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beauty of ephemera

Went back up to Taller de Terreno to check my big piece which has been exposed to the elements on the roof for just over a week now. The acacia wood tendrils have dried from green to brown and I got some pics of some beautiful cracking in the clay starting to happen.

Being in the full sun, the piece is drying quickly causing the clay to contract unevenly, leading to the cracks, which of course was the whole point of this ephemeral piece. I love how beautiful these crack lines are and wonder where the tension point is for the piece to no longer be stable.

beauty of ephemera | the dirt | Jenni Ward ceramic sculpture
beauty of ephemera | the dirt | Jenni Ward ceramic sculpture

Come see the changes in this piece for yourself at the closing event Saturday April 6th from 4 – 7pm at

Taller de Terreno | Las Playitas | Todos Santos | BCS

first art show in Mexico is in the books!

Big thank you to all who came out to see this exhibit and gave kind words about my work, it was wonderful meeting so many new people. If you missed it, it was a beautiful afternoon overlooking the desierto y el mar and eventually watching the sun set. Here’s a few pics to inspire you to come out on Saturday April 6th for the closing of this exhibit…

I managed to get four cinderblocks and 20 buckets of rocks up onto the roof to create a level pedestal for my piece. Then we hauled all 100lbs of my sculpture, out of my studio, drove it up the road and carried it up onto the roof and somehow, it all worked out beautifully. My goal was to get the piece to silhouette against the sky and I think that was pretty successful. The acacia branches I inserted into the end of the work, moved and bounced in the wind. And with the blazing sun, we even got some small cracking starting to happen as the raw clay dried rapidly. It will be interesting to see its state by the time of the closing of the show.

A few of the other talented artists’ work in this exhibition…

rudy mendoza
christa assad
charles lindsay | seating by kevin wickham

this weekend!

Excited to setup my ephemeral site specific piece on the roof of this gorgeous structure in the middle of the desert! Join us for an afternoon of art and mezcal sipping followed by panoramic views of sun set on the ocean.

Saturday March 16th from 4 – 7

Taller de Terreno | Las Playitas | Todos Santos

Learn more here…

Going big…

When given the opportunity to create a piece for the event ABC Art Baja 24 with the Cascabel Mountain Collective, I knew that I couldn’t create a fired work. There just wasn’t the time or resources but I embraced the idea of making an ephemeral piece for the the green roof of the main house designed by Taller de Terreno Arquitectura. The house is the vision of Kevin Wickham and is a cast in place concrete structure of angles and grandeur all the while it is quietly hidden in the desert landscape. The sculpture is responding to the house’s shapes and angles while also responding to the desert landscape in which is resides.

I created a small model in clay of my sculptural form and then scaled it up in cardboard. Using the cardboard model as a template, I created large scale panels in clay that dried enough to hold their form and be attached together. Getting the clay dry enough to hold its shape and still wet enough to be modified while taking the desert climate into the equation makes for a tricky balancing act. While building this piece, I realized that it is probably the largest single item I’ve made. And the reason I’ve never attempted to make something this big is that it simply wouldn’t have fit in my kiln, so it’s kind of a why bother. But on the flip side, it’s liberating to make a piece that will be ephemeral and kiln size isn’t an issue and just to challenge my skills to see if I can actually do it. And I did.

model
cardboard mockup + model
in progress
Going big... | the dirt | Jenni Ward ceramic sculpture
in progress
final form

We still need to transport it from my studio, up the hill, and onto the roof. And I need to attach the rods that will move in the wind. And we will see how it degrades with wind and moisture, so there is still a lot of uncertainty but that is also what I love most about this process.

Sculpture Gardens Shine in Winter

This time of year on the central coast of California, flower gardens are pretty lack luster with winter storms and seasonal changes, but this is the best time of year for your sculpture garden to shine! When everything else is dormant, the colors and textures of sculptural works in your garden bring life to these spaces. Not only will it add visually vibrancy to the space but it is proven that engaging with art enhances positive emotions and tickles the reward pathways of our brains.

So if you’re needing a little color in your garden and/or a little more inspiration to get through the darker days of winter, head over to Sierra Azul Gardens in Watsonville. There are dozens of sculptural works that are wintering over from the Sculpture IS: exhibit in their demonstration gardens and many of these works are waiting to be transplanted into your garden. My four fennel flower inspired pieces are there and need to find a happy garden to live in. The height of these pieces can be modified for your space, they are simple to install and will add color and texture to any garden!

Online sale is coming to an end!

Medusa in Bell Jar | Shop | Jenni Ward ceramic sculpture

Just one more week to take advantage of super low discounts on some amazing pieces in the online shop!

Sale ends on Nov 30th so…

SHOP NOW!

if you missed Open Studios in person…

There’s a big sale going on in the online shop!

If you missed Open Studios in person, this is your last chance to take advantage of some really great deals in the online shop! Once this work is gone, you’re going to have to come find me in the desert to get some more – so don’t miss out!

SHOP NOW

LAST CHANCE!

THE STUDIO OPENS TO THE PUBLIC FOR THE VERY LAST TIME THIS WEEKEND- DON’T MISS IT!

SANTA CRUZ COUNTY OPEN STUDIOS 2023

OCTOBER 21 & 22 | 10am – 5pm | ARTIST #297

2523 C MISSION ST SANTA CRUZ

AND if you’re on my mailing list be sure to bring your bonus coupon from your October email!

THIS IS IT! Open Studios 2023

Getting the studio ready! | the dirt | Jenni Ward ceramic sculpture

THE STUDIO OPENS TO THE PUBLIC FOR THE LAST TIME THIS WEEKEND- DON’T MISS IT!

SANTA CRUZ COUNTY OPEN STUDIOS 2023

OCTOBER 14, 15, 21 & 22 | 10am – 5pm | ARTIST #297

EARTH ART STUDIO | 2523 C MISSION ST | SANTA CRUZ

Please join me for my 18th and LAST year of participating in the Santa Cruz Open Studios Art Tour! The studio is going to be packed with art; new and old, big and small, so come find a treasure for your home or garden. Looking forward to seeing y’all soon!

AND if you’re on my mailing list be sure to bring your bonus coupon from your October email!