All Around This World; Brooklyn

Lately, art appreciation has been taking away from my studio time, but it is nevertheless a valuable activity. Some work once seen can inspire years of creativity. Some work can do the opposite, drain you of motivation because either 1) it is so much better than what you can do, or 2) its presence makes you embarrassed about your having any connection to the so called, "art world." I'll explain that later.



I went to the Brooklyn Museum last weekend. Of interest to me were pieces by the late Judith Scott, a woman with Down's syndrome. These large sculptures, using found objects and all kinds of fiber, are extremely interesting, and not predictable in the least.

I found out that there was a craft show going on this weekend at the museum, so of course, I had to go. There were quite a lot of potters there. A few I found inspiring, and their work likable.

These thick walled striped bowls and patterned cups are typical of Melissa Weiss. I appreciate their simple boldness.

Ming Yuen-Schat displayed his "Ming's Monsters;" vessels that have the organic, rough beauty of Japanese ceramics.

Janis Cutler-Gear is a painter who makes ceramics. This plate shows her current style using stamps and hand painting to achieve what looks to me like a mandala from old India. Very lovely. She was also open to sharing her methods and processes -  a nice person to talk to.

Perhaps my favorite ceramic pieces were by Jerry Bennet.  They are funny pots - look at the fluttery finger shapes coming off of the shoulders of the pot on the right - and they are pretty, even cute.















































Here's a jar with the texture and color of a cooked lobster.

And here, more quirky stuff by Jerry that I liked. A nice fellow also, we talked for a good while.










The craft show was much smaller than the convention center affairs, but plenty to see and admire, and some learning to be had to boot. Therefore, time well spent away from the studio.

As far as the embarrassment I mentioned earlier, that I will write about in a future post.

Making Bowls

Bowls made using hand building techniques are more difficult to get perfectly round and with an evenly level rim than ones formed on a potter's wheel. That is, it's difficult for me, so I give myself leeway and permission to let them be what they are.














Yet, I have been hankering to make a big bowl using the hump mold technique that is not warped. I know they warp because I fuss with them. They need to be left alone and not handled after they are off the mold.

When I saw this one heading for the warp zone, I gave it some wacks, trimmed it, and now it is a oval platter. Not a perfect oval either, just like its round brethren.

bowls with red engobe inlaid and sgraffito

 

But for my last batch of making before the open studio I have gone on a hump mold campaign with some of the abundant free, warm buff clay from the defunct Highland Studio. Each one is created in its own creative surge - I make up what it will be while it's being made - no plan. So one is stamped, one has applied geometric shapes, one is scratched and so on.








Will they warp? As they dry and during firing will they remember the pressures that they experienced while being made? They say clay has memory, and I found that it is all too true. Or will I succeed in getting them to be roundish?

Meanwhile, here is a smaller bowl I made recently. I used the pinch method, held it in my hands and turned it while I gradually thinned and extended the walls. These kind of bowls, I think, are always nice to hold because they are proportioned to a person's hands.

Cards!

I have printed four different linoleum block designs onto card stock. They are a boy/elf, birds in the snow, an angel and a re-issue of the Princeton Oak that I printed several years ago and sent as a holiday card.

I printed about 80 cards, in a two day printing frenzy, and they will be for sale at the Open Studio event on Dec 13-14.