the dirt

I just caught this quick and clever TED Talk by Bell Pesce about 5 easy ways to kill your dreams. For all my artist friends and entrpreneurs out there, enjoy….

This past Friday morning the fog was thick, the air was cool, everything was still dripping from the short but sweet rain the night before and the trail was calling. I walk nearly everyday in Nisene Marks State Park; it’s close to my studio and a beautiful place to explore old growth redwood groves. I usually only have time for a one or two mile hike on trails I’ve walked a thousand times before, but this day I needed to indulge in alone time in the woods. I always say that my time out of the studio, exploring nature is just as vital to my work as being in the studio with my hands in the clay and at times like this that I am reminded of how true that statement is. I headed out on a 6+ mile loop with Indy by my side and didn’t see another human for over 2 hours when I was nearly back to my car. Burning muscles, tired dog, muddy boots and one happy girl.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The simple hollow cone shapes of the Hive Series, which have one end hand-carved with an abstract hole pattern, have taken many compositions over the years that I’ve worked with them. I have always loved the way that the pieces seem to interact and talk to each other which creates a dynamic energy in the finished work. The same pieces were used in the hanging installations as in the In the Field clusters but each of those compositions has a very different feel to it. I enjoy being able to play with placement of wall, pedestal, suspended, interior or exterior options as way of physically experimenting with the same body of work.

 

 

 

 

 

Conceptually, the Hive Series installations are an expression of the energy between opposing forces. In nature, a hive illustrates the natural balance between strength and fragility, curiosity and avoidance, security and vulnerability. In these arrangements, these concepts are explored using a geometric configuration of multiple ceramic forms. The combination of these elements create an abstract interpretation of a hive structure both physically and conceptually.

 

 

 

 

 

 

These pieces have been beautifully installed in large museum spaces, small galleries, private homes, gardens and a redwood forest. While many arrangments of the Hive Series pieces have already been sold, there are still over 200 parts waiting to find the right home. If you are interested in working with me to create an installation in your home, garden or commercial space, please contact me to discuss the options- I’d love to work with you!
 

I’m not sure if my amazing husband Nate realized exactly how many times he’d help pack art, put up/take down signs and how many weekends and nights he’d be giving up for art shows and openings when we first got married. Afterall, I don’t help him with his job, nor does his job infringe on our weekend plans, but I guess this is what happens when you marry an artist. For better or worse, Nate has helped me put on a show at our home studio space every 6 months for the past 11 years, not to mention the countless off site exhibits we’ve installed and de-installed. In the studio, he’s used his carpentry skills to build nearly every shelf, table and fixture as well as the pedestals for shows. And he’s my biggest cheerleader when it comes to supporting my art career.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

While Nate is a proficient potter, he would not concider himself an artist. Yet, he often jokes that he is the Jeanne-Claude to my Christo referring to the husband and wife art team Christo & Jeanne-Claude. Jeanne-Claude once told art critic Calvin Tomkins, “I was not an artist when I married Christo, but I became one. If Christo had been a dentist, I would have become a dentist.”
Perhaps Nate is an artist-in-training??

Last weekend at our annual Spring Studio Sale, I watched him engage kids in an art activity, direct patrons to make sure they saw all the art, pack up sold work, replenish snacks and help solve technical glitches amongst a million other things. Artists spend so much time working alone that I often feel like my art business is a one-woman-show but after nearly 16 years of being together, I couldn’t imagine putting together an event or exhibit without him.

A very grateful thank you to all the spouses, partners and friends that make it possible for all of us artists to thrive!

 

Here’s the monthly wrap up of everything going on at the studio…

 

May Studio News

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This Friday May 1st, The Homeless Garden Project will be hosting First Friday activities at their downtown store. My studio assistants Nina Hipkins and Hong Liu will be running a seed bomb making workshop at the store as a special mother’s day treat. Using clay, compost and wildflower seeds you can form the materials into creative creations that once planted or ‘bombed’ into the garden, will create beautiful blooms for years to come. We made these seed bombs last year and it was a great success. So, go get your hands dirty and make something sweet for your mama! I’ll be at the studio getting things ready for our Studio Sale the next day, have fun for me!

Friday, May 1st, 6-8 pm at the downtown store just off of Abbott Sq.
Eats, Drinks & Mother’s Day Activities
Live Music: Singer-Songwriter Jessie Marks.
Special presentation 6:30: Feed 2 Bird