I’m soooo grateful for an amazing group of patrons that have brought me halfway to my goal of raising $2500 to cover my residency fees and transportation to the Fish Factory in Iceland!
Who wants to help me get the rest of the way there???
And just as a reminder, creative surprises will be sent out to all who donate!!!
I’ve completed a piece during my residency at Buffalo Creek Art Center and it’s now installed on the grounds as part of the permanent collection! You may remember me making an experimental Umbel form about a year ago and it was so tedious to make that I swore I wasn’t going to make another… Well, I did (actually 5 more) and I think that they came out better than the original, plus they have tiny beads of clay on the ends of all the wires making them even more tedious. I actually love how complex and fragile their structures appear while actually being quite sturdy pieces.
Click here to see more images of the pieces installed…
Even thought the two pieces in this photo didn’t survive, I feel like I made some progress this week…
I was able to get a few kiln firings going, which really let me know where I stood on my experiments. I had a few collapses and a little breakage but I also got a few gems out of the kiln. The flanged bone forms and the aspen leaf forms I was playing with actually became beautiful translucent porcelain pieces. These results gave me the confidence to go ahead and make more pieces improving on my building and slow-drying techniques. I’ve kind of decided that if I can figure out how to build these ultra fragile porcelain pieces (which require the slowest of drying process possible to succeed) in the desert, in summer and get good results- I’m golden.
Oh! And as a side adventure… you know that 10,000+ foot peak that was just begging to be hiked from outside my studio window, yeah… we bagged that peak!
Sierra Azul Gardens | 2660 East Lake Ave | Watsonville CA | June 14th 5 – 7pm
In my previous post ch-ch-ch-ch-ch changes… about the new status of the studio, I mentioned that I may not be able to participate in the annual Santa Cruz Open Studios event… well, I’ve got some good news!
I was lucky to be invited and hosted by artists Nora Dougherty & Bridget Henry at their gorgeous space up the coast this year. I’m really grateful for the opportunity to spend the weekend with these talented ladies and I’m looking forward to seeing you all there.
Mark your calendars for Oct 13, 14, 20 & 21 | 11 – 5
5221 Coast Rd Santa Cruz (5 miles north of Western Dr)
Buffalo Creek Art Center was as beautiful as the website had promised when I pulled in last Friday. Its back nestled into the eastern Sierras with Carson Valley laid out in front, each nook of the property offers a new corner to explore. And off the property, there are lots of mountains waiting to be hiked!
On my first day here, I set up my studio space with a large window over looking the mountains and was also introduced to one of my studio mates Harry Pollit who was working on carving an abstract wax form that will later be cast into glass. Our other studio mate Austen Brantley, who creates figurative work in clay, joined us a few days later and the three of us have settled into a rhythm of studio life.
I got to work using two different types of porcelain that I had wanted to experiment with to attempt to create very thin edged forms similar to those in my Bone Series but a little more delicate. It’s pretty warm here and it’s hard to get these thin forms to dry slowly, so cracks started forming quickly, I also lost a few pieces to wind and general studio casualties but the survivors are loaded in the kiln and we’ll see how well they do in the firing. In the meantime, I also have been taking the time to work on some tedious umbel forms that I just never gave myself the time to create in my own studio. It’s been an interesting first week of my residency and I’m looking forward to the next three. Tomorrow I’ll unload the first bisque, assess the experiments and continue the problem solving from there.
A super, gigantic THANK YOU to everyone who kicked off my Iceland Residency Fund and became a patron of the arts!!
I’m already $725 into my $2500 goal because of you! It was so amazing to wake up in the morning, to see all of your contribution emails in my inbox- I truly felt the love and I can’t wait to send out my surprise thank yous to everyone upon my return!
Still want to contribute?? You can become a patron by donating here!
ps: you can also buy art in the online shop to support this art adventure too!
Here’s the monthly wrap up of everything going on at the studio…
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Sculpture IS: In the Garden 2018, marks our twelfth sculpture exhibit in partnership with Sierra Azul Nursery & Gardens. The jurors, Susana Arias and Jeff Rosendale, selected over 80 sculptures created by more than 40 artists and collaborators. Visit the stunning two-acre demonstration garden; relax under the umbrellas, bring your picnic lunch, and spend an afternoon enjoying the exhibit.
June 1 – October 31
Opening reception June 14th 5-7pm
Sierra Azul Gardens
2660 East Lake Ave | Watsonville CA
I feel like this spring has been a non-stop traveling art show and it’s not ending anytime soon! I’m on my way to the Buffalo Creek Art Center in Gardnerville, Nevada for a month long artist residency. This invitation only program is in its second season of hosting sculptors on the 25 acre property. I’m so excited to go, meet the other artists and create in this beautiful environment with uninterrupted work time. I plan on using the time to do some experimenting with different clays and different techniques, hoping to achieve some successes while expecting a lot of failures too, it will be a process over product journey of learning.
I’ll be posting photos of what I’ll be working on and inspiration from the gorgeous environment of the eastern sierras as things develop. Wish me luck and more coming soon!