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January 20, 2010
The Month in Clay: February 2010
The Month in Clay post is coming early this month because next week is dedicated to our Studio Tour Video Contest. Take advantage of this early posting to get out there and buy your sweetie some sweet ceramics for Valentines Day. Browse the sweet stuff we've posted here for ideas and inspiration. Plus, as always, the Ceramics Monthly calendar can give you the full picture of what's happening in ceramics in the coming month! -January 8, 2010
In today's video, which was sent to us by Nebraska Educational Telecommunications, a.k.a. NET TV (www.netnebraska.org/television/), Gerit discusses her method of using the pottery wheel to make figurative sculpture. Watch the video!December 30, 2009
The new year is upon us and to start it out right, today I am presenting highlights of some of the best ceramics exhibitions from around the world for our January 2010 Month in Clay post. As usual, you'll find some inspiring work in this collection, including the platter at left by Brook Noble, on display at the Clay Art Center in Port Chester, New York.December 16, 2009
There are about as many ways to make a living as a ceramic sculptor as there are people attempting it. Today, ceramic sculptor Mark Chatterly discusses his approach to making art, surviving as an artist and his best advice for those wishing to do the same. He also takes us through the process he uses to make his large-scale sculptures.December 14, 2009
Focus: Working Sculptors Build, Cast, Carve: The Sculptor's Life We asked seven ceramic sculptors what it takes to make a living, to make work, and to make a life. Anyone who has ever thought about what it would be like to turn a passion into a job stands to gain a lot from the advice and insights of these seasoned professionals.December 9, 2009
Nuala Creed's sculptures of precious babies and sweet children draw our attention and entice our interest. Their innocence and helplessness draws out our humanity. The gas masks and weapons strapped to the babies startle and pique our curiosity.December 9, 2009
As we make lifestyle adjustments to minimize our impact on the environment and do what we can to conserve natural resources, we can't help but be reminded how much we, as humans, will suffer the effects of global climate change, pollution, and species extinction.December 8, 2009
The idea of making a living as an artist was not taught (at the university) as most students went into academic teaching jobs out of school. I chose not to go that route. Instead, I went directly to New York City. I soon got a part-time teaching job at NYU and then Parsons School of Design as a way to pay the rent. My work progressed and I began to show in a New York gallery.December 8, 2009
At a very young age, I decided to become a ceramic artist and studied art and ceramics with that intention. I opened my studio immediately after school and began making pottery parallel to my research on more sculptural pieces. Both need absolute concentration and discipline. I chose to concentrate on sculpture.December 8, 2009
I have always been a maker/builder and need the experience of working with my hands. The engagement of my full mind and body to deconstruct and form the world is a way of trying to understand and bear witness to life.December 8, 2009
As a child I always enjoyed making things. It's been part of my trajectory from the very beginning; I loved to draw, paint, sew, and create doodads with whatever was around. My family has a history of women artists, though it has only been my generation who has worked professionally at it.December 8, 2009
An intense and unwavering commitment to my work preceded any idea of generating income from art. Any idea, or body of work, worthy of the honor of being purchased by a collector or museum is usually made presuming it will not generate a dime, but must be made nonetheless.December 8, 2009
Since I was a child, I have been making, breathing, and living art. My parents took me to museums in the '60s and '70s in New York City while visiting relatives. I was in high school and was trying to figure out what to do with my life. I did not want to do a receptive job; I wanted to do something creative, so I chose art.November 30, 2009
Today, I thought I would send another shout-out about our Studio Tour Video Contest. In case you missed the first announcement, Skutt is providing a brand-new potters wheel as a prize for the potter/sculptor/amateur filmmaker who submits the most creative, fun, and informative video tour of his or her studio space. And to get you in the mood, in today's post, Erin Furimsky tells us a little about her productive basement studio.November 25, 2009
