Tag: Inspiration Through Exploration

RSS feed

Video: Inspiration through Exploration: Bhutan, Sikkim, Nepal

In the midst of having my solo show in Grants Pass Oregon and getting ready for two upcoming residencies, I snuck in a month long adventure to Bhutan, Sikkim India and Nepal. Have you noticed that I like my schedule completely overwhelmed!?!

While it may be overwhelming to my schedule, I believe that my time exploring the world outside of my studio is equally important to the development of my art work inside the studio. Engaging in Art, Nature & Travel are my three favorite ways to spend my time and they all connect together to inspire my work. This video shares just a few images from each country, and I hope that you find inspiration to travel, explore and connect with cultures different than your own. It will be interesting to see how these experiences find their way into my sculptures and installations in the future. Enjoy!

Video: Walking the Umbels

A little taste of what it’s like to walk the trail of Umbels..

About the Umbel Series Installation:
The saffron colored trail of abstract ceramic flowers is inspired by the folklore of bright yellow mustard flowers leading the way from mission to mission along the Camino Real. The installation is named the Umbel Series due to the umbrella shaped flower structures that inspired the forms.

Click here to pre-order your Umbels…

Inspiration through Exploration

If you follow along on my Instagram feed, you’ve seen a lot of my posts are from my explorations in nature. I truly believe that you need exploration for inspiration, and for me, hiking, road trips and time spent in nature is crucial to my inspiration of what I make in the studio. If you don’t follow my Instagram feed, here’s a few things you missed from our road trip from Santa Cruz to Portland for NCECA 2017.

Inspiration through Exploration | the dirt | Jenni Ward ceramic sculpture
Watching the sunset over the ocean on the Oregon coast makes for happy campers.
Inspiration through Exploration | the dirt | Jenni Ward ceramic sculpture
The most gorgeous pinecone ever found on the shores of Shasta Lake.
Inspiration through Exploration | the dirt | Jenni Ward ceramic sculpture
Kind of obsessed with lichen and moss.
Inspiration through Exploration | the dirt | Jenni Ward ceramic sculpture
Patterns in nature
Inspiration through Exploration | the dirt | Jenni Ward ceramic sculpture
Finally found some snow for this happy Indygirl!

New Video: Tide Pool Series

The Tide Pool Series is inspired by my time spent observing the tiny watery worlds on the rocky shoreline that exist temporarily as the rise and fall of the ocean reveals them and hides them again. The creatures and amount of life that thrive in these crevices is fascinating and forever a source of inspiration for me.

This installation explores the flow of water as it rises and falls between the rocks. The pieces mimic the blue mussels often found in these tidal zones. As the pieces were placed in the sand during the installation, the waves occasionally rolled in and kissed the edges of the pieces, gently moving them and washing them with sand without disrupting the forms.

To purchase work from this series visit: Shop | Tide Pool Series

Art at the Arboretum

I got the opportunity to visit the UCSC Arboretum last week. I’ll be selling a few small works and lots of Art Hearts in the gift shop soon. There are plans in the works for a sculpture exhibition on the grounds. I’ll be creating a large installation as a part of this exhibit, details to follow soon – very excited about this!
Art at the Arboretum | the dirt | Jenni Ward ceramic sculpture

While I was there, I had one of my Nest Series pieces with me and couldn’t resist the opportunity to take this snapshot of it with the red flowering plant in the background. I hadn’t been to the Arboretum in years and it was such a lovely spot, I’m going to make a point to go there more often and to bring out of town guests there. Sometimes the best exploring is in our own backyards.