More PMA Craft Show

Marvin Blackmore has carved,
 meticulously decorated vessels

Despite my stopping late in the day and being close to spent, a close look at Marvin Blackmore's exhibit blew me away.

His booth was in a prime location, and he was wrapping up a sale when I stepped up, for what price I cannot even guess. I didn't venture to ask knowing full well they would be costly pieces.

His detailed carving and decoration were very impressive, all clearly using traditional Native American motifs.

Although his work is not something that appeals to my taste, I admired his ornamentation, so masterfully executed, with even highly detailed decoration inside the lids of his jars. Very beautiful.

I am including Paula Shalan again.  Two years ago I also pictured her in my blog, but these new tall forms caught my eye. She told me that they go through three firings to get the decorative effects (that may be in addition to the bisque firing), and the last is a smoke firing. Inside you can see the joints of the slabs they are constructed with - she does not smooth them together.

Paula Shalan's bowl-like small sculptures

These fantastically colorful polymer clay vessels are by Emily Squires Levine. I really loved them.


















However, they are incredibly expensive and they are not functional, but purely decorative. She told me that she was inspired early on by the German artist, Hunderwasser. 

They don't have the tactile surface of natural clay, but the detail, the colors, I think, are just wonderful.

Finally, the last artist, the one I bought from - the delightful Elizabeth Pechacek. 

This is Liz.

She told me about her process of surface decoration using wax, scratched lines and color. Don't ask me - it was a long involved process and I couldn't follow it without exerting serious focus.

This is the mug I bought from her. She only had four or five, so I quickly snapped it up, even though it was early in the day. Sure enough, when I returned a couple hours later, she had sold every one

I don't even use mugs much anymore since I gave up coffee. But a mug - you can always use a mug for something. And look how well it goes in my kitchen. It's as though they were made for each other. I just want to leave it out to look at, pretty, little thing.

Naturally, we had to go to the Reading Terminal Market, one of my favorite places; food, atmosphere, friendly folks and specialty shops like The Herbiary and The Tubby Olive. I bought some early Xmas gifts there. 

                                                                                                                                             

A lunch of grilled swordfish, long beans, artichokes and the most delicious risotto I've ever had was served up at Pearl's Oyster Bar. The special, Sarah and I each enjoyed a plate for just $15. No wonder she's smiling.


My cup runneth over.

PMA Craft Show 2015

This is the third year I've visited and blogged about the Philadelphia Art Museum Craft Show.

There were new ceramics exhibitors, and some returning from previous years. Here, spread over two posts are the ones that to me personally were the most interesting and/or loved (not always both). At the end I will write about my favorite.

Sandra Beyer's porcelain hand built miniatures

I loved Sandra Beyers little porcelains, so delicate and carefully pinched and subtly carved. She described the long process of gradually thinning the walls over the course of days. Her approach seems to me both patient and mindful.

 bowl from Thomas Harris

Thomas Harris' sliced and reconstructed forms stood out as colorful and unusual in a field of frequently white and austere vessels in this year's show. I think the photo shows that. In person I did not love them, but I appreciate their novelty and flamboyance.

amazingly large thin porcelain bowls by Larry Spitz

Another I appreciated, but that did not stir feelings of adoration were the impressively large, thin and consequently light-weight porcelains in Larry Spitz's display, "The Science of Clay."

He enthusiastically described his process of making his thicker black slip pieces on the wheel, where the thick slip spreads across the bowl with rapid spinning. Interesting, but not to me very beautiful. The black and white pieces are a bit more attractive to me.

basket like ceramics are by Candone Wharton

Candone Wharton

Ancient baskets it would appear, are the inspiration for Candone Wharton's often large pieces, made with carved coils of clay. Some look as though they are softly undulating like bendable fiber baskets, creating an illusion of being not what they really are - fired clay.

I love baskets, I love clay, of course I love Candone's work.

Erica Iman is one of the young explorers of the clay medium present at the show, testing clay's capacities in all directions.

How thick can it be, what can I add to texture the clay, how can I make an object that looks like it came out of the earth untouched by human hands? These might be some of the things she is thinking as she makes her crusty, earthy ceramics.

Erica Iman displayed cups and thick, heavy ware and sculpture

Ahrong Kim's surreal work 

I came across this young artist's overwhelmingly busy and inventive work in the 700 aisle, that is near the end of my tour of the PMA Show. Despite its impressive workmanship, I was not moved. Perhaps I was too tired. For me, interesting is the word. I put the photo below on my screen saver so I can study it more. Maybe I will like it more in time, or else not.

Ahrong Kim was present, but she was restrained and so, like her work, remained illusive and mysterious.

brown and white dolls heads on vessels - a little spooky

More to come in the next post...

Here & There

So much going on, I want to share before it's over.
I am in several shows, each with a different type of work. Going on now, in the month of November:

1. CoRE group show at Thomas Sweet's at Montgomery Shopping Center with 5 of my oil paintings.

2. This coming Saturday, it's Art All Day in Trenton (see the last post) with my Observation Tower sculptures.






















3. Off the Wall and Artisan's Marketplace at the West Windsor Arts Council.

I will have pastels and an oil painting in the Off the Wall exhibit. It's ready to view now. My functional ceramics. will be in the Artisan's Marketplace one day only, November 22.

4. Sauce for the Goose, the Arts Council of Princeton's holiday show is in December 11 - 19. Here more whimsical (the word my friend Margaret uses) ceramics.  I will show my Animal Actors bowls and some porcelain earring "trees" that are useful yet sculptural (no pix yet).

So I'm still making things intended for these venues. They will be practically hot from the kiln.

Full Speed for the Holidays

the last morning glory, blooming
on the compost heap

It's the time of year for getting work out there, to be seen, and to be sold, if the market is good and the work appeals. So I've been ensconced in the studio, with music for inspiration, and at all hours, production at full tilt.

porcelain salt cellar parts in production

I have used: 1. red majolica clay, and after that a thorough washing of all tools so I can use: 2. porcelain clay and: 3. warm buff stoneware clay. For each a different result.

red majolica salt cellars

The porcelain is for tiny salt cellars with spoons for the Spice Shop, and a new form I've created to hang dangly earrings to show at the Arts Council of Princeton's, "Sauce for the Goose" sale.
Also for the ACP, at organizer Marie Evans request, more bowls with dogs from tv and movies etched onto the bottom, i.e. Asta, Lassie, the Shaggy Dog, and often their fellow actors or owners: "The Thin Man" William Powell, "Timmy," etc. I have made 7 in three different sizes.

The towers have grown in number. I will have four in the "Art All Day" event in Trenton on November 14, plus other sculpture, and functional pieces. This is a big event, with trollies transporting art lovers to artist studios, and pop-up galleries throughout the city. Last year was very successful I heard, so I jumped in this year. I will be sharing a large space, the Modern Demand Dance Studio at 228 East State Street.
http://artworkstrenton.org/utm_source=Art+All+Day+is+fast+approaching&utm_campaign=Art+All+Day+2015&utm_medium=email















So time to fire up the kiln! Outcomes to be pictured in future posts.