Classes are now winding down at the studio for the end of the year, but we will be starting right back up again in January. Make the resolution to B CR8IV in 2016 and sign yourself up for a class!
Adult Classes: Ongoing classes on Tues nights or Thurs mornings, all levels are welcome
Private Classes: Private/Semi-private classes for kids, families, home-school groups all on a schedule that works for you.
Spring Workshop for Kids: March – April (exact dates TBA)
SAVE THE DATE!
Artist Reception: January 17th 2016 2:00
Pajaro Valley Arts Council Gallery will have its annual Take Aways: Art to Go exhibit 2016. This exhibit features local artists showcasing work priced under $250 and as you buy a piece, it is replaced with a new work, so the exhibit is constantly changing from January 13 – February 14. I will have a number of pieces on display for my first show of the new year, so mark your calendars and I hope to see you there!
37 Sudden Street
Watsonville, California 95076
831.722.3062
If you haven’t seen ‘The Artist is Present’ documentary on Marina Abramovic- start there. I’m a big fan of documentaries especially about artists, but this one is one of my favorites. When I share it with someone, I get goosebumps just telling them about it, in a good way! If you have seen it, check out her recent Ted Talk Marina Abramovic: An art made of trust, vulnerability and connection where she talks about the performance piece in the documentary and other work. It’s an inspiring and engaging talk.
Here’s the monthly wrap up of everything going on at the studio…
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Just a reminder that today is your last day to see Curiosities of Clay at Stripe Design Group’s Men Store in downtown Santa Cruz. The show, which showcased work from the Specimen Series comes down tomorrow and the unsold pieces will return to the studio.
Can’t make it to see the show? Don’t worry, all the remaining available pieces will be up in the online shop or feel free to make an appointment to come by the studio and see them in person.
Thanks for supporting independent artists!
I love spending time outside in nature, it recharges me with creativity and clears my brain of all the daily clutter. This Thanksgiving, I am thankful that I can sleep outside under the stars, make food on a fire and walk miles with a pack on my back just for the fun of it all. And I am taking a moment today to send thoughts to those around the world that are doing it to survive.
Wishing you all a Happy Thanksgiving and hoping you get some time out in nature this weekend too!
New pieces from my Rock Candy Series are now available in the SHOP! These were first exhibited at Open Studios this fall, now there are only 6 of these beauties left and at $125 each, they are priced to sell! The ceramic rock forms are affixed to locally found driftwood in intriguing compositions. Small enough to fit anywhere and big enough to make an impact in your space! The driftwood has a small hanger on the back so indoors or out, they can be displayed wall mounted or placed on a table surface to create a fantastic centerpiece. If you’re local to Santa Cruz County, order online and pick up at the studio for FREE!
You know that person in your life who is always collecting rocks and shells at the beach? They need one of these.
THANK YOU FOR SUPPORTING INDEPENDENT ARTISTS!
Artists spend sooooo much time alone working in the studio, so studio pets are essential for helping keep your sanity! I’m sure that I talk to our husky Indigo more than any human over the course of the day but that’s OK because she’s a fantastic studio companion, even if she drinks out of the clay bucket every once in a while. Our old dog Jack would spend so much in the studio being as close to my work area as possible that his black fur would look white by the end of the day with all the clay dust dropped on him. Our chickens have also grown up in the studio from little fluffy chicks until they’re ready for the hen house. They have provided for lots of inspiration to make clay chicken sculptures and get so much loving attention from all of my students. We also get visitor studio pets too, Francine the French Bulldog is Indigo’s best friend and she visits the studio weekly plus she likes to eat the clay too! So grateful for all these little creatures in our lives. Who keeps you company in your studio?
I’ve just launched a new video on my You Tube channel! I’m making these pieces for a custom order and thought it would be a great opportunity to share the process. This is a quick time lapse video of me making a sprout form in the studio, the video is less than a minute long but the piece took about a 20 minutes to make. The next steps are for it to dry completely, be fired in the kiln for about 10 hours, then glazed and fired once more. I’ve made hundreds of these little sprouts to be used as the inside pieces of my Nest Series. A few of these pieces were also featured in the Fire & Water In the Field Series. I hope this helps you understand all the work that goes into making even the smallest of pieces. Enjoy the video and let me know what you think!
I was recently asked why I teach community clay classes, as opposed to university level instruction. Well, one big reason is I don’t have the Master’s degree, so I actually can’t teach at universities. In the beginning, I thought I would go for the terminal degree for fine artists and get my MFA but after a few attempts in that direction, I finally made the choice to not pursue it. I realized that I really wanted to be my own boss, make my own schedule and share my clay experience with everyone, not just in an academic environment and I’m really happy with that choice. Over the past 15+ years, I’ve taught everyone from seniors to pre-schoolers how to make a pinch pot, roll a coil or add texture to a slab cup. I’ve worked in mobile classrooms in under-served communities and private classrooms in private schools. It’s been an amazing way to piece together an income for myself and I have learned that no matter what your background or experience level, everyone leaves clay class feeling pretty good about what they did.
As my own art career has launched forward, I’ve cut back on the number of classes that I offer at my studio but I know that no matter how busy the art world gets, I will always teach. Each week I welcome some of the most amazing and talented people into my studio space. I love that they are passionate about being creative and intrigued enough to try something new. What I hope that they take away from their time spent in my studio is an appreciation of what it takes to make something with your hands along with the confidence to try it, compassion for others creative ideas and a respect for the vulnerability of making something with your heart. Some of my younger students tell me that they are going to be artists when they grow up, which is sweet to hear but of course most of them will go on to do other things. So I’m not churning out the academic artists of the future here but what community clay classes create instead is art enthusiasts, supporters and collectors, and the world needs a lot of those kind of people!