If you need a little inspiration pick-me-up, check out this short interview with sculptor Richard Serra brought to you by the SFMOMA. Why make art? He explains that he creates art as a way to solve interesting problems about life, and believes that artistic creation influences the way we see the world. I couldn’t agree more.
the dirt
Curiosities of Clay Opens TONIGHT!
For my last show of 2015, I’ll be showcasing work from the Specimen Series at Stripe Design Group in downtown Santa Cruz. These small wall mounted sculptures of intriguing organic compositions will be on display for the month of November. This is a great time to shop local while discovering a unique gift for the creative person in your life!
Meet me at Stripe for First Friday November 6th from 5 – 9 pm!
Curiosities of Clay | Jenni Ward
Stripe Men | 117 Walnut Avenue Santa Cruz CA
November 5 – 30, 2015
Artist Reception Friday November 6th, 5 – 9pm
My Art, Your Space: Wilson Family
I love seeing where my art ends up and hearing why you connect with a piece. If you have some of my work that you’d like to share, please email me! Thanks for sharing!
Here’s this weeks share from the Wilson Family:
The two seed pods were a gift to myself, I had been eyeing them for a long time, then these were the last two left and I thought they were perfectly paired together. Having attempted to build my own pods, both large and small, in clay class, I have an understanding of the skill it took to for Jenni to build them, which makes me appreciate them all the more. I placed them where we could see them from our swing on the back patio, I can also see them from my kitchen sink. I notice them all the time, sometimes there are orange poppies growing around them, sometimes the ground is dry and brown, and sometimes they are surrounded by lush grass and chickens. I love having art in the back yard and these pieces fit into our landscape perfectly, but also are quirky enough that they make me wonder: are they eggs? are those turquoise tails peaking out? are they alien plants? They are an intriguing combination of nature and fantasy, visitors and the chickens enjoy them nearly as much as I do.
Installing Curiosities of Clay Today!
I got to hang out in one of the coolest retail shops in Santa Cruz today while I hung my last exhibit of the year, Curiosities of Clay! One piece has already sold, so I hope to see you at the opening on Friday to find a great piece for yourself!
Meet me at Stripe for First Friday November 6th from 5 – 9 pm!
Curiosities of Clay | Jenni Ward
Stripe Men
November 5 – 30, 2015
Artist Reception Friday November 6th, 5 – 9pm
Into the Woods
Escaping the crazy of Halloween, we headed south and into the woods this past weekend. I feel so lucky that all of this wild beauty is about an hour from my home and studio. There really is nothing like laying down under redwoods, next to your dog with the creek bubbling past you all night. I know a lot of you out there don’t like getting dirt under your fingernails or hauling all your crap out there on your back, but I have to encourage you to try it sometime, I really think you will be one happy camper.
November Studio News
Here’s the monthly wrap up of everything going on at the studio…
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Happy Halloween & Dia De Los Muertos!
Wishing you all a fun, creative & safe Halloween & Dia de los Muertos!
Limited Pieces from the Nest Series
Don’t these Nest Series pieces look perfect on this rough wood table? There are only a few more from this limited series available in the Shop, be sure to get one before they’re all gone! Prices range $45 and up and they make for a very unique gift for the creative person in your life. To learn more about the Nest Series, click here.
Sculpture IS: 2015 Closes soon!
If you haven’t made it to Sierra Azul Gardens for the Sculpture IS: 2015 exhibit, your days are numbered! The exhibit closes October 31st so get down there and check out some incredible outdoor sculpture work before its all taken down for winter. Oh and teaser alert! Next year is the 10th anniversary of Sculpture IS: and there are some fantastic plans being made to celebrate. See you there next Spring!
Sierra Azul Gardens
2660 E Lake Ave
Watsonville, CA 95076
831.763.0939
The Business of Art
It’s hard to make art. It’s hard to get your art shown. And it’s really hard to sell your art. As much as some of my peers say how great I am at marketing, I wasn’t taught the business side of things in art school, I’m always learning as I go, making mistakes and asking for help. Today I had the pleasure of a one hour phone consult with art marketing guru Barney Davey. I’ve been following Barney’s advice on how to market myself as an artist for about the past 6 months and I’ve found that by being focused on creating a plan and setting clear goals, I can already see changes happening. But despite all that, sometimes I feel completely lost in what I’m doing and why I’m doing it. So, it’s good to check in with someone who knows what they’re talking about, who will give you honest advice and help you get re-calibrated on your plan of action. Today, Barney got me over the slump, loaded me with new creative marketing ideas and probably increased my weekly workload by about 10 more hours, but I’m inspired and on task once again, which is what it’s all about!
Artist friends – we got this!