teapots! 11th Invitational

This Friday is the opening at Morgan Contemporary Glass Gallery, for the exhibition titled, "teapots! 11th invitational.  The exhibit will be displayed from April 7-June 10, 2017.

Below are images of the two teapots I created for the exhibition.
They are both hand built using Terra Cotta clay, and glazes were applied to both teapots.

 

 Turquoise Teapot

 

Mechanical Teapot

To see the digital exhibition catalog for the show, click on the link below.

teapots! 11th Invitational, Morgan Contemporary Glass Gallery, Pittsburgh, Pennslyvania

America's ClayFest IV (April 14-May 21, 2016)

I found out recently that I will have a piece of work exhibited in the upcoming exhibition "America's ClayFest IV-Open Division".  The exhibit was juried by Sergei Isupov, ceramic artist, and Leslie Ferrin, of Ferrin Contemporary.  The exhibit will run from April 14-May 21, 2016, at Blue Line Arts Gallery in Roseville, California.

Pictured below is "Ingenuity", the piece that was chosen to be exhibited.  The piece was hand built using Terra Cotta (slabs, coil, and pinch pot method).  Glazes were applied and the piece was fired multiple times to achieve the desired surfaces.  Enjoy!

For more information: www.americasclayfest.org

New Wall Piece Underway-2016

I usually am working on multiple pieces at a time and thought I would post a picture of another piece that I am currently working on.  I have played with creating a press mold and a slip cast mold for the tile design, but thought I would use the press mold to use with hand building.  I am using terra cotta and have been piecing together the tiles onto a  1/2" inch slab.  The wet diameter of the design is 11 3/4".

I will go back and clean up and fill-in any joints and areas which will need attention and possibly make a slip cast mold from the finished prototype.  I'm still not sure about the gears as they are, and may change that portion of the design…I'm just not sure yet.  I am thinking of creating anywhere from nine to twelve, maybe more, to create a wall piece.

I haven't decided on the surface treatment just yet, and will be exploring glazes through tests that I will be doing shortly.  I know it is only one picture of the design in its early stages, but I thought it would give an idea to the time behind the process.  Enjoy.

New Work Underway-2016

During the school break I have been able to get back into the studio and get some new work underway.
I am still working on creating some new molds for slip casting and have also been hand building some new work as well.

Pictured below is one of the new pieces that I am currently working on.  I have bisque fired the piece and will post that image soon, before I start the glazing process.  Enjoy.

KACA Material Mastery Exhibition-2015

I just wanted to let everyone know that I will have some work being displayed at the Kansas Artist Craftsmen Association National Juried Exhibition, Material Mastery, in Wichita, Kansas.  The exhibit was juried by Margaret Bohls.  The exhibit runs from November 2-November 7.   The Exhibition takes place at the Grisham Marilyn Fiber Studio, in Wichita, Kansas.

Pictured below are the pieces being exhibited.

 

Remnant, Terra Cotta, Glazes, Enamel Paints, 2014.

Manual Labor, Terra Cotta, Steel, Wood, Plastic, Glazes, and Enamel Paints, 2011.

Finished Wall Piece-"Mechanical Repetition, 2015"

I finished my new ceramic wall piece and titled it "Mechanical Repetition".  It is made of Terra Cotta and a cone 6 black bronze glaze.  This piece took awhile to make due to the number of pieces I had to make and fit together.  Pictured below is the piece hanging on the wall.

Some New Wall Work

I've been working on some new work and have multiple pieces being constructed at the moment in different stages…it's finally summer!

Pictured are three new wall pieces I put together recently, revisiting my tile work and incorporating some slip cast work.  I played around with glazes and surfaces, but stayed true to the form and idea.

I'll be posting some work in progress tomorrow.  I'm glazing tiles for a new wall piece and have to get them into the kiln tonight before I go to bed.  Enjoy.

New Work-"It's Complicated"

I finally finished up a piece that I have been working on for some time.  The piece is hand built using slabs and molds and was fired to cone six in an electric kiln.  This piece came to mind when I was thinking about industry and the role in history in which industry has had, when it comes to the creation of weapons used for offensive and defensive purposes.  Ironically the year I was working on it (2014-2015), new turmoil arose not only in the Middle East, but also in the annexation of Crimea.

