umbels are on the move

With the flower heads finished, they made the big move from Freedom Forge to Earth Art Studio which is really just a quick forklift trip from one end of our building to the other! When I thought the studio couldn’t get any fuller, we somehow squeezed in 6 gigantic flowers into my space so that Kirk has more room in his studio to work on the stems.

Everything still needs to be galvanized and given a patina, but I had to test out putting the ceramic elements onto the flowerhead forms to make sure the spacing was correct and that everything was looking good. Meanwhile Kirk started tacking the sections of the stems together. It took a few tries to get the angles just right but as soon as it started looking like a Dr Seuss tree, we knew we had it right. The final welds will create a smoother transition between each section. We’re so close to seeing what these guys are actually going to look like!

umbels are on the move | the dirt | Jenni Ward ceramic sculpture

This project is sponsored by:

A Feast of Flowers | Jenni Ward ceramic sculpture

Anyone recognize that art?

Pretty cool right? I’m humbled and excited that my work was chosen for the cover of the Open Studios catalog this year. What a way to celebrate my 18th and last year participating!

This photo is actually from a few years ago but I’ve continued work on the Umbel Series and will have some Umbels available for sale at Open Studios. See y’all in October!

OCT 14, 15, 21, 22 | 10 – 5

2523 C MISSION ST SANTA CRUZ

ARTIST #297

yet another umbel update!

The six umbel shaped flower heads are finished and will be moving to my studio very soon while they await a trip to the galvanizer!

My studio had the vibe of an alien invasion for a few days while I filled all the ceramic forms with expansion foam. The idea of the foam is to support the rods when they are epoxied together. The middle photo shows the washers where the ceramic elements will meet the metal and where the epoxy will seal them together.

Preliminary work on the stems has begun and it will be really exciting to have the segments come together and see height of them take shape! Onward and Upward!

This project is sponsored by:

A Feast of Flowers | Jenni Ward ceramic sculpture

outside scoop: 25

This week, outside the studio…


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!

in the shop

When was the last time that you checked out the online shop?

There are lots of goodies in there looking for a happy home! Plus lots of great gifts for all of those upcoming birthdays. Choose FedEx Ground or Free Local Pick Up for your delivery options.

SHOP NOW

photoshoot in the studio

I was lucky enough to get a studio visit from photographer Crystal Birns for a photoshoot of the current status of my studio. Be sure to come by the studio this October for my 18th and last Open Studios in Santa Cruz and see this crazy space for yourself!

Here are a few of my favorites that she got…

Awesome Santa Cruz gets some press!

Awesome Foundation June Winner | the dirt | Jenni Ward ceramic sculpture

Thank you to KION News 46 for including the Santa Cruz Awesome Foundation Chapter in their top news stories!

SANTA CRUZ COUNTY, Calif. (KION_TV)- A group of 13 Santa Cruz County residents launched the first Central Coast chapter for the Awesome Foundation.

‘Awesome Santa Cruz’ is offering no-strings-attached $1000 micro-grants to fund a creative, community-minded project within the Santa Cruz County area. The group focuses on projects that bring people together, promoting compassion and opportunities for community-building that might not other wise exits.

Read more here…