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    BUY ART

    BUY ART | the dirt | Jenni Ward ceramic sculptureThere is a notion that buying art is only for the elite, those with large enough spaces to house art and that you must be educated in the field in order to make good purchases. All of that is wrong. One of the best lessons I learned wine tasting is that it doesn’t matter what the bottle costs or whose top ten list it’s on. What matters is that I like the way it tastes. Duh, right?

    The same applies to art. If you like it, you like it. Maybe you can go deeper into figuring out why you like it, whether it’s an emotional connection to a piece or a connection to the material it’s made out of. Whatever the reason, if you connect with a piece you want to surround yourself with it, just like a wine you enjoy can round out a meal, a piece of art can round out your space.

    Maybe you can’t afford the piece you connect with or you don’t have a wall big enough to hang it on, this happens to me all the time, but the good thing is that most artists make work in a variety of size and price ranges which can make taking home a piece of their work affordable to nearly everyone.

    You are of course welcome to just come and look but for my Open Studios event this year, I have work priced from $15. and up, affordable for every budget. Thanks for supporting independent artists and buying art!

    Hurricane Matthew and Haiti

    As many of you know, I’ve made multiple trips to post-earthquake Haiti to work with artists, children and communities. In my time spent there, I’ve developed friendships and been honored to meet people who are doing an amazing job of being on the ground resources to help renew Haiti. The earthquake happened over six years ago and these people and organizations are still there making progress, everyday.

    As I type, Hurricane Matthew is bearing down on the island and bound to leave disaster in its path. Many of these on the ground organizations have done what they can to help the people prepare for the storm, but the fact is that most of the residents don’t live in homes that can hold up to a storm like this and aid relief will be needed for thousands by the time this storm has passed.

    If you are inclined to help, please consider donating to Haiti Communitere. I have worked with them and seen them in action, your dollars are very well spent here.

    Hurricane Matthew and Haiti | the dirt | Jenni Ward ceramic sculpture

     

    This classroom is at a school in one of the most impoverished areas of Port au Prince and run by one of the most inspiring people I’ve met Winter Luc. The other photo is at Haiti Communitere’s base in Port au Prince where my good buddy Caleb is explaining to me what he’s learning in school and how he’s going to be a doctor someday.

    Final Weeks of Sculpture IS: 2016

    The 10th Annual Sculpture IS: at Sierra Azul Gardens is coming to a close. Be sure to get out there and check out the 50+ sculptures that grace the gardens before they’re all gone for the season. This piece from my Hive Series is there nestled into the redwood mulch with small vines starting to grow through and around the pieces. The exhibit is up until the October 31st.
    Final Weeks of Sculpture IS: 2016 | the dirt | Jenni Ward ceramic sculpture

    Sierra Azul Gardens
    2660 East Lake Ave
    Watsonville CA

    presented by PVAC Gallery

    Sneak Peek of the New Studio

    For all of you locals, I can’t wait to see you at my new studio when we launch in October for Open Studios! For all of you non-locals who can’t make it to the studio, I wanted to share a few photos of the new space and some of the installations that I’m working on. This photo shows my main exhibition area which will also double as a work area when the table spaces are cleared off and the bags of clay come out after Open Studios. I love having the high ceiling and huge walls to display all my work on.

    Sneak Peek of the New Studio | the dirt | Jenni Ward ceramic sculpture

    Here is the new classroom space for Earth Art Studio, the big table made it’s way all the way across the county and was reassembled here ready to go. Reclaimed kitchen cabinets and handmade small drawers create storage areas for tools. Project examples and Art Hearts add lots of color and creativity to this area of the studio. I’m looking forward to classes starting next week at the studio!

    Sneak Peek of the New Studio | the dirt | Jenni Ward ceramic sculpture

    I’ll be sharing new work from my Bone Series as well as recent work from the Lichen and Tide Pool Series. Works in progress and pieces from older series will also be on display. Join me October 8, 9 , 15 & 16 from 11 – 5 at the studio.

