the dirt

RSS feed

    Have you collected art from me?

    When you come to the studio to buy art or order art online at the shop, I pack it up and happily send it on its way to you but rarely do I get to see where my art ends up and lives out the rest of its life. Will you show me?Jenni Ward ceramic sculpture | the dirt | have you collected art from me?

    If you’ve collected my art, this is a call for you to send me photos of where you’ve put my art in your home or garden space. I would love to share your photos here on a future blog post. I’m hoping to inspire others to see how art can enhance their space and make everything just feel good. I know that we don’t need art in the same way that we need food and clothing but I really believe that we need art to help us feel connected to others and the world at large. My home isn’t filled with stuff (I’m a minimalist at heart!) but it does have its fair share of art and those pieces are thoughtfully collected and some of the most important things that I own. Surrounding myself with art instead of stuff, means that everything has a story, a place or a person attached to it and I love that. I hope that my work gives you the same feeling and becomes a connected part of your home and life.  I’m looking forward to seeing our photos of my work in their new homes!

    Jenni Ward ceramic sculpture | the dirt | have you collected art from me?

    My share: This is my dining room table/multi-purpose space/occasional office, I keep a rotating selection of found objects and artwork here all the time. The figurative sculpture is from my Haitian artist friend Racine Polycarpe, the print from my sister-in-law Kristen O’Neill, the fish painting I just picked up from my friend Susun Gallery in Hawaii, a ceramic bowl from a village in Mexico, a copper stamp for batik wax printing that I found at the flea market, a stick with amazing textures my husband found in the Mojave Desert, a glass doorknob from the house I grew up in, a bowl of corks from every celebration, a small Nest from my own work and some seashells and rocks from my local explorations sitting on a stone plate. This is what I surround myself with, this is what inspires me. What about you?

    A few photo specs:
    Take a minute to look at your lighting and shadows and try to capture your shot at the best timing for lighting. Move extraneous stuff (water bottle, tv remote etc…) out of the shot. I will resize and edit the photos for you, so just send me what you’ve got and also let me know if its ok to use your name along with your photos in my future posts and any other info you want to share about the pieces you’ve collected. Please email your photos to jw@jenniward.com

    Spring Clay Class for Kids

    Jenni Ward ceramic sculpture | classesThis spring I will be offering a 5 week Create With Clay workshop for kids ages 6 and up at earth art studio. We will create functional and sculptural pieces, experiment with building techniques and have fun being cr8iv! Beginners and studio alumni are all welcome. This class leads up to our annual Spring Studio Sale where students will have the opportunity to sell or just show their work off to friends and family. Click the link for more info and to sign up now.
    Space is limited and this class will fill fast!

    * if this workshop coincides with your spring break and you will miss a class, you will have the opportunity to make-up the class!

     

     

    Series Showcase: Seed Pods

    In the spirit of revisiting older but still very relevant work, I’d like to take the time to showcase some of my series. Sometimes work comes and goes in the studio so quickly you don’t have much time to live with it, but these pieces have graced the shelves of the studio for the better part of a year and I’ve gotten to spend time thinking about them and why I’ve made them.
    Jenni Ward ceramic sculpture | seed pod seriesJenni Ward ceramic sculpture | seed pod seriesJenni Ward ceramic sculpture | seed pod series

    This series, named the seed pod series is a study in form and texture. The interesting part is that this is the second seed pod series I’ve made. The first group was made in 2006 and resemble their follow-up series but the older pieces focus more on the outside of the form while the newer ones focus more on the inner workings of a seed.  I am inspired by the forms of seed pods that I find while exploring the forest near my home studio. I love the way a seed will sprout roots and shoots; each part fragile and vulnerable but fiercely determined. I tried to explore this action in an abstract way and make them seem to be hatching an unidentified new life form. The surface of these pieces has been decorated using a wax resist process which enhances the depth of texture. I also like to play with the contrast of glossy and matte glazes on the surface of the clay as well as neutral tones next to flashy turquoises and lime greens. Each spiny shoot is fused in place by the glazing process in the kiln. These pieces are hand-built from high fired stoneware and each piece is original and unique.

    If you’d like to add pieces from seed pod series to your collection, many are available in the shop.

     

    Good Life Ceramics

    Jenni Ward ceramic sculpture | the dirt | blogWelcome Good Life Ceramics!

    A new ceramic studio and gallery has just arrived in Santa Cruz and its looking beautiful! The studio will cater to professionals and beginners alike as well as showcasing some of the most talented ceramic artists in the area (I’m so lucky to be included among them!) in the Slip Away Gallery. Pieces from my Nest Series are currently on display in the gallery. The best surprise after setting up the work was the amazing shadows they cast on the wall of the gallery. I’m honored to be showing my work alongside Liz Crain, Gail Ritchie, Sylvia Rios, Yumiko Aso, Sam Clarkson, Karen Hansen, Elaine Pinkernell and more to come. Come by, visit the gallery and add some new art to your collection.

     

     

    Jenni Ward ceramic sculpture | the dirt | blogOwner John Albrecht along with Jasper Marino and Tom Watson hope “To enlighten and nurture the creative confidence inherent in all” with this new creative space. Join them in celebrating creativity by visiting  the studio at:

    Good Life Ceramics
    3717 Portola Drive, Santa Cruz, CA 95062
    831-515-7560, GLConPortola@gmail.com
    www.goodlifeceramics.com or Facebook

    Ira Glass on the Creative Process…

    Sometimes, you need some inspiration to keep you going….thank you Ira Glass!

    Artist at work…

     

    Jenni Ward ceramic sculpture | the dirt | blogOwning your own business as an artist can be a tricky balance between doing what you love and working to keep the business of what you love going. The other day, I had planned to get a little office work done and then spend the rest of the day in the studio. I knew that I had a kiln to unload, which meant lots of glazing to be done and then even maybe a reload of that work too- a busy studio day by any measure. But there is nothing like a flashing error code on the screen of your electric kiln as soon as you walk into the studio to reject the idea of making any progress at “working” today- one peek inside the kiln confirms that. A disaster of electrical proportions. Multiple trips to the ceramic supply store and many hours spent trying to channel my inner electrician, I’ve solved all the problems; cue sunset. I thought I got nothing done that day, but in retrospect, sometimes I make art, sometimes I mop floors and sometimes I fix kilns…artist at work.

     

    rock candy | work in progress

    This is the first batch of ‘rock candy’ coming out of the kiln, they are simple, bright and irresistible to pick up and touch. These rocks have more color than I have used on my work in a loooong time, but I just can’t stop making them. Eventually, I plan to have around 100 pieces in a variety of sizes. All are designed to be wall mounted and installed to create a rock candy river. I’m also thinking about doing an In The Field installation with these pieces this summer. Not sure where they will end up yet, but if you’re interested or know of a great space for them, drop me an email. I hope you enjoy these pieces as much as I do!

    Welcome to my new blog!

    Jenni Ward ceramic sculpture | in the field | hive seriesHello creative friends and art enthusiasts!

    Welcome to my new blog, aptly named the dirt.  Here is where I will share “the dirt” on what’s going on in the studio, works in progress, events, upcoming workshops, photos and thoughts about being an artist. In the past I’ve shared a lot of this information on my Facebook page Jenni Ward Art, but I know a lot of you don’t use social media and you still want to keep in touch. Now, if you subscribe to my feed, you’ll get all the latest info right in your inbox and I promise to not overload you- only the good stuff!

    I hope you enjoy and please let me know what you think!

    -jw