The creation of weapons is closely tied to industry and technology and sometimes used in situations in which the technology was not intended for.  This idea was the basis of creating this piece, and although it is not new to us, it does deserve a moment of contemplation on the time we live in and how history seems to repeat itself.

Below is a picture of the new work titled, "It's Complicated".

America's Clay Fest III (April 17-May 30, 2015)

I recently found out that I had a piece accepted into "America's Clay Fest III".  Formerly known as "Feats of Clay", the exhibition is an international juried ceramic exhibit.  The Jurors for the exhibition are Tip Toland, ceramic sculptor, and Peter Held, Chief Curator at the Ceramic Research Center at Arizona State University.  The exhibit will take place at Blue Line Arts Gallery in Roseville, California.

For more information check out these websites:  www.americasclayfest.org and bluelinearts.org, for more information.

Pictured below is the piece "Possibilities", which will be in the exhibit.

SouthWorks 2015, 20th National Juried Exhibition

I had a piece recently accepted into the SouthWorks 2015 exhibition.  The show was juried by Will South (Chief Curator for the Columbia Museum of Art, Columbia, South Carolina and Chief Curator at the Dayton Art Institute, Dayton, Ohio).  The exhibition takes place April 10-May 8, with the opening on April 10 from 6-9PM at the Oconee Cultural Arts Foundation, in Watkinsville, Georgia.

There were 425 entries for which Mr. South had to choose from, for the exhibit.
Pictured below is the piece selected, "Fossil Fuel".

For more information about the exhibition:  www.ocaf.com

20th San Angelo National Ceramic Competition

I found out recently that I had a piece accepted into the 20th San Angelo National Ceramic Competition.  I mailed out the piece a couple of days ago and it arrived yesterday.  The Juror for the exhibition is Leopold Foulum, from Montreal, Canada.  There was a total of 764 pieces of art submitted for jurying and a total of 123 works were chosen for the exhibition.

The exhibit will take place from April 11- June 26, 2014, at the San Angelo Museum of Fine Art, San Angelo, Texas.  For more information you can check out the website link posted here:  www.samfa.org 

Posted below is a picture of the piece accepted for the exhibit.  The title for the piece is, "Technological Dependence".

New Work-2013 (Remnant)

This piece is titled "Remnant" and is hand built using earthenware slabs, with press molded additions as well.  I fired the piece to cone six and used glazes as well as enamel paints.  I'm glad it's done so I can update my portfolio on my web page as well as concentrate on new work I'm creating at the moment.  I fired this particular piece multiple times.

Wheel Thrown Vessel Form-Update (1)

So, I know I posted recently about a wheel-thrown vessel I was working on.  Here is a photo of the carving I had talked about previously.  The light colored area in the middle of the form is a light blue slip.  I still plan on building up layers through multi-firing the work.  I just thought I would post an update of the work.

Wheel Thrown Vessel in Progress

Here is a vessel form I threw on the wheel, the picture was from last week and since then I have added a handle to the lid.  I also have carved away some of the clay around the base to mimic the cogs of a gear.  I will post more pictures as the progression continues.  I plan on doing multiple firings and printing on the surface as well.

Wheel Thrown Cup

I've been busy working on finishing up new pieces, so I can take images of the work for my portfolio.  I have also been working on the wheel to reinforce my skills.  I don't usually make functional work, but I'll be teaching advanced ceramics next semester, so I thought I should brush up on using the wheel.  It's interesting how my approach to using the wheel has changed since I first was introduced to it as an undergraduate.  I guess it's the years of watching other professional artists and how they use the wheel, that has seemed to alter the way I use the wheel now.  That being said, I enjoy using cups other artists have made and decided to create one for myself.  Below is an image of a cup I made recently.  It's in the drying stage and I plan on hopefully getting it in the kiln soon.  I'll post some updates of the cup and the stages it goes through, in becoming a finished piece.

Why attend Graduate School?

