This is me, in my happy place, finding what truly makes me grateful. Happy Thanksgiving to you all!
Author: Jenni Ward
New Art Hearts Coming Soon!
Here’s a sneak peek at the newest styles of Art Hearts coming to the online shop very soon!
In the meantime, you can still purchase other style hearts in both ornaments and stems, but stock is running low on these styles, so be sure to order soon. And remember that a portion of all Art Heart sales benefit philanthropic art projects, read more here…
Got a retail shop? Wholesale accounts are welcome, contact Jenni for details…
Work In Progress: Lichen Series
Last winter, I launched the photos and video of installing my newest piece in the Lichen Series in Nisene Marks State Park. Since then, the piece has been installed at the UCSC Arboretum and also on display during Open Studios. Now, I’ve started to reconfigure the pieces from this series into new wall pieces.
This series is about death and regrowth- how the mushrooms, fungus and lichens grow where there is decay, allowing for something new to come from something old. I have been arranging the ceramic pieces to mimic the spore patterns left by mushrooms I’m hoping to mount them onto old redwood planks. The planks will be assembled to hang on a wall with the spore patterns of clay attached. In the studio, I started with whatever plywood ware boards I happened to have around to see if this idea was going to be visually interesting. Next steps are to find the right wood and arrange the pieces securely to the wood.
Here’s an image of what I’m playing with, let me know what you think…
Featured Work: Seed Pod Series
One is the loneliest number and it’s also the number of pieces left available in the Seed Pod Series. Anyone want to give this guy a good home?
The Seed Pod Series is a study in form and texture. The surface of these pieces has been decorated using a wax resist process which enhances the depth of texture. I was inspired by the unique seed pods that I find while exploring the forest near my studio. I like the idea that they seem to be hatching an unidentified new life form.
14″ x 9″ x 9″ | $425. | 2014 | MORE INFO…
Throwback…
Looking back at old work while thinking about making new work, thought I’d share. Let me know your thoughts…
Field Trip!
Who didn’t love going on a field trip when you were in school?
This morning I had ten awesome 5th graders come to the studio to make a pinch pot project. Some had never touched clay before but all were excited to get their hands dirty and start playing with clay. I love that their teacher who I happened to meet at Open Studios this year, made the effort to arrange this visit for them and encourage learning outside the classroom.
When you look at the projects in this photo, keep in mind that all of the students were given the same directions, the same examples and yet each one of these pieces is unique and creative. What a great way to start off our day!
B CR8IV!
Art Hearts!
New Art Hearts are now available at the downtown Homeless Garden Project Stores, the Santa Cruz Art League, the UCSC Arboretum Gift Shop, at Ace’s Flowers in Aptos and of course at the online store. Lots of opportunities to shop local, support the arts and local organizations all at the same time. Give someone you love an Art Heart for the holidays!
Interested in carrying Art Hearts in your store? Contact Jenni for wholesale account information.
Featured Work: Specimen Series
Remember collecting shells on the beach as a kid?
You would collect hundreds but have to whittle down your collection to a few special ones because your parents wouldn’t let you bring the whole beach home with you. So you’d get home with your prized finds and keep them in some kind of box or container that would showcase them but also keep them safe.
They would always be a reminder of the day, the quiet focus, the search and the excitement of finding something special.
The Specimen Series is inspired by the memory of those finds, unique pieces organized and boxed for display. The online shop has only 9 pieces from the Specimen Series left. These bento box style works are small enough to fit in nearly any space making them a great gift for the collector on your list.
SHOP NOW
B Cr8iv
I am at a loss for words today, so I’m leaning on someone else to speak for me.
Artists will have a role in how we move forward and deal with the changes in our country and the world even if we don’t know what our role is yet. We will definitely need to B Cr8iv as we find our place in the world. This quote is from an article at Hyperallergic by Hrag Vartanian, link to the full article is below.
“We will still create, write, perform, sing, dance, and anything else we can, because that’s what we do. We will react and generate, we will reinvent and challenge, and we will fight, because we can, and not just for ourselves but others too.”
Prepping for an installation
When you work in parts to make multipart installations, it’s easy for things to get mixed up. Whether it’s in the kiln or in the glazing process, it’s very easy to confuse yourself on where you planned for everything to go. This is especially true when you are doing an installation in a gallery space, a time when you want to be organized and intentional with your work. This is especially hard when you’ve never installed the piece in its entirety yet. This uncertainty is also what I love about installations, a sort of do or die moment when you may have to improvise to make it all happen the way you want.
Here’s a glimpse into how I keep things organized. I am a huge fan of the paper template. I plan out everything on a very large piece of paper and usually do as much layout as I can on the floor in my studio. Once I’m happy with the layout, then I decide which pieces go where. Each piece is identified by a number that corresponds to it’s spot on the paper template.
When I get to the space, the paper template gets hung up first. This is a really simple way for me to envision how the piece will actually work in the space and it’s easy to move around if I decide that the original plan doesn’t work. Once I’m happy with the placement, then I start attaching the hardware, usually screws or hooks that will hold the pieces to the structure. I remove the paper template as I start attaching the pieces.
In the case of having multiple parts in a multi piece installation, as in my Lichen Series or Vine Series, then I use a layout map with measurements of each of the pieces, so that they are composed to interact with each other while still holding their own in the space they occupy. This is especially important to keep the flow of a piece visually stimulating, again, I usually do as much layout as I can on my studio floor before making final decisions on the layout.
The Lichen Series has 9 stalks each with 9 parts to it, it can get a little confusing, so each piece is labeled and boxed to correspond to the map. The Vine Series has 9 vines total each with 36 parts and as similar as they are, the parts are not interchangeable between each vine so it’s important that everything stays organized.
I also find that this is a really helpful system if you are not the one installing your own art. I try to imagine the handling team at a gallery or museum unpacking my art and seeing it for the first time in person. Putting yourself in their shoes makes you pay attention to the details that come as second nature to the artist. Explaining and labeling are the keys to making sure your art shines. I’m sure that other artists have different ways of planning out a multipart installation which I’d love to hear about, so please share if you’ve got a great system!