Author: Jenni Ward

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Adopt a Jellyfish?

Medusa in Bell Jar | Shop | Jenni Ward ceramic sculpture

I spend a lot of time in the studio with my sculptures and when I see these Medusas in bell jars sitting up on the shelves, they seem more like pets than sculptures to me. The way they wiggle in their little terrariums and seem to come to life makes me feel like they need names and to be fed daily. I love the sense of movement and playfulness in such fragile forms.

Did you know that jellyfish are actually a type of plankton? Anything that drifts in the ocean is considered part of the plankton family and this series was definitely inspired by the wanderings of these marine drifters. You can adopt one of these jellies for your home and bonus – you get to name it!

Want one? ADOPT HERE

Awesome Foundation Santa Cruz Chapter

I’m excited to announce that I am helping launch the Santa Cruz Chapter of the Awesome Foundation and we’ll be picking our first micro-grant winner this April! If you’re not familiar with the Awesome Foundation, it is an ever-growing worldwide community devoted to forwarding the interest of awesome in the universe. The Foundation distributes $1,000 grants, no strings attached, to creators of awesome projects. Each fully autonomous chapter pools their money together from the coffers of ten or so self-organizing trustees and gives the micro-grant up front to the monthly winner.

The Santa Cruz Chapter is looking to support projects created by individuals that are brave, creative and inspiring. They especially love art-based projects that inspire kindness and compassion within our community. Click the link below to learn more and if you have an ingenious idea that will add more awesome to the Santa Cruz community, apply!

SANTA CRUZ CHAPTER – APPLY FOR A GRANT

the outside scoop: 17

This week, outside the studio…

the outside scoop: 17 | the dirt | Jenni Ward ceramic sculpture
got another Bay Area Ridge Trail checked off the list and after a 9+ mile hike, we treated ourselves to some amazing sandwiches at Dad’s Luncheonette in Half Moon Bay
the outside scoop: 17 | the dirt | Jenni Ward ceramic sculpture
the outside scoop: 17 | the dirt | Jenni Ward ceramic sculpture
the outside scoop: 17 | the dirt | Jenni Ward ceramic sculpture
forgot to share this last week but we celebrated my husband Nate’s 49th birthday with friends, fifty oysters and blueberry pie
randomly rescued a turtle that was trying to cross a busy street | spent an evening at El Vaquero Winery in Corralitos which had some very tasty wines available during an event to support the Teen Kitchen Project!
the outside scoop: 17 | the dirt | Jenni Ward ceramic sculpture
as training for an upcoming backpacking trip we’ll be doing later this spring in wet conditions, we took advantage of the rainy day and hiked up the creek in Nisene Marks sometimes getting into thigh deep waters, it is one of my absolute favorite spots in our area and even though we were cold and soaked, we had such a fun day in the woods

The Outside Scoop is a weekly blog series that shares a little bit of what’s going on in my life outside of the studio. Please feel free to leave comments, I look forward to chatting with you here!

Featured Art: Specimen Series

THERE IS ONLY ONE LEFT IN THE SHOP!

jenni ward ceramic sculpture | specimen series

I love this little set, it reminds me of lacquered bento boxes with bright red chilies sitting in them and this 3 box set is the last of the series. The Specimen Series started when my collection of bones, shells, seed pods, feathers and other nature bits started piling up in my studio. Every hike, I’d come home with something else to add to the collection. So of course these ideas translated into clay and I started making little clay boxes and filling them with weird little forms that reminded me of all of my collected nature bits.

jenni ward ceramic sculpture | specimen series
jenni ward ceramic sculpture | specimen series
jenni ward ceramic sculpture | specimen series

Each box will sit up on edge or can be hung on the wall arranged vertically or horizontally. This set is on sale for only $200 in the online shop but would make a really colorful addition to a small corner of your home. Shipping within the US or local pick up available. SHOP NOW

The Outside Scoop: 16

This week, outside the studio…

had fun exploring the king tides and eating urchins – check out how that mussel is hanging on!
got to explore the beach cave with the tides out so low
i took advantage of the free community days at the Monterey Bay Aquarium, easy to find inspiration here
these deep sea comb jellies are pretty amazing

The Outside Scoop is a weekly blog series that shares a little bit of what’s going on in my life outside of the studio. Please feel free to leave comments, I look forward to chatting with you here!

Featured Art: Urchin Holes

Bodies of Water Exhibit | Shop | Jenni Ward ceramic sculpture

After spending some time exploring the tide pools during our recent King Tides, I had to bring these Urchins Hole sculptures back into the spotlight. They were inspired by the sea urchins natural homes of holes in mudstone rocks visible at very low tides. The holes are actually formed by the urchins themselves, who bite away at the rock with their teeth and slowly sculpt their protected home around them. 

The urchins are hand built, with perforated flanges of very thin, nearly translucent porcelain that are fused to a stoneware ring as it’s protector. The stoneware has a red iron oxide wash on it making them appear to be made of metal instead of clay. Each piece balances on rubber bumps to make sure they don’t scratch your surfaces. And they can be easily cleaned by running them under the tap – check out this video about cleaning your art. All of these pieces are available for shipping within the US or chose local pick up at checkout.

Check out the last four available in the online shop!

NEW Trinket Necklaces in the SHOP!

Trinket Necklace on Display | shop | Jenni Ward ceramic sculpture

ONLY 6 LEFT!

This limited series of Trinket Necklaces on Display boards debuted at Open Studios this past fall and the remaining pieces are now available in the shop. These thoughtfully crafted pieces made by sculptor Jamie Abbott and myself each come with their own display board so when you’re not wearing them, they can hang like small wall sculptures. Valentines Day is coming and these make great gifts for your sweetheart!

SHOP NOW

the outside scoop: 15

This week, outside the studio…

if you live in california, you get it, this is apparently our new normal. for those of you not in california…
mudslides, flooding, power outages and huge storm surge has been going on for days with no signs of ending but at least we’re relieving our drought status
even urban hikes are hard to do these days, stay safe, warm and dry everyone
the outside scoop: 15 | the dirt | Jenni Ward ceramic sculpture
Had to make Bowie a raincoat, luckily he doesn’t mind it too much

The Outside Scoop is a weekly blog series that shares a little bit of what’s going on in my life outside of the studio. Please feel free to leave comments, I look forward to chatting with you here!

Article Share: Don’t ‘get’ art? You might be looking at it wrong

I came across this gem of an article on the NPR app and thought it would be great to share with you all. I really liked their idea of taking the pressure off of trying to see the whole museum on one visit and instead, taking your time to see a collection or a new exhibit. Also great tips for how to look at and appreciate art that you might just as easily dismiss. Let me know your thoughts….

Many of us would love to have this kind of deep connection when we look at a painting or sculpture, but it can be challenging. Art can feel inaccessible, as if it can only be interpreted by those who know a ton about the subject. And museums can be overwhelming. With thousands of pieces in a collection, how do you know which to focus on? And once you see a piece you like, how do you interact with it?

read full article here

Malaka Gharib/ NPR