Since leaving graduate school at Edinboro University of Pennsylvania, I've had students ask me what it's like and why should they attend graduate school.  I have had the pleasure to answer any questions they may have, and try to explain the different reasonings one may choose to attend.  It's no easy task and one must understand the dedication needed to succeed.
When I was at Edinboro I had the opportunity to be interviewed about graduate school.  I thought I would share the link of the youtube video explaining graduate school at Edinboro and what I came away from it.  Hope you enjoy the video and I hope it helps to understand at least a little bit more of the reason why I felt it was beneficial.

The link is posted below:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YEBXSqBvAV0


This image shows work I made prior to the installation of my thesis exhibition, back in 2012.

Across the Divide Ceramic Exhibition 2012

Here is another show that I will be in this summer out in Flagstaff, Arizona.  I will be sending the two pieces out this week.  I would post the images of the work, but I think I will wait until the show is up and running.  I don't want to give away any sneak peaks just yet.  I'm working on trying to get down there for the opening, but with the end of graduate school approaching this week I'm not sure just yet.
For more information about Coconino Center For The Arts use this link: http://www.culturalpartners.org/acrossthedivide.htm

Opening Reception: June 2, 6-8pm

Across the Divide will encompass the vast array of contemporary ceramics in the sculptural and installation genres. This exhibit uses the Continental Divide as a metaphor for the artist working in clay that has separated them from traditional techniques and stereotypes within the medium. Participating artists were encouraged to submit work that pushes traditional boundaries of the ceramic medium in its treatment of material and subject.

This exhibition features artists from across the country. All forms of ceramic sculpture, installation and new media work will be included. All works will have some ceramic component and range in scale from hand held to monumental.
Across the Divide opens with a reception on Saturday, June 2, 2012, from 6-8pm. Many of the participating artists will be in attendance, and there will be live music and some treats. The exhibition will be open Tuesdays through Saturdays, 11am-5pm, from June 5, through July 28, 2012, at the Coconino Center for the Arts. Admission to the reception and gallery is free and open to the public.

Juror

Steven Schaeffer is a ceramic sculptor whose work has been shown nationally as well as internationally including the Florence Biennale and the Ceramic Biennial International Competition in Korea. Steve teaches Ceramics at Northern Arizona University in Flagstaff, Arizona.


Photos: top Christine Golden, bottom Steven Schaeffer

New work under progress Fall 2011

This week has been a busy week for me with mid-term critiques and committee critiques this Friday, so I've been trying to get everything ready to present.  I have been working on a new piece for my thesis work and thought I would post the progress up to this point.  The piece pictured is terra cotta clay.  I hand built this piece using slabs and some carving techniques to create the teeth on the gears and on the "tool".  I bisque fired the clay to cone 05, and then applied a cone 6 glaze and glaze fired the pieces to start with a base to work from.  I have thought about taking my work to the next level by paying attention to the minute details, that I think helps with the overall feel of the work, and the tromp l'oeil effect that I am pursuing.  There is still some minor issues I am still working through with the piece, but I feel the end is near.  I'll post pictures of the final piece when I am done with it, hopefully in a couple of weeks.

KACA Material Mastery and Members Exhibition 2011

"Precious", Terra Cotta, 2011 (KACA Material Mastery)

"Fossil Fuel", Earthenware, 2010 (Members Exhibition)

I found out recently that I will have two pieces in two different exhibitions coming this October sponsored by the Kansas Artist Craftsmen Association.  The first one is titled "Material Mastery", which will run from October 17-November 5, 2011(Exhibition reception is November 4, 2011), at the Norman R. Eppink Gallery, Emporia State University, 1200 Commercial St., Emporia, KS.  The National Juried exhibition was juried by Elaine O. Henry, who is the editor of Ceramics Art and Perception and Ceramics TECHNICAL magazines.  The Members Exhibition will take place from October 25-November 5, 2011, at the Emporia Arts Council, 815 Commercial St., Emporia, KS.  The exhibition reception will take place on November 4, 2011.  Unfortunately, I will not be able to attend the exhibitions due to the fact that I am still finishing up my last year in graduate school at Edinboro University of Pennsylvania.  If you are able to attend the shows I would recommend it...it looks like there will be a lot of great art from the list of those showing in the show this year!  The works pictured, are the pieces that will be in the upcoming exhibitions.