Sunday, August 16, 2009

Teaching at the Pottery Barn



This summer was an exciting venture into the teaching world. I got the opportunity to teach pottery for five weeks at the Southern Indiana Center for the Arts located in Seymore Indiana. http://www.soinart.com/ Every week was a new group of about thirty to forty kids were I had four forty five minuite classes each day.

My goal was to complete two projects each week. Depending on the age group we worked on several different projects like pinch and coil pots, masks, birdhouses, and slab built boxes. Each week I talked about the history and the basic properties of clay. More importantly the kids were creative with textures, images, and underglazes on the clay. If projects were finished early I demonstrated small animal figures and wheel throwing. It was suprising to see the talent and creative passion unfold within each person.

For me it was a great experience as it has helped me to solidify my career as an artist and a teacher. As a member of SICA I look forward to participating in events and the art camp in the future!

Tuesday, May 5, 2009

Dirt Bags open house




As President of the Dirt Bags clay club, I have to say we did an excellent job at making this first annual Fine Arts open house a special event. Both members and non-members came together to make it all possible. Once we got the gears turning other professors and students joined in to make it bigger than expected. There were musicians vibrating air waves and plenty of good food to go around which created the perfect atmosphere for viewing the artwork. Troy and Ashley created installations in the back rooms. This picture of camo colored porcelain babies is a statement on the war in the middle east. It was a very emotional work of art for many who entered the dark room with gun powder smell lingering in the air. Troy created mixed media sculptures that lay on a bed of dirt and ash to represent people who were killed from the volcanic eruption at Pompeii. I would like to thank all who helped make it possible! See you next year.

Saturday, April 4, 2009

Wood fired salt and soda kiln

This is a small wood fire kiln in Corydon Indiana. A group of local ceramic artist came together on a cold Feburary weekend to make this firing possible. The results were good, cone 11 was reached though it wasn't even throughout the kiln. It took a day and a half to fire and was my first time wood firing from start to finish.





















Friday, April 3, 2009

More BFA Show pictures




BFA Show 'DETAILS'










BFA Artist Statement

To explore clay’s possibilities to portray other materials has led me to mesh sculpture with function. While pieces come together during the creating process, I accentuate constructed properties to further my concepts.

The illusion of worn metallic parts speaks to the durability of manmade objects found in our environment. The implication of fastened parts that make up the forms relate to human nature of building and rebuilding within the framework of our lives.

My interest in the intimate qualities of traditional utilitarian ware has led me to explore possibilities of sculpture with the basis of the functional format. Although dramatic alterations and multiple components that make up the form may hinder the function, my primary focus is to think about the aesthetics of form and design as the dominating element in the ceramic vessels. The sculptures interact with the space around the vessels to further my idea of constructing forms as a metaphor of human experience.

Through this artwork I hope to convey a sense of sustainability by portraying strong metallic characteristics that seem to have endured the testament of time. In the contemporary ceramic vessels I create forms with personalities that have a constructed appearance attaining fluid movements to create a sense of liveliness. Using clay allows me to capture organic qualities within the movement of form that creates a duality against the rigid construction appearance.

Creating visual references to different material lays the foundation of thought that the clay is metal, while titles suggest character and feelings that may be seen within the objects. These ceramic vessels and sculptures become the setting for the viewer to associate personal interpretations into a tangible object.