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sneak peek at Bodies of Water installation

One of the bigger parts of this upcoming exhibition is a site specific installation that is based on a NASA satellite image of a plankton bloom in Antarctica near McMurdo Sound. Even though the plankton are microscopic, there are so many of them in a large bloom, they can be seen from space, the color of the bloom all depends of the type of plankton.

plankton bloom in McMurdo Sound Antarctica as seen from space

The general form of the bloom laid out in circles was projected on the wall as a template to place all of the ceramic pieces. Some of the ceramic pieces are flat, some are raised off the wall and some are three dimensional forms, so there’s a lot of variation in the depth of the work. You can scroll through the photos below to see the progress I made.

template projected onto the wall
starting to place the pieces
making progress

As with all installations, things change and move based on how it’s working in the space, so I see some alterations ahead of me with this project but I’m sure it’s going to be beautiful once it’s done and all lit up. Stay tuned…

Bodies of Water | September 20 – December 3, 2022 | Opening Reception September 24th 5-8pm

things are happening but it’s not done yet!

Trinket Necklaces in the Shop

Collaborative Trinket Necklaces | shop | Jenni Ward ceramic sculpture

Wearable Sculptures Available in the Shop!

Jamie Abbott and I collaborated to create a series of fun Trinket Necklaces. Each piece is a unique composition of both handmade porcelain clay shapes and forged metal forms, all hung on ball chain or black leather cord. They are the perfect combination of industrial and earthy unique wearables and they make great gifts!

SHOP NOW

making progress…

If feel as though I’ve fallen down a rabbit hole the past week, busily making what feels like a million parts for my upcoming exhibit, Bodies of Water this September at the Eloise Pickard Smith Gallery at UCSC. Working with gallery director Tauna Coulson, we’ve been choosing paint colors to turn the gallery into an ocean, creating templates for a nearly 2000 part site specific installation, selecting work, organizing pedestals, designing the layout and of course making parts.

I hit a point where it seemed daunting, but now I’m rounding the corner and can visualize it all coming together and I’m getting really excited about it. I also l.o.v.e. the color blue we chose for the gallery walls, can’t wait for you to see it!

Making all the art is one part of the job but installing them is a whole other task. I’ve started getting things boxed up to bring them up to the gallery in the coming weeks and start the process. Luckily I’ve got a long lead time since the gallery is technically closed for summer, so I can use that to my advantage and not have to rush installation. Phew! Hope to see you all at the opening September 24th 5-8pm where all these parts will magically transform into a plankton filled ocean gallery!

Bodies of Water | Eloise Pickard Smith Gallery UCSC | Sept 20th – Dec 3rd | Opening reception Sept 24th 5-8pm

video: evolution of an installation

If you come by my studio this year for Open Studios, you’ll get to see this piece in person, but I thought it’d be fun to share a bit of the process making it. I actually wish I took more photos in process, but hopefully this very quick video gives an idea of it’s evolution.

The composition is mimicking the rings of a droplet into water and it’s composed of around 700+ porcelain pieces that are inspired by the bone structure of radiolarians (single cell planktons). Some of the pieces are mounted directly on the wall and some are attached to metal stems so that they can float off the wall, creating depth and casting shadows. If you watch the video closely or repeatedly you’ll notice that some pieces were removed and more space was given between the ripples, sometimes these are things that you can’t predict before you’re actually installing the work. I still need to clean the chalk lines off the wall but the more I live with this piece the more I love it. Hope you all get to come see it in person!

Have you been to see Sculpture IS: 2022??

Grab some friends and your picnic basket!

Sculpture IS: 2022 at Sierra Azul Sculpture Garden & Nursery is open daily 10-5 and the sculptures are up until Oct 31st! There are tables and umbrellas available for use to enjoy an afternoon in garden.

I have 4 fennel inspired sculptures onsite and for sale! They are just waiting to be transplanted into your garden space. There are also over 100 sculptures in a variety of mediums waiting to be discovered in the 2 acre demonstration garden!

2660 East Lake Ave Watsonville CA 95076 | pvarts.org

Updates from the studio

Remember all those parts I’ve been making? Well, they’ve started to find their way onto the studio walls…

This installation is far from finished but a few hundred pieces are up on the wall. It’s been fun to play with how far off the wall the parts are and the subsequent shadows become a part of the piece. The overall form is inspired by a water droplet and the outward waves of ripples.

I’ve also got my own jellyfish aquarium going here with a whole new batch of Medusas swimming through the studio. These guys are so fun to hang out with in the studio all day!

New Press for Spore Patterns!

lichen series | spore patterns | public art | Jenni Ward ceramic sculpture

Excited to share that my piece Lichen Series: Spore Patterns was one of the sculptures featured in an article about the Price Sculpture Forest in Luxe Beat Magazine! Check out the full article here and if you’re ever on Whidbey Island, be sure to check the sculpture forest out in person!

Art Prints for Sale

In the Field Photo: Relic Series | shop | Jenni Ward ceramic sculpture

Just a reminder…

Images of the In the Field ephemeral installations are available as prints on metal for unique 2-D versions of my artwork.

Works from the Nest Series, Relic Series and Umbel Series are available for $45 and up.

Shop Now!

Life in the studio these days

I almost thought that there wasn’t a reason to even write a blog post this week about what was happening in the studio because for me it’s like Groundhog Day in here. Making hundreds of parts is tedious and monotonous and that’s about all that I’ve been up to. But then I scrolled through my phone photos are realized that I do have a few things to share. So here ya go…

These are the latest batch of Medusas to make their way out of the kiln and I’m pretty happy with them. I love the variety of their wire tendrils and how they add movement to the pieces. Right now these are resting on a towel in the studio but eventually I’ll get them all hung up so that they appear to be drifting through the studio.

I’ve also been experimenting with embedding my porcelain planktons into ice. The trick is making clear ice so that you can see the pieces, which I’m kind of getting the hang of. This is a small block, but I’m hoping to work towards getting a big ol iceberg going. If anyone has any tips or ice related info to share, I’m all ears… who knew freezing ice could be so tricky!?!

And yeah, remember all those parts, still working on that. The piles are getting bigger though!

Need Art?

You’re looking at that bare wall in your home or that empty space in the garden that needs something but you can’t figure out quite what…maybe it needs a custom piece of art??

Jenni Ward ceramic sculpture | installations | residential

I’ve worked with clients over the past 20 years to place existing works or create custom works for their homes. During the pandemic when everyone was locked up and staring at their walls, I had so many clients reach out to thank me for the art that graced their spaces. They shared that the work brought them joy during a dark time and gave them solace as we all moved towards an uncertain future. I’m so grateful to have been given the opportunity to place those works.

Here are a few examples of some works that I’ve created for clients over the years to get some ideas going for what’s possible in your space. Feel free to reach out to get the conversation started, consultations are free!

east los gatos residence | installations | Jenni Ward ceramic sculpture
Jenni Ward ceramic sculpture | installations | residential
Carbonera Residence | installations | Jenni Ward ceramic sculpture
east los gatos residence | installations | Jenni Ward ceramic sculpture
new bespoke installation | the dirt | Jenni Ward ceramic sculpture
Latest Commissions Installed! | the dirt | Jenni Ward ceramic sculpture
medford residence | installations | Jenni Ward ceramic sculpture
new commission finished! | the dirt | Jenni Ward ceramic sculpture