    South County Open Studios This Weekend

    South County Open Studios This Weekend | the dirt | Jenni Ward ceramic sculptureThe Open Studios Art Tour launches this weekend with South County Artists! Studios will be open October 1 & 2 from 11 – 5. Support your local artists and BUY ART!

    With over 100 artists participating in the South County area, you can’t see them all so get your FREE guide or download the FREE app to start planning your tour today!

    Be sure to include my studio in your North County or Encore Weekend Tour:
    North County Studios Open October 8,9,15 & 16 from 11 – 5
    Artist #228
    2523 C Mission St
    Santa Cruz CA

    Doing it all yourself…

    Everyone assumes that because you are an artist, you can make anything yourself and maybe we can but do we actually have the time to?

    I could make all of our dishes, all the tiles for the floors and counters, and even design logos and signs for my business. They wouldn’t be the best, but I have the skills, tools and materials to do it. But this means that every time I put effort into a creative project like tiling the countertop means that I take away time from making art, so how do you find a balance between the things you can do and the things you should do?

    This countertop project was a real thing, I really wanted to make the tiles to mosaic the new studio counter and when I mentioned that to my husband who had just finish building the countertop, his response was, “Do you want to use this surface area in the next few months?” He was joking but he definitely had a point. I need to use the counter in a few weeks when my classes begin again at the studio, so a few coats of polyurethane and a few hours later the countertop was ready to go. Maybe someday in the future I will make the tiles, dry them slow and flat, fire and glaze them, then design the whole surface of the counter into an elaborate mosaic. Maybe.

    Doing it all yourself... | the dirt | Jenni Ward ceramic sculpture

    But for now, I’ve settled on making my own numbers for the studio address and I’ve hand painted signs that will hang on the outside of the studio, these things still took hours but not weeks. And I’ve got no plans to make all my own dishes, I will leave that to the much more talented potters that abound in my community. I want my studio to have creative, handmade touches that make the space unique and intriguing for visitors but I also want to have a body of work that I’m proud of and has been given the thoughtful attention and time it deserves.

    So with that, I’m going to stop blogging and start working.

     

    Open Studios 2016 Reminder!

    Open Studios 2016 Reminder! | the dirt | Jenni Ward ceramic sculptureJust a reminder that Santa Cruz Open Studios is just around the corner and I’m looking forward to seeing you at the new studio! I’m looking forward to celebrating my 12th year of participating in the tour. I will have installations & individual pieces in a ranges of sizes and prices so there will be something for everyone! When you arrive at the studio make sure to sign up on the mailing list to get your free BUY ART sticker!

    Open Studios 2016
    October 8, 9, 15 & 16 11 – 5
    Artist #228
    2523 C Mission St
    Santa Cruz

    If you missed it…

    If you missed it | the dirt | Jenni Ward ceramic sculpture

     

    If you missed the Studio Visit article in the October issue of Ceramics Monthly, here’s the full version:

    Ceramics Monthly | Studio Visit | Jenni Ward

    Originally published in October 2016 issue of Ceramics Monthly, pages 26-29. http://www.ceramicsmonthly.org. Copyright, The American Ceramic Society. Reprinted with permission.

     

    Winner! Winner!

    Winner Winner! | the dirt | Jenni Ward ceramic sculptureEarth Art Studio students rocked at the Santa Cruz County Fair this year! We racked up the ribbons like champs with eight 1st place, twelve 2nd place, fifteen 3rd place and six Honorable Mentions in the sculpture and ceramics divisions of the youth Fine Arts Department! Amazing talent abounds with these little artists!

    We are so lucky to of had this opportunity to show student work at the fair this year because the Fine Arts building almost didn’t open. Thanks to Donna Giubbini who took on running the department for one more year when no one else had stepped up to the task. Donna works tirelessly to make the fair happen and make sure that each piece of art is showcased with honor but help is needed for next year.

    If anyone would like to lead or co-lead the Fine Arts department for next year, please contact the Fairgrounds. Volunteers are also needed to help receive the work, hang the show, assist during judging, monitor the building during fair hours and take down the show. High School students can get hours for community service by helping out at the fair too. If you’d like to be added to the volunteer contact list for next year, please contact Donna.