Outside the studio

I know I have to post a picture of the other collaboration piece I had talked about in my last blog, so that is the first picture posted.   The collaboration piece was created by Michelle Ghisson and myself.  I created the form and handed it over to her to finish the surface.  I really enjoyed the imagery she used and the process of decoupage.  The following pictures are of my piece in the show "Supersize:  Bigger is Better?"  I unfortunately was unable to attend the opening of "Supersize: Bigger is Better?", but it was really nice to see it still up when I arrived to pick up my piece at Annmarie Sculpture Garden and Arts Center.  I am posting two other works that were also in the show, but unfortunately didn't write down the titles of the pieces, so I thought I would at least give credit to the artists who created the works.

Mayan Robotics, 2010

My piece, "Excess" in the show "Supersize:  Bigger is Better?"

Damian Yanessa

Emily White

Summer work 2011

With summer soon coming to an end and school starting within 28 days, I thought I might show what type of things I've been working on lately.  I know in my last post I said I would try to get the last piece I did in the collaboration series photographed, but I kept forgetting to bring my camera to the studio.  The way our room is set up for photographing work it is best to photograph at night, so I still have not done that, but I will try to this week.  So in the mean time, I thought I would show what I've been working on in the studio.

The above pictures show a piece underway, which I'm working on at the moment.  If you notice the second picture in this series, you will notice the "coupling" nearest the viewer has some carving.far  I tried exploring the surface a bit, by going back to a decorative carved relief on the surface of the form.  I thought by going back to carving a bit more with elements of decoration that it may create a different feel to the object.  I'm not sure yet, and will have to hold my thoughts on it at the moment.  The "couplings" as I call them, will go with the tool I am working on as well.  I have already fired a cone 6 black bronze glaze on the tool form of the piece and still have to finish the surface with cold glazes, along with the addition of found objects to finish it off and make it complete.

The pictures below, shows forms that I've been working on for a wall piece. I still have to create more forms to complete this one, but you can get an idea of where I'm going.  The forms are all hand built using slabs and hand carved, with additions of some press molded accents(bolts).  The idea behind the piece is to create a machine, that represents what we use in our daily lives.  I will have to add some slip-cast additions later, but hopefully it turns out...I'll have to keep updating posts on this piece as it progresses. 

Collaboration work

Last semester in graduate school we took upon an idea to exchange work with the other grad students in our class, and have those students finish the work.  This image represents one of those pieces that was part of the original three I originally made and exchanged with those graduate students that chose my work to finish.  This piece was chosen by Gratia Brown and she ended up finishing the surface. I think she really did an interesting look on my form.  When I asked her what we should title the piece she came up with the title of "Doll House Artifact".  I think it fits, and really enjoyed the exchange between the other graduate students in class.  I have one more to still photograph out of the three, but I should be doing that this week, and then I'll post that image as well.

New work from Last semester

Well summer is officially here and I've been working on some new work and finishing up some work from last semester.  The first two pictures are from one of the pieces, that I did as a collaboration with another grad student, in ceramics at Edinboro.  I created the sculpture using terra cotta and Deric Ence included the textured work around the end.  He originally glazed the work, but I found the glaze to be too dark, so I sandblasted it down and added a cone 6 red glaze to one end and then finished it up with cold glazes and additional sandblasting where I felt it was needed.  The second piece pictured is a piece in which I was was exploring the form and reclaimed clay.  The glazes applied are cone 6 and cone 06, in an oxidation firing (electric kiln).  I fired this piece twice for glaze fire and once for bisque, using a stoneware clay body. 

Dropped off work for "Supersize"

At the gates of AnnMarie Garden.  The gates where created by Peter King and Marni Jaime, Stonehaus Pottery, Pensacola, Florida.  1995, Ceramic.

Jean Arp

Minoru Nizuma

Antonio Tobias Mendez

Jules Olitski

Gerhard Marcks

Well I've been working in the studio most nights, and had to take a trip to Solomons, Maryland to drop off work for the upcoming show.  I've only been to Maryland once before when I attended NCECA in Baltimore, and truly enjoyed southern Maryland.  I recommend the crab cakes...they are the best!  I took some pictures of some of the art work at AnnMarie Sculpture Garden, hope you enjoy them.

Supersize: Bigger is Better? @ Annmarie Sculpture Garden and Arts Center

"Excess", slip-cast porcelain, wood, straw, 2010

I recently found out that a new piece of mine was accepted into a national exhibition at the Annmarie Sculpture Garden and Arts Center, In association with the Smithsonian Institution, in Solomons, Maryland.  The exhibition, "Supersize:  Bigger is Better?", is an all media exhibition with works to be displayed both indoors and outdoors this summer.  The Jurors for the exhibition this year were Nancy Davis, Curator, National Museum of American History, Smithsonian Institution and James F. Langley, Curator of Exhibitions, Calvert Marine Museum. Pictured is the piece that was accepted into the show;  "Excess".  The show runs from June 10-August 21, 2011. Posted here is a link to Annmarie Sculpture Garden and Arts Center for further information http://www.annmariegarden.org/annmarie2/node/581 , or this link will take you to the main page of the Annmarie Sculpture Garden and Arts Center.   http://www.annmariegarden.org/

88th Annual Spring Show at the Erie Art Museum

Travis Winters, graduate student in ceramics, enjoying some conversation during the opening.

Bronze sculpture by Jason Thompson, graduate student in the sculpture department at Edinboro.

This is the piece of mine that sold;  "Genetic Manipulation"

I thought this was a pretty cool piece at the show.  

I really enjoyed the use of mixed media in this piece.

Patron (artist?), Eric Thayer (exhibiting artist), and Mike Angelotti, viewing Mike's installation.

Ceramic work by Gratia Brown, graduate student in ceramics at Edinboro.

One of my pieces in the show, "Lost".

Last weekend was the opening of the 88th Spring Show at the Erie Art Museum.  The Juror this year was Mark Newport, who is the resident artist at Cranbrook Academy of Art in Fibers.  There was a good number of artists representing Edinboro University at the show, in a number of different media.   I entered the show and was fortunate enough to have two pieces chosen for the show.  I ended up selling one of the pieces at the opening and felt the show had a really good variety of work.  If you get a chance to stop by the Erie Art Museum, it will definitely be worth it.  The show runs from April 16-June 26, 2011.  The press release is listed at this site if anyone is interested.  http://www.pr.com/press-release/311949