Tis the season for giving, and what better way to celebrate than by giving your loved ones handmade gifts? To get you fired up, I am posting some highlights of the fabulous holiday ceramics sales that are going on this season in the December 2009 edition of the Month in Clay.November 16, 2009
My studio is located behind my house in Saratoga Springs. Both structures were built in 1892, and the studio originally served as separate living quarters. It is a very bright south-facing building, but is a pretty small space, measuring about 500 square feet, so all of my firing is done off-site. During the summer I work both inside and outside, and in winter I finish some of my fired work in the basement of the main house.October 21, 2009
Combining Histories: Make, Scan, Mill, Print, Adjust, Repeat
For the past few years we have utilized several forms of rapid prototyping to explore new methods of creating form. At The Ohio State University ceramics program, we have a large Techno Isel CNC (computer numerically controlled) router and a Konica Minolta Vivid 910 3D scanner, a Z-Corp 510 3D printer and a soon-to-be-operational Epilog laser cutter. In an environment where research and development are crucial activities, we willingly embrace these new technologies in search of a balance between traditional craft and industrial practice.October 19, 2009
Clay on the Wall: An Introduction to Hanging Ceramic Wall Pieces
Today, in an excerpt from her new book Wall Pieces (available November 2009 in the Ceramic Arts Daily Bookstore), Dominique Bivar Segurado goes over several materials and methods for hanging ceramic wall art.October 16, 2009
We have two videos for you today. For fun, you can watch ceramic sculptor Philippe Faraut sculpt the years away and return an old man to his youth in under two minutes. Plus, you can watch the reverse in real time, complete with expert instructions. Watch the videos!October 12, 2009
Clay reigns as the oldest and most natural medium for sculpture. From the dawn of human history, people of every culture have taken clay and molded it into objects. You can coil monumental forms, build with slabs, make totems, or even use computers to generate sculptures. For thousands of years, clay’s versatility and universal accessibility have made it the most popular medium for creating three dimensional work.October 9, 2009
In today's pottery video, potters Don Ellis and Randy Brodnax playfully demonstrate how, with a little imagination, you can turn your pots into all manner of creatures great and small. Don shows us how to alter a pot into a cat sculpture, while Randy makes a frog out of a pot he slammed onto the ground after throwing. Watch the video!October 7, 2009
Ribbons of rubber and strands of silk meander and stretch around porcelain pods and protrusions. The current work of Alison Petty Ragguette explores the parallel between visceral and mechanical systems. This intelligent and emotive work envelops interior spaces where bones fit into cartilage swaddled with translucent skin, or nourishing fluids flow. Naked porcelain, silicone rubber, and colorful silk thread merge, wrap, wind, and flow, implying the hardness and softness of our interior and exterior lives. These organic abstractions are intimate and tight, slick and sticky, stimulating and seductive, playful and alien.October 7, 2009
Edinboro University, Edinboro, Pennsylvania: From Ceramics Monthly’s MFA Factor
Students in the graduate ceramics program at Edinboro University are expected to develop a strong individual direction, whether it is in ceramic sculpture or functional pottery. Our extensive facility provides all methods of firing and studio access 24 hours a day.October 7, 2009
I work at home, and I was extraordinarily fortunate to find a beautiful little airplane bungalow to rent with the space for the TWO studios I really need. The "dirty" studio, where I work in wet clay and glaze, is my 13×11-foot spare bedroom on the first floor, and the "clean" studio, where I draw, keep yarn, crochet, knit, and sew, is the upstairs 12×7-foot loft area. Nearly as important are the "portable studios" of my sketchbook, digital camera, and laptop. I gratefully am able to fire work in the kilns at Washburn University (less than a mile and a half away), where I teach.September 30, 2009
October 2009 is brimming with great ceramics events and I am presenting some highlights here. Enjoy browsing through the beautiful images presented and, if possible, get out to see the work or attend a workshop in person!September 25, 2009
We all know that a smile means happy, but what happens to the rest of the face when you smile? Philippe Faraut knows, and today, he'll show us as he transforms a sculpture with a not-so-happy expression into a bright, smiling face (in about four minutes!). Watch the video!September 22, 2009
