We are officially on the world wide map for Labyrinth Locator!
Our labyrinth is now the 2nd listed labyrinth in Baja and one of 15 in all of Mexico! It is currently made of natural rocks found on our property, but my plan is to eventually exchange all of the natural rocks for my hand-made ceramic rocks so it will change over time and each visit will be a new experience. If you’re in Todos Santos and want to venture north into the desert, come say hi! Contact us to make an appointment today.
Just in time for Valentine’s Day!
Handmade ceramic Art Hearts are the perfect gift for the loves in your life. They are available in a variety of styles on metal stems that can go in the garden or get tied up with a bunch of fresh flowers or on twine loops that make great ornaments.
Pick some up today at the Barro Sur gift shop or at Earth Art Studio in Todos Santos.
We had hoped that installing the necessary septic system for the studio wouldn’t cause too much of a scar on the desert landscape adjacent to the building, but alas, we were wrong. Instead we were left with a very large area where any thriving plant life had been completely decimated, luckily very few trees were harmed in the process – but still. What to do with such an eyesore?
We talked about replanting the space with local native species, and of course adding art but it just seemed so sparse that it was like putting a bandaid on a gaping wound. So inspired by a friend’s design in their garden, we created a sprawling 25′ wide labyrinth on the space instead. I wish that I had taken a photo of the ‘before’ because the results are pretty dramatic but since there’s no photographic proof, that just tells you how much no one really wanted to remember the ‘before’.
Hundreds of wheelbarrows of dirt later, we evened out the area, removed dead plants and hid the majority of the visible tank lid area. Then laid out the pattern which is a slightly unique labyrinth design that allows patrons to enter on one end, follow the path to the center and then exit, winding out the opposite side. Typically labyrinths have one path into the center that is then followed back out again, as a way to practice mindfulness, meditation and create balance as one walks the path.
Since our path leads literally to the septic tank lid (which will of course be covered and disguised with a very cool sculpture) a friend suggested that one should walk our labyrinth path with mindfulness and spirituality and then just get rid of our shit and keep on going. I have to say, I like this type of mindfulness and it all seems very appropriate to me. Thoughts??
The path is lined by rocks from our property but they will slowly be replaced over time with hand made ceramic rocks from my Rock Candy Series, to add color and another layer of creativity to the space. It will take awhile to replace all the rocks but that is its own journey of mindfulness and meditation. I imagine that the center sculpture will also be changed out overtime too, so that the labyrinth evolves alongside the land it is placed in, regrowing and rebuilding with time.
This was an unplanned element to add to the up and coming sculpture garden but I’m excited by it’s potential and it’s definitely a much better visual than the scar of construction, so with that, you are cordially invited to come and walk the path, leave your shit behind and enjoy the view!
Just a heads up that there are only ten pieces left in the online shop from the Urchin and Medusa series in bell jars and most of them are going to be headed south of the border very soon. So if you live in the US, appreciate reasonable shipping rates and there is something you’ve had your eye on, now’s the time to make your move or forever hold your peace.
About this series: The Urchins and Medusas are made with very thin pieces of perforated, nearly translucent porcelain, if held up to the light the edges will glow. The forms are inspired by the bone structures of single cell planktons and reminiscent of sea urchin shells and jellyfish. These small handheld size pieces appear fragile but are surprisingly strong. Each piece is protected in a glass bell jar with base.
To be honest, I’m not a big gift giver, or a big fan of receiving gifts, especially if it’s “just because” it’s holiday season but sometimes a gift is the best way to really show someone that you care. When I do give gifts, they tend to be handmade, consumable, and/or an experience I can share with the person. When I travel, I seek out souvenir gifts that follow these same rules and I end up with a story to tell and a great memory from that purchase. It takes a little more effort to gift this way, but I think it’s worth it.
When you buy from a small business, you support an actual human. And when you buy from a maker, you support their creative contribution to a community. As someone who sells tangible items, I can tell you first hand how much your choice to buy something handmade by an actual human supports my world.
So, this is all to say, if you’re buying gifts for those that you love this holiday season, the online shop is open! And if I don’t have what you need for a gift, please consider supporting other independent makers – they will definitely appreciate it way more than your big box stores. As always, thank you for your support – I couldn’t do it without you!
Since I’m still obsessed with all things plankton related, I couldn’t help but share this article NPR recently released on the connection between plankton and climate change. The science geek in me, loves to read about how important plankton are for sustaining life on our planet. The artist in me wants to figure out how I can share that knowledge through my art.
In the article, ‘How dead stuff at the bottom of the ocean helps slow the pace of climate change‘, Stanford bio-engineering professor Manu Prakash says, “The small stuff controls the big stuff. On our planet, that’s a rule that we should think about. That the small stuff really matters.”
This idea relates well to my concept of creating the plankton blooms installations, taking a single cell plankton which are impossible to see with the naked eye, and making them made big enough to relate to in the gallery. Then assembled in the form of a plankton bloom, which in nature is big enough to be seen from space and shrinking it down to fit the gallery walls, ultimately, makes the unseen, seen. I love how changing our perspectives allow for the information to sink in through the visuals of art.
To read the full article, click here.
Just a reminder that a portion of all online sales for the month of October will be donated to CERF+, an organization that helps artists in emergency relief.
They will be distributing funding to dozens of artists who lost their studios and artwork during the flooding in western North Carolina.
Western North Carolina is home to so many clay artists, some of whom I know personally, and many have lost their studios, work and livelihood in the flooding from Hurricane Helene.
If you are looking for ways to help, CERF+(Craft Emergency Relief Fund), provides Emergency Grants as well as Get Ready Grants for Craft Artists. It is a great way to help these artists get back on their feet and prepare for the future.
I will be donating a portion of all sales in the online shop for the month of October to CERF+, so if you want to help artists AND get some art, click here!
Have you seen the video of where my inspiration for making porcelain urchins came from?
This video was taken at Davenport Landing in California, a favorite spot of mine and home to millions of purple urchins at low tide. Can you believe, they actually bite away at the rock with their teeth and slowly sculpt their protected home around them?
Purple urchins are beautiful and mesmerizing to watch but they have also been multiplying like crazy in recent years and devouring the kelp beds off the California coast at an unstable rate. This is due to sea star wasting disease, as the sea stars are the main predator of urchins. The urchins have thrived and they can eat up a kelp forest in no time. The kelp forests are the food source and habitat for hundreds of other marine creatures. The good news is that the roe inside the urchins is delicious and a Japanese delicacy called uni, so if you see some purple urchins, don’t be afraid to crack them open and eat up the golden roe, you can help save the kelp beds and get a fancy meal out of it!
If you want to take a piece of the ocean home with you, pieces from this series are available in the online shop.
There are only a few items left in the online shop!
A selection of porcelain Medusas and Urchins in Bell Jars and colorful Trinket Necklaces are available in the online shop. Pieces from these series will not be available for sale in the US again, so grab them before it’s too late!
Online Class & Ebooks are also available!
please note: all physical works ship from california and virtual products will be emailed directly