Jenni Ward ceramic sculpture

Sneak Peek of the New Studio

September 29, 2016

For all of you locals, I can’t wait to see you at my new studio when we launch in October for Open Studios! For all of you non-locals who can’t make it to the studio, I wanted to share a few photos of the new space and some of the installations that I’m working on. This photo shows my main exhibition area which will also double as a work area when the table spaces are cleared off and the bags of clay come out after Open Studios. I love having the high ceiling and huge walls to display all my work on.

Here is the new classroom space for Earth Art Studio, the big table made it’s way all the way across the county and was reassembled here ready to go. Reclaimed kitchen cabinets and handmade small drawers create storage areas for tools. Project examples and Art Hearts add lots of color and creativity to this area of the studio. I’m looking forward to classes starting next week at the studio!

I’ll be sharing new work from my Bone Series as well as recent work from the Lichen and Tide Pool Series. Works in progress and pieces from older series will also be on display. Join me October 8, 9 , 15 & 16 from 11 – 5 at the studio.

South County Open Studios This Weekend

September 27, 2016

The Open Studios Art Tour launches this weekend with South County Artists! Studios will be open October 1 & 2 from 11 – 5. Support your local artists and BUY ART!

With over 100 artists participating in the South County area, you can’t see them all so get your FREE guide or download the FREE app to start planning your tour today!

Be sure to include my studio in your North County or Encore Weekend Tour:
North County Studios Open October 8,9,15 & 16 from 11 – 5
Artist #228
2523 C Mission St
Santa Cruz CA

Doing it all yourself…

September 26, 2016 February 4, 2021

Everyone assumes that because you are an artist, you can make anything yourself and maybe we can but do we actually have the time to?

I could make all of our dishes, all the tiles for the floors and counters, and even design logos and signs for my business. They wouldn’t be the best, but I have the skills, tools and materials to do it. But this means that every time I put effort into a creative project like tiling the countertop means that I take away time from making art, so how do you find a balance between the things you can do and the things you should do?

This countertop project was a real thing, I really wanted to make the tiles to mosaic the new studio counter and when I mentioned that to my husband who had just finish building the countertop, his response was, “Do you want to use this surface area in the next few months?” He was joking but he definitely had a point. I need to use the counter in a few weeks when my classes begin again at the studio, so a few coats of polyurethane and a few hours later the countertop was ready to go. Maybe someday in the future I will make the tiles, dry them slow and flat, fire and glaze them, then design the whole surface of the counter into an elaborate mosaic. Maybe.

But for now, I’ve settled on making my own numbers for the studio address and I’ve hand painted signs that will hang on the outside of the studio, these things still took hours but not weeks. And I’ve got no plans to make all my own dishes, I will leave that to the much more talented potters that abound in my community. I want my studio to have creative, handmade touches that make the space unique and intriguing for visitors but I also want to have a body of work that I’m proud of and has been given the thoughtful attention and time it deserves.

So with that, I’m going to stop blogging and start working.

Open Studios 2016 Reminder!

September 22, 2016

Just a reminder that Santa Cruz Open Studios is just around the corner and I’m looking forward to seeing you at the new studio! I’m looking forward to celebrating my 12th year of participating in the tour. I will have installations & individual pieces in a ranges of sizes and prices so there will be something for everyone! When you arrive at the studio make sure to sign up on the mailing list to get your free BUY ART sticker!

Open Studios 2016
October 8, 9, 15 & 16 11 – 5
Artist #228
2523 C Mission St
Santa Cruz

If you missed it…

September 21, 2016

If you missed the Studio Visit article in the October issue of Ceramics Monthly, here’s the full version:

Ceramics Monthly | Studio Visit | Jenni Ward

Originally published in October 2016 issue of Ceramics Monthly, pages 26-29. http://www.ceramicsmonthly.org. Copyright, The American Ceramic Society. Reprinted with permission.

Winner! Winner!

September 20, 2016

Earth Art Studio students rocked at the Santa Cruz County Fair this year! We racked up the ribbons like champs with eight 1st place, twelve 2nd place, fifteen 3rd place and six Honorable Mentions in the sculpture and ceramics divisions of the youth Fine Arts Department! Amazing talent abounds with these little artists!

We are so lucky to of had this opportunity to show student work at the fair this year because the Fine Arts building almost didn’t open. Thanks to Donna Giubbini who took on running the department for one more year when no one else had stepped up to the task. Donna works tirelessly to make the fair happen and make sure that each piece of art is showcased with honor but help is needed for next year.

If anyone would like to lead or co-lead the Fine Arts department for next year, please contact the Fairgrounds. Volunteers are also needed to help receive the work, hang the show, assist during judging, monitor the building during fair hours and take down the show. High School students can get hours for community service by helping out at the fair too. If you’d like to be added to the volunteer contact list for next year, please contact Donna.

Fine Arts at the County Fair

September 16, 2016

If you’re headed to the Santa Cruz Fairgrounds this weekend for the pig races, the corndogs and the quilts, don’t forget to swing through the Fine Arts Building too! There are some amazing pieces of art in there created by kids to professional adult artists. All Earth Art Studio students that participated in our 2016 Summer Workshop Series have a piece entered in the fair. Last year we racked up the ribbons, see if you can find the talented mixed media and ceramic sculptures we entered this year!

Last Chance to See SCULPTURE at the Arboretum

September 15, 2016 February 4, 2021

There are only a few weeks left to see SCULPTURE at the UCSC Arboretum in Santa Cruz. This exhibit, curated by Susana Arias showcases Santa Cruz sculptors Jamie Abbott, Jeffrey Arnett, Jennifer Hennig, Coeleen Kiebert, Marilyn Kuksht, Anna Martin, Kirk McNeil, Christie Thomas & Scott Lindberg, and Jenni Ward. The 9 pieces are displayed throughout the Aroma Garden. Be sure to check it out before it’s gone!

May 18 – October 10, 2016

UCSC Arboretum

Open Studios Preview Exhibit

September 14, 2016

Dropping off art for the 2016 Open Studios preview exhibit at the Santa Cruz Art League today and picking up my big green signs! Be sure to pick up your FREE guide or download the app and grab artist’s postcards to help you chart your tour!

The exhibition is open September 24th – October 16th
Reception September 25th 3 – 6pm
First Friday Reception October 7th 5 – 9pm

Santa Cruz Art League
526 Broadway, Santa Cruz CA
www.scal.org

To learn more about this event visit: Arts Council of SCC

Classes Start Soon!

September 13, 2016

Clay classes at the new studio start up again in a few weeks, are you signed up?

Adult Clay Classes:

October 4, 2016 – December 15, 2016
(no class Thanksgiving week)
Tuesdays 7 – 9pm
Thursdays 10am – 12pm

Click here for more details…

Private/Semi-private Kids Classes:

October 4, 2016 – December 15, 2016
(no class Thanksgiving week)
Tuesday | 12:30 – 2, 2:30 – 4 or 4:30 – 6
Wednesday | FULL
Thursday | 12:30 – 2, 2:30 – 4 or 4:30 – 6