Focus: Gallery Guide Find a partner, or find inspiration through all the great work ceramics galleries are representing. Making significant work does not require a successful business plan—but the chances of enough people seeing your work to recognize it as significant are greatly improved if you have one. The most successful plans often involve outlets beyond the studio—like galleries, websites, and stores (ideally all of the above), so you can focus on making work. Yes, these are business agreements, but they are usually more successful if approached as a partnership—a team, if you will, where everyone is invested in the process and works toward collective success.September 21, 2009
A Virtual Studio Tour: A Glimpse Into the Work and Lives of Two Ceramic Artists
If you're like me, and enjoy visiting other artists in there studios, you will love today's post. It comes from new series of articles in Ceramics Monthly, which can basically be thought of as studio visits in print. And you can think of today's excerpt as virtual studio visits to potter Jeff Campana's and ceramic sculptor Patsy Cox's studios.September 10, 2009
My favorite aspect of the studio is that it is in the middle of the city hustle. It has good lighting with a view of my succulent collection, the inspiration for much of my work. However, the studio plays only a small part in my creative process. Because the majority of my current work is installation-based, it relies on the process of installing the work in a specific space. In other words, I see my work as being created in a studio without walls.August 28, 2009
Ceramic Sculpture Video: An Introduction to Figure Sculpting in Clay
In today's video, ceramic sculptor Philippe Faraut draws on his many years of sculpting experience and his vast knowledge of human anatomy to show us how to sculpt an anatomically correct skull in clay. Watch the video!August 26, 2009
The Month in Clay: September 2009
There are a lot of great ceramics-related events - workshops, exhibitions, even some ceramic diplomacy - this September. Have a look at those highlighted here and if you don’t find anything happening in your area, click over to the Ceramics Monthly Calendar for more listings of clay-related events.August 13, 2009
Down to Earth: Joseph Pintz’s Hand-Hewn Pots
Oval boxes, to 12 in. (30 cm) in length, handbuilt earthenware, fired to cone 02 in an electric kiln, 2008. Nesting bowls, to 12½ in. (32 cm) in diameter, handbuilt earthenware, fired to cone 02 in an electric kiln, 2008. Ricer, 13 in. (33) in length, handbuilt earthenware, terra sigillata and washes, fired to cone 02 in an electric kiln, 2009. Ridged Press, 7.5 in. (19 ...August 12, 2009
NCECA 2009 Regional Student Juried Exhibition
Bent tray, 23 in. (58 cm) in length, by David Eichelberger, University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Orb Cluster, 15 in. (38 cm) in height, by Amanda Pless, Arizona State University. Childbearing Hips, 18 in. (46 cm) in height, by Shenny Cruces, San Francisco State University. Set of Shells 1, each approximately 2 in. (5 cm) in diameter, by Duncan Tweed, Northern Arizona University. ...August 12, 2009
Matthew Bright, Minnesota State University-Mankato: CM 2009 Undergraduate Showcase
Failure to Function, 18 in. (46 cm) in height, earthenware, metallic paints, 2009. Transfuse Me, 25 in. (64 cm) in height, stoneware, glaze, glass, metal, fired to cone 05, 2008. As an artist, it is my responsibility to influence the viewer to see not just an object, but an expression of myself when looking at my artwork. I am consumed by the completion of my art more than by its purpose. I work with my ideas as rough directions rather than an exact map, therefore, the initial conception ...August 12, 2009
Julie Malen, Kansas City Art Institute: CM 2009 Undergraduate Showcase
Bull in a China Shop, 75 in. (1.9 m) in length, stoneware, commercial dishes, ceramic decals, found objects, 2009. My interest in ceramics draws me to analyze the life and character of objects-the idea that possessions can retain the story of human existence. As a result, the scenarios I create in clay combine objects, plants, and animals that tell stories metaphorically. The viewer can derive meaning by asking first what the objects represent, and second what the relationship is between them. Clay is an amorphous and process oriented material that I ...August 12, 2009
Angee Verzani-Dorcey, University of South Dakota: CM 2009 Undergraduate Showcase
3-Tier Cake, 15 in. (38 cm) in height, stoneware with slips and glaze, fired to cone 10, 2009. Bread tray, 18 in. (46 cm) in length, stoneware with slips and glaze, fired to cone 10, 2009. Conceptually, it is my intention to physically preserve a celebration, capture a moment, and honor the functional form. The works I create are artifacts that intuitively evoke cherished memories, rituals, and special occasions that we experience throughout life. I desire the journey of clay and possess a passion for functional ware and ...July 29, 2009
