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the dirt
Sculpture Slam at the SLOMA opens!
I’m so thrilled to have a brand new piece from my Bone Series Installation accepted into the 2017 California Sculpture SLAM at the San Luis Obispo Museum of Art. The piece was selected out of 195 total entries. The show includes 49 pieces in a variety of works in metal, wood, stone, glass, and fabric by both established and up-and-coming California sculptors.
September 1 – October 29, 2017
Opening reception Friday, September 1, 6–9pm
Awards will be announced at 7pm. Entry is free
On Saturday, September 2 at 12 PM, juror Brigette Micmacker of Sculpturesite Gallery will give an ARTalk and SLAM exhibition tour at the museum. The talk and tour are free and open to the public.
For more information about San Luis Obispo Museum of Art and the upcoming SLAM events, visit the museum website here.
New Video: Drone Footage of the Umbel Series Installation
BIG BIG Thanks to curator Susana Arias and drone photographer Jim Clark for making this video happen!!
About the Umbel Series Installation:
The Umbel Series Installation is a temporary installation included in the Environmental Installations exhibit at the UCSC Arboretum in Santa Cruz CA. The saffron colored trail is inspired by the folklore of mustard seeds being planted along the historic Camino Real in Mexico and California which would bloom into a bright yellow path of mustard flowers helping pilgrims find their way from mission to mission. The abstract flower forms are inspired by umbel shaped flower structures, a flower whose shape resembles an umbrella. I love the idea of being able to track your path through the wilds of the world by following a color. While wild mustard flowers in reality are not the umbel shaped forms I’ve been researching, I loved this story so much I thought I could combine these concepts together to create an impactful installation.
The installation is about 100′ x 2′ x 3′ and is made up of 230 individual abstract umbel flowers, each flower is hand-built and unique. The flowers are available for pre-sale in the online shop with a picking day towards the end of the exhibition, shipping is also available for out of area buyers. SHOP NOW
What’s going on in the studio
Last week I didn’t add one post to The Dirt, which has become a pretty rare thing these days but that doesn’t mean that I wasn’t busy with both work in the studio and out exploring in nature. So to catch you up, here’s what’s going on in the studio…
I’m working on three series at a time here, as pictured below. The Bone Series discs are now being framed up into smaller compositions of the weblike structures that I’ve done in the past and I’m thrilled with the way these are turning out! The Umbel Series is in experiment mode, I’m trying to create a dandelion flower structure using high temperature wire, this one is in the kiln right now, so fingers crossed it survives. And lastly, I’m working on the Lichen Series, these ceramic pieces are being attached to live edge walnut wood planks, the wood is sealed with a matte stain and will eventually be mounted into metal fabricated stands so that they are standing trees and you’ll be able to walk around them. All of these works will be ready for their debut this October for Open Studios, looking forward to showing them off to you then!
And as far as adventures go, I had to deliver work to the San Luis Obispo Museum of Art for the Sculpture Slam 2017 exhibit so we made a weekend trip out of driving down there and did some off roading in the van which led to an epic campsite high above the fog of Big Sur. Hoping to get a few more adventure weekends like this in, maybe bringing some art with me to photograph in nature. Loving how exploration seeds the inspiration!
New Press for Environmental Installations
By: CATHY KELLY – Register Pajaronian
SANTA CRUZ – Bizarre and beautiful plants, bulleting hummingbirds and more often inspire visitors to the UC Santa Cruz Arboretum. And now, through Nov. 17, a large-scale art exhibit on the picturesque hillside takes that inspiration to some intriguing places.
“Art in the Arboretum: Environmental Installations” is the arboretum’s third such art undertaking, curated by Santa Cruz artist and sculptor Susana Arias. The art varies widely, in size and style, with pieces dispersed throughout the spacious New Zealand and South African gardens. READ MORE…
Video: Umbel Series | Dandelion Time Lapse
See you in September…
The studio is closed for our annual end of summer break, we will reopen the week of September 18th for fall clay classes. The online shop will remain open during our break. If you’d like to sign up for fall classes: Create with Clay
See you in September!
Construct and Deconstruct
I started this piece weeks ago and it was paining me to finish it because of its detailed nature, but yesterday I sat down to finally try to finish it out. I realized that I had built it all wrong and that was part of the problem in working on it, so I took the entire thing apart, saving all the pieces except the central form that all the wires attach to. It felt really good to take it apart and start over. Sometimes, you learn as you go and it’s never to late to restart with more knowledge about the process. For all of you that have come to my studio and loved this work in progress, don’t worry, this piece will eventually come to fruition.
Fall Clay Class Schedule is Up!
Wanna get your hands dirty this fall?
Join us at the studio with clay classes for kids, teens & adults!
Private Classes:
Private and semi-private classes are available at Earth Art Studio for the serious artist who just wants to be creative. Open to ages 7 and up, family and friend groups of all experience levels are welcome. We are an Ocean Grove vendor for home-school students.
Adult Clay Classes:
Create with Clay classes are NOT just for kids! You’ll have the opportunity to build your own creative ideas with the guidance of instructor Jenni Ward or challenge yourself with assigned projects. You’ll learn hand-building techniques, how to throw on the wheel and have the opportunity to create work finished with a variety of low-fire or medium-fire glazes. Join us for adult clay classes at the studio, no experience is needed and all levels of creativity are welcome!
For More Info…
Church Street Fair This Weekend!
I’ll be at the BLUE UMBRELLAS Collaborative Art Exhibit this Saturday & Sunday 11am – 8pm hawking my wares as part of the Church Street Fair celebrating the Cabrillo Festival of Contemporary Music. Great Art, Great food, wine and beer and of course the best music – hope to see you there!