New Work- Oliver's Travels

Oliver's Travels

     I have been absent from the blog for a while so I thought it was time for a peek at what I have been working on in my studio.  I have been venturing outside my comfort zone lately, first working on the basketball player, and now a dog. I was invited to submit a dog to the Bark Show at the John Natsoulas Gallery.  I was inspired by my student Terry's Italian Greyhound Oliver. It was fun to work on a new form.  I studied with Jeff Downing and watched him make many dogs over the years.  I think that this came in very handy.  Thanks Jeff!

Art meets Science: Views of the Arab World

I am excited to be featured on Ben Hennig's Views of the World blog today.  I have been using his maps to create my Constructed Cartogram Series.  Ben's blog is facinating. I hope you enjoy checking it out.  Thanks Ben for the feature and for all of your fabulous maps.
http://www.viewsoftheworld.net/?p=2171

New work- Lighting conundrum

  Last night I had Jay Jones over to photograph my new work.   He and I are having an ongoing conversation about capturing the surface of my sculptures with stark shadows versus the soft lighting that most people are using these days. I am including the soft lighting version of Qatar for an example. I  like them both, but wonder which style shows the surface treatment better? I like the dramatic lighting, but is it too much? I would love some opinions on this issue. Thanks!

Egypt

Qatar dramatic lighting

Qatar soft lighting

Afghanistan

Fukushima crossing the North Pacific

Egypt, vellum drawing

Kuwait, vellum drawing

Libya, vellum drawing

Collaborating with Veronica De Jesus

by Veronica De Jesus

I am excited to be collaborating with Veronica De Jesus on a sculpture of this basketball player that she drew. We had our first work day today at my studio.  She is sculpting the head and I roughed out the shoes, legs, and started the the shorts.  He is going to a very big guy.  I have never made a figure this large. I know we are in for some challenges but I think we are up for it. We are using Dixon clay and building the armature out of half inch pipe.  Check out Veronica's fabulous work on her website. www.veronicadejesus.com  I will post new updates as the piece progresses.  Wish us luck!

 

September phew!

detail of North Pacific

September was a busy month for shows this year.  I will get back on the blog updates once I get some of my new work photographed.  I sold Libya and the drawing that went with it, so that is good news.  The texture above is what I plan to use for the NCECA show in March. I have a ton of work ahead of me.

Ceramics Annual of America 2012

I am excited to be showing my Constructed Cartograms this weekend at the Ceramics Annual of America at Ft. Mason in San Francisco.  Please check out the event website for the scheduled lectures and demos at http://www.ceramicsannual.org/?page_id=6   Below is the statement for this current body of work.  A big thanks to Ben Hennig for letting me sculpt work based on his maps.  I am attaching an example below in case you haven't seen my process. Please contact me if you need tickets to visit the show!

Constructed Cartograms

         Online research led me to the Worldmapper website where I found the unique two-dimensional shapes created by Benjamin D. Hennig’s  Phd. research. These gridded population cartograms reflected the human landscape, but also suggested abstracted insects, animals, and flora.  I was intrigued by the possibility of sculpting these shapes and Ben was enthusiastic about a cross-pollinization of the arts and sciences. Images of my sculpted cartograms have been included in several of his lectures including a presentation to Population Special Group at the 2012 meeting of the Association of American Geographers (AAG) in New York.

         The first phase of this body of work has focused on the countries of the Middle East.  Interpreting maps that reflect the location of the people seemed like an appropriate place to begin. Color and texture always play an important role in my sculpture.  The gold and silver line work is used to suggest the potential for human flexibility and success. The crawly, cracking glazes represent shifting circumstances and political changes.

         The maps presented in these sculptures are equal area cartograms, otherwise known as density-equalizing maps. The cartogram re-sizes each territory according to the variable being mapped. In this case the variable is the human population. The underlying grid ensures the preservation of an accurate geographic reference to the real world.  Please view Ben’s website at www.worldpopulationatlas.org for more maps and information. 

Kuwait

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New finished work- Morocco

Finally Finished!

photo credit Wilfred J. Jones

I saw this Rhinopias fish on Pinterest today. Doesn't it look like this piece?

5/22/12

Well I went for the full on mehndi. Now to let it slowly dry and get it bisqued!

5/16/12
Today I finally finished the surface and moved on to the line work.

5/1/12

4/29/12 update

I started to surface treatments today.  I am using the rolled Keraflex for the front decoration.  I am thinking Morocco wedding theme. Don't ask me why, because I have no idea how it became wedding themed... other than my henna mehndi research, and the cakes, well....maybe I do know.  He he.  I know the how, but the why is another story.  

Building this has been very fun.  I am enjoying the scale.  At this point it is all about the form.  I am making adjustments and working it out.  Next comes the surface treatment. I can't wait.