August 2009 is filled with great clay events and I am presenting a snapshot of them here. Enjoy browsing through the beautiful images presented here and, if possible, get out to see the work in person!May 27, 2009
To give you an idea of what’s going on this month in the ceramics world, I have pulled together a smattering of events from around the U.S. and abroad as Ceramic Arts Daily’s June Month in Clay feature.April 29, 2009
Wondering what the clay world is up to for the month of May 2009? Well, we've got answers. In this installment of the Month in Clay, we're presenting a handful of exciting exhibitions, workshops and studio tours from around the globe.April 27, 2009
Emerging Ceramic Artist to Watch: Stephanie Craig, Strongsville, Ohio
In my current studio work, the Factory Work Series, I am equally interested in formal design considerations and conceptual concerns. Each piece is carefully crafted with emphasis on elements in contrast; most notably the delicate white figures juxtaposing the crusty industrial machinery.April 27, 2009
Emerging Ceramic Artist to Watch: Shay Church, Kalamazoo, Michigan
I believe in the natural cycles of the earth. I often find truth within these patterns of life and death. While cities grow, wars rage and industry climbs, nature’s pulse is just as persistent. Migratory paths remain, rivers continue to run downstream, wolves hunt, and insects are hatched.April 24, 2009
Emerging Ceramic Artist to Watch: Shanna Fliegel, Tarrytown, New York
The surrealistic nature of dreams and childhood memories motivate the manifestation of the drawn, sculpted and painted images of my forms. I am drawn to an aesthetic that is both visceral and detailed. I intend for image, color and clay to exist as a harmonious vehicle that can generate stories for the viewer.April 24, 2009
Emerging Ceramic Artist to Watch: Raymond González, Gainesville, Florida
My art explores the overlap and interrelation between child play, adult play, desire and sensuality. Many of our toys were handed down from generation to generation. I strive to capture the appeal of those toys—Lincoln Logs, Legos and wooden blocks—that endured time and generations.April 24, 2009
Emerging Ceramic Artist to Watch: Nathan Craven, Helena, Montana
Through the act of arranging, stacking, balancing, and connecting porous ceramic units, I invite the viewer to experience how a wall or floor might contain space and direct flow through space in new ways.April 22, 2009
Emerging Ceramic Artist to Watch: Merrie Wright, Tyler, Texas
Ceramic sculptures of the figure have historically been used to comment on culture, from Japanese Haniwa to Tang dynasty splash ware to Mochican portrait vessels, offering insight into the creator’s social, religious and environmental surroundings.April 22, 2009
Emerging Ceramic Artist to Watch: Magdalene Gluszek, Gatlinburg, Tennessee
Children in general are less inhibited by social and cultural constraints imposed on them later in life. Their actions are frank and more sincerely instinctual than those of adults. Adolescence is the meeting of these two worlds, where the boundaries of cultural and natural influences become blurred.April 22, 2009
Emerging Ceramic Artist to Watch: Joseph Page, Walla Walla, Washington
My primary concern is to immerse the viewer in a place of both comfort and uncertainty. While the appearance of the work comes from the realm of fantasy and early video games, my conceptual approach looks for ways to function under strict sculptural parameters, much in the same way those early video game programmers navigated the visual and technological limitations of their time.April 22, 2009
Emerging Ceramic Artist to Watch: John Utgaard, Murray, Kentucky
I have always remembered my dreams. Though I have never been a religious or superstitious person, I have always believed that my dreams had significance. The fact that there are large parts of ourselves that we can never experience in waking life is deeply fascinating and disturbing to me, and it motivates much of my work as an artist.April 17, 2009
The sculptures that I make are driven by a desire to investigate how an individual’s personal history affects their identity, behaviors and actions. I am especially interested in inter-generational trauma and how a person’s past—particularly a past that has been interrupted by a traumatic event such as war—can influence patterned behaviors that are passed through the family.April 8, 2009
Canadian artist, Wendy Walgate comments on a culture of acquisition with brightly colored, slip-cast, and assembled sculptures
