey all, I know it has been a long while since my last post, but I am back in the swing of things and I intend on posting about the last few months. So much has happened and I can't wait to go back and write about it. This is just a quick note to my readers, I am sorry for the lack of posting, but I will return here soon.

More Work- More Eggs!

So I posted a while back about the piece below in its early form. I have been looking nature's textures, taking one idea and stylizing it to fit with my egg forms. This is what I have some up with. This idea came both from a spiky sea slug I saw in a book of mine and drops on the roof  of a volcanic cave. It is not completed, I am filling two sides of this egg, not the whole thing.  It has been a long process, but it seems well worth it. I like how it's turning out.

This one went very fast, I just started it today. I was looking at tree fungus. I am going to be adding a few details, but I like how this one is coming out as well.

Newest Egg Form

I have been looking online a lot for patterns and textures in nature that I would apply to my work. So far I have seen many textures that I can play with, so my eggs will have a creature appeal to them. This is my newest egg and I have started to put spikes on him, like cave crystals hanging down along a cave wall. Pictures to come.

The Next Level "Egg" Maneuver

I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday vacation! I am back in the studio, working on my new ideas. Since everyone responded really well to my "egg" piece from my JAPR show, I have been working on taking that shape to the next level. I have been looking at textures in nature for inspiration and for the last few days, this is what came of it.

My barnacle egg, not completed, but close. Very tedious work, but worth it. This is just a practice run for a much bigger one.

 I am also making a few small models for my next pieces, maybe 1/20 the size of my final piece.

 My honey comb egg? Maybe, I just loved the pattern and the repetition for this one, not done. This is just the base, I will be adding something to it.

 

This is one that perplexes even me, but I wanted these branches to be coming out of the egg, like tentacles, then I was experimenting with a light slip over the smooth surface to make it wavy.

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

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.

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.