Inspiration through Exploration

September 29, 2017 September 28, 2017

I’ve been spending nearly every weekend for the past few months out of cell service, in the mountains, clambering over rocks, slipping into swimming holes and enjoying every sunset. It’s been good. Really, really good.

It’s also been inspirational for my work. I truly believe that inspiration comes through exploration- it fuels everything I make. And I realized that I hadn’t created an In the Field installation in a year and it is definitely time to create another. So here are a few of the things that I’ve been looking at on these weekend adventures into the wilderness. Lots of rocks to be sure; rock formations made from humans, made from time, rocks that give life to some creatures and take it from others.

While I’m still not sure of how these images and this inspiration will translate into a ceramic installation yet, I know that there is something here that intrigues. I’ll keep you posted as new work develops…

Preview Exhibit at Santa Cruz Art League

September 28, 2017 September 28, 2017

Open Studio Preview Exhibit at the Santa Cruz Art League

Saturday, September 30 – Sunday, October 22, 2017
Reception: October 1, Sunday 3:00pm – 6:00pm

In partnership with the Santa Cruz County Arts Council, the Open Studios Preview Exhibition will offer a sneak peak of the great art of over 300 Santa Cruz County artists participating in the Open Studios Art Tours in the first three weekends in October.

Santa Cruz Art League
526 Broadway | Santa Cruz, CA

Save the Date: Bioneers Conference 2017

September 26, 2017

The Hive Installation will be making a showing at the Bioneers Conference this October!

About Art at the Bioneers Conference:

At Bioneers, we believe in the power of art to inspire action, facilitate cross cultural understanding and dialogue, and give voice to important issues. We believe in art as a form of protest, resistance, and hope. In honor, this year’s conference brings together a wide variety of artists who have devoted their lives to using art as a vehicle for personal and social transformation.

UPRISING BIONEERS 2017
OCTOBER 20 – 22
MARIN CENTER | SAN RAFAEL

More Press for Environmental Installations

September 22, 2017 September 21, 2017

Adam Rothstein wrote a really thoughtful piece called ‘Fitting the Human Within Nature’ about the Environmental Installations exhibit at the UCSC Arboretum for the International Sculpture Center blog. Here’s a small except but click the link or the photo below to read more…

“Nature is inspiration to many artists. But while natural form has inspired generations of artists, today many are finding source material not purely within the plants and animals, the leaves and seeds, flowers and rocks that we think of immediately when we consider the definition of “nature.” More and more commonly, artists are drawn to the juxtaposition between the natural world and the human world.”…

New Work from the Bone Series

September 21, 2017

I wanted to share some new work that I’ve been finishing up from my Bone Series. There are 8 framed compositions of ceramic discs that were inspired by bone fibrous structures and they are held together with steel cable. The pieces and the cables float just off the wall so they cast really beautiful shadows that really enhance the pieces. The square formats are 2.5′ x 2.5′ and the rectangles are 2′ x 4′. I’m really excited to share these pieces with you all at Open Studios this October!

Save the Date: Open Studios 2017

September 20, 2017

I’ve been cleaning, rearranging and organizing the studio for weeks to get it ready for my 14th (or maybe 15th??) Open Studios Art Tour. I’ll be showcasing brand new work from my Bone, Lichen & Umbel Series, so please come by and visit me at the studio!

Artist #17 in the catalog

Open October 7th, 8th, 21st & 22nd from 11 – 5

Mission Industrial Art Studios | 2523C Mission St Santa Cruz

Save the Date: Affordable Art Fair

September 14, 2017

SAVE THE DATE!

October is going to be a very busy art month!

I hope you can join me and 21 other talented artists at JCO’s Art Haus for the Affordable Art Fair. I’ll be showcasing work from the Lichen Series, so if you’ve had your eye on these pieces, this is your chance to grab them at very very affordable prices!

If you want to learn more about my work, come and meet me on Thursday October 12th from 5 – 8 for the meet and greet!

Finished Umbel Flower

September 13, 2017 June 14, 2018

After hours of tedium in the building process and lots of prayers to the kiln gods during the firing process, this Umbel Flower is finally finished. Inspired by a dandelion flowerhead that had gone to seed the flower has high temperature wire for the stalks that attach to the core of the flower and then a thinner gauge high temperature wire on the tips of each of the stalks. I wanted to have a stem and base so that the flower would display upright. Luckily, my studio neighbor sculptor Jamie Abbott was up to the task and he forged me a stem from steel rod which was welded onto a base. I swore I was only going to make one of these but now that I see it finished, I might just have to make a few more!

Come see this piece in person during Open Studios this October!

Clay Classes Are Starting Soon!

September 12, 2017

Now’s the time to put clay class on your schedule for the Fall!

Classes for Kids, Teens and Adults are available at the studio for a 9 week session this fall which starts next week. Join in on all or part of the session and be creative with clay! Home-school groups are welcome and flexible punch cards are available for adult group classes.

LEARN MORE…

Where Have All the Umbels Gone?

September 7, 2017 September 6, 2017

Many of you got to see, walk and experience the Umbel Series path since the exhibit Environmental Installations opened in late May and I’ve been so thrilled to hear how much you’ve enjoyed it. I had hoped that the piece would be on display until the end of the exhibit in November but unfortunately we’ve had some incidents of vandalism and the arboretum is also planning on some dirt work close to my installation, so I’ve chosen to remove it early from the exhibit. If you didn’t get a chance to see the piece in person, the drone video of it will give you as close of an experience as possible to being there yourself.

Art in the Arboretum: Environmental Installations still has eight spectacular installations up until the close of the show November 17th and I encourage you to go explore the arboretum and discover these beautiful works.

So where have all the umbels gone? Right now the flowers are in my studio and are available for sale via the online shop. Next week, the remaining unsold Umbel Series flowers will be making their own pilgrimage to south county. They will be assembled in a completely new formation at Sierra Azul Nursery in Watsonville as a part of the Sculpture IS: 2017 exhibit put on by the Pajaro Valley Art Gallery. Photos of the new installation will follow soon and I hope you get a chance to see it on display there as well.

Thank you for all the positivity that’s surrounded this installation!