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    Artists Sharing Artists: Susan Whitmore

    My first introduction to Sue’s work was through her website while researching artists to bring on board to an upcoming exhibition. I was immediately intrigued by the variety of textures in her work. Some of her forms are solid, glossy probing shapes and those contrast starkly with the web-like fragile veils of layers that seem to ooze around the structures. Some seem animated as they might start crawling across the table and some seem to be the remains of a creature that once was. I still don’t know how she makes these pieces, but I’m really excited learn more about her work and find out.

    Susan is one of five artists in the exhibit that Cynthia Siegel and myself are co-curating as part of the 2022 NCECA conference entitled, This is the Anthropocene. The Anthropocene is defined as the current geological age during which human activity has been the dominant influence on the climate and the environment. The artists will be responding to this topic within the themes of Animal, Agriculture, Landscape, Water and/or Atmosphere in a diversity of styles and approaches. Susan will be featuring work based on forest fires as part of this exhibition.

    Susan at work in her studio

    About Susan Whitmore’s work: My current sculptural work is an exploration of studio based research: physicality and metaphor in concepts of torn, fatigued, erupted, collapsed, or disintegrated objects and images. I merge new technologies such as 3D modeling software with traditional hand skills such as drawing and ceramic construction. My goal is to create abstract pieces that explore the tensions between control and functionality, and the chaos found in natural forms.

    Learn more at Sue’s website or follow her on Instagram

    Artists Sharing Artists: is a series of posts where I share some of my favorite artists who are also inspired by nature and use their art to protect what they love. More artists coming soon…

    inspired by baja

    It was so wonderful to return to my happy place in the desert, work with creative and talented people while also getting some time to just watch the sun move across the sky. In these few weeks, my quartz rock collection grew, I saw more sunsets than I missed, and I watched the whales start to arrive at their southern destination. There is something about the quiet determination to thrive in the desert, that definitely inspires.

    My weekend workshop at Barro Sur was a fantastic event, the participants were eager to learn new ways of working with clay and to be inspired by the flora and fauna of the region. Students came from all over to participate in this class. We spent two days building, let the work dry on a very slow bisque firing and then had a glazing opportunity in the days that followed. The results were beautiful and I hope that it inspired everyone to reconnect with the nature that surrounds them. On a personal level, it was great to meet and connect with new members of this small town’s community.

    I hope to return again in a few months and get another dose of inspiration, in the meantime I’ll have to hang onto those sunsets in my mind.

    gracias!

    Huge thank you to everyone who contributed to creating two scholarships for local students to attend my workshop at Barro Sur in Todos Santos, Baja Sur last week. We had a great time and the class created some amazing projects that were all inspired by the textures of nature. Steve Jacobi, owner of Barro Sur selected Nikoll Suset Vogas & Maythe Curiel as the recipients of the scholarships, both were thrilled to be able to participate in the workshop and were so fun to spend the weekend with. Nikoll has an agricultural engineering background with an interest in the environment and sustainable farming. Maythe is an industrial design student at UABN Mexicali and has been exploring the design of dinnerware, leaning towards a career in ceramics. Thank you for making this opportunity possible for them! 

    The Jet Set visits the Price Sculpture Forest

    The Jet Set, a nationally syndicated cable tv travel show, visited the Price Sculpture Forest for Season 6, Episode 19 featuring Whidbey & Camano Islands, Washington. Starting at about 12:30 minutes in, you can catch some great shots of my installation Lichen Series: Spore Patterns along with many of the other site specific sculptures in the park.

    The Jet Set offers viewers a weekly dose of travel news, lifestyle trends, inspiration, interesting and informative guests and destination features shot on-location.

    The show is hosted by former flight attendant and television travel expert Bobby Laurie along with health and wellness expert and Mom, Nikki Noya.

    The Jet Set en Español is written by and videos hosted by world traveler, photographer, and travel writer Juan Albarran.

    The program airs in all 210 US TV markets including The US Virgin Islands and Guam, across Canada and in 11 Caribbean nations.

    New Exhibit: Field of View

    I’m excited to participate in this group exhibition at CC Gallery in New Taipei City Taiwan! Several of the works I made during my residency at the Yingge Ceramics Museum in 2019 were collected by the gallery at the end of my residency but this is their first official exhibition there. I wish I could be there for the opening!

    Exhibition Time | Time to Exhibit 2021.11.4-11.27
    Opening Time | Opening 2021.11.07 (Sun) 15:00
    Exhibition Address | Location No. 24, Lane 259, Songjiang Road, Zhongshan District, Taipei City

    Baja Bound…

    In a few days, I’ll be headed off to our property in Todos Santos, Baja Sur to teach a weekend workshop all inspired by the desert, the ocean, the flora and the fruit of the area.

    I’ll be posting photos and updates as it happens. Can’t wait to meet my students and play with clay at studio Barro Sur!

    And a grande GRACIAS to all of you who donated to create two scholarships spots for inspiring local artists to attend my workshop! You guys are amazing!!

    Artists Sharing Artists: Wesley Wright

    I was first introduced to Wesley’s work during a ceramics event in San Francisco where he exhibited large scale ceramic sea turtles that had jet engines and propellers mounted on their shells, and they carried protected intricate worlds on their backs under glass domes. At first glance, they were fun and whimsical creatures of the imagination, but a longer look revealed their deeper message about loss of habitat and mass extinction as well as the craftsmanship involved in sculpting the intricately carved patterns and textures. When I was teaching kids clay classes, I loved using his work as examples for my students, they were always drawn into the eccentric combinations and were so inspired to create their own creatures. Check out Wesley’s video below to see how his life, home and work all tie together to inspire his sculpture.

    Wesley is one of five artists in the exhibit that Cynthia Siegel and myself are co-curating as part of the 2022 NCECA conference entitled, This is the Anthropocene. The Anthropocene is defined as the current geological age during which human activity has been the dominant influence on the climate and the environment. The artists will be responding to this topic within the themes of Animal, Agriculture, Landscape, Water and/or Atmosphere in a diversity of styles and approaches. Wesley will be featuring work from his Guardians Series as part of this exhibition. Over the next few months, I’ll be featuring the other artists from this exhibit.

    About Wesley’s Wright’s work:

    I’m fascinated by the creative adaptability of nature as it presents elegant solutions to the problem of survival. I’m inspired by the eccentric, the grotesque, and the beautiful, as I attempt to emulate the wonder of nature. My work is a celebration of these qualities and a critique of the human relationship with the natural world.

    Learn more at Wes’ website or follow him on Instagram

    Artists Sharing Artists: is a series of posts where I share some of my favorite artists who are also inspired by nature and use their art to protect what they love. More artists coming soon…

    Raising Funds for Art Scholarship – Wanna Help?

    I’ll be leading a weekend workshop at Barro Sur clay studio in Todos Santos, Baja Sur in November and I want to open a few spots in my class to some aspiring local artists who might not be able to pay for the class themselves.

    Want to help me raise funds for them?

    I’d love to raise $400 to cover two spaces in my workshop – this will cover the workshop fees and materials each artist would need to participate. If you’d like to help, you can donate any amount via the online shop here.

    Thanks so much for sharing the gift of art with others!

    Barro Sur is a full service ceramic studio with hand building and wheel throwing community clay classes in Todos Santos, Baja Sur, Mexico. You can follow them on IG to find out more.