Author: Jenni Ward

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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

Video: Work In Progress – making plankton parts

Just a quick, fun video of each of the steps of making my radiolarian (single cell planktons) inspired porcelain parts. Starting with a thin slab of porcelain clay, I roll it even thinner with a rolling pin, then cut out the forms and scrape the edges even thinner with a metal rib tool so they are translucent when they are fired. Next I perforate the circles with even more circles using an x-acto knife, smooth each of the holes with a bit of water on both sides and then set them aside to dry and eventually be fired in the kiln. Hundreds and hundreds of parts later they will be used to create a large scale wall installation, but for now I’m just going to be over here making parts… lots of parts. Enjoy!

New Press with The Pajaronian!

Annual sculpture exhibit returns for 16th year

For the past 16 years, Pajaro Valley Arts (PVA) has partnered with Sierra Azul Nursery and Gardens for an annual art exhibit. Artists install sculptures throughout Sierra Azul’s two-acre demonstration garden, creating an open-air gallery surrounded by native trees and plants.

For this year’s Sculpture IS: In the Garden, curators Susana Arias, Hedwig Heerschop, and Sierra Azul owner Jeff Rosendale selected more than 90 sculptures by 48 contributors to be displayed. Read more…