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!
Beginning with a projected image on the wall, gives a starting place for the installation to launch from. The layout is based on satellite imagery of a plankton bloom happening in the Southern Ocean, near McMurdo Sound in Antartica. Ceramic pieces inspired by the skeletal structures of plankton were added to the wall giving it shape and dimension. Once the main form was installed the rest was done intuitively, adding one piece at a time and then stepping back to see it’s impact on the overall form. This piece is 30′ long by 8′ high and was installed over several days.
Come see it in person at Eloise Pickard Smith Gallery on the UCSC campus
Sept 20 – Dec 3, opening reception Sept 24 from 5-8
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A few sneak peeks at what I’ve been installing at the Eloise Pickard Smith Gallery for my upcoming show Bodies of Water. The show is inspired by the unseen world of plankton, it’s beauty and it’s role in sustaining the planet.
We are bodies of water, we are connected to and dependent on the ocean from the very beginning of life on planet earth to our current day. Within all oceans are planktons, tiny marine drifters that make up the majority of all marine life in the ocean and are vital to sustain life on our planet. This exhibit aims to highlight the beauty of the unseen world of plankton, share the ecological importance of them and how we are connected.
The exhibit is on display Sept 20th – Dec 3rd 2022, with an opening reception Saturday September 24th from 5-8.
The gallery is open Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday from 12pm-5pm and Thursdays 12pm-7pm
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!
One of the bigger parts of this upcoming exhibition is a site specific installation that is based on a NASA satellite image of a plankton bloom in Antarctica near McMurdo Sound. Even though the plankton are microscopic, there are so many of them in a large bloom, they can be seen from space, the color of the bloom all depends of the type of plankton.
The general form of the bloom laid out in circles was projected on the wall as a template to place all of the ceramic pieces. Some of the ceramic pieces are flat, some are raised off the wall and some are three dimensional forms, so there’s a lot of variation in the depth of the work. You can scroll through the photos below to see the progress I made.
As with all installations, things change and move based on how it’s working in the space, so I see some alterations ahead of me with this project but I’m sure it’s going to be beautiful once it’s done and all lit up. Stay tuned…
Bodies of Water | September 20 – December 3, 2022 | Opening Reception September 24th 5-8pm
Attention PNW Friends! You’ll want to save the date for this event!
I was thrilled to find out that my piece Lichen Series: Spore Patterns was selected as one of the sculptures in the Price Sculpture Forest for the dance event Wander/Wonder. Dancers from the StoneDance Productions will be interpreting and interacting with works in the forest through dance and music. I’m sad to not be able to see this in person but hope to get and share videos of the event. If you’re in the area, be sure to check it out!
StoneDance Productions presents WANDER/WONDER: a sculptured dance happening. Come journey on a lush forest trail to witness thought-provoking dance by 10 stunning professional Seattle dance artists alongside a beautiful outdoor collection of art.
Saturday, August 27, 2022 | 1:00-3:00pm | Price Sculpture Forest | 678 Parker Rd Coupeville, Whidbey Island, WA
Suggestion donation: $20 or pay-what-you-can. All donations accepted at the event. All proceeds from this event support the Whidbey Island Good Cheer Food Bank and Price Sculpture Forest.
For more information about this event visit: EVENT PAGE
Wearable Sculptures Available in the Shop!
Jamie Abbott and I collaborated to create a series of fun Trinket Necklaces. Each piece is a unique composition of both handmade porcelain clay shapes and forged metal forms, all hung on ball chain or black leather cord. They are the perfect combination of industrial and earthy unique wearables and they make great gifts!
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!
If feel as though I’ve fallen down a rabbit hole the past week, busily making what feels like a million parts for my upcoming exhibit, Bodies of Water this September at the Eloise Pickard Smith Gallery at UCSC. Working with gallery director Tauna Coulson, we’ve been choosing paint colors to turn the gallery into an ocean, creating templates for a nearly 2000 part site specific installation, selecting work, organizing pedestals, designing the layout and of course making parts.
I hit a point where it seemed daunting, but now I’m rounding the corner and can visualize it all coming together and I’m getting really excited about it. I also l.o.v.e. the color blue we chose for the gallery walls, can’t wait for you to see it!
Making all the art is one part of the job but installing them is a whole other task. I’ve started getting things boxed up to bring them up to the gallery in the coming weeks and start the process. Luckily I’ve got a long lead time since the gallery is technically closed for summer, so I can use that to my advantage and not have to rush installation. Phew! Hope to see you all at the opening September 24th 5-8pm where all these parts will magically transform into a plankton filled ocean gallery!
Bodies of Water | Eloise Pickard Smith Gallery UCSC | Sept 20th – Dec 3rd | Opening reception Sept 24th 5-8pm