Today’s the day! Head over to my online SHOP for 25% off of all available work. I like to offer works in advance of the holiday season but shipping gets less and less reliable as the month goes on so here we are, starting on November 1. If you see something you’d like for yourself or a loved one, please let me know if you have any questions. I’m also happy to do payment plans, shipping the piece once the payment plan is complete, so don’t hesitate to ask.
Happy Halloween
First Batch
The first batch of party bird cups are in the kiln as we speak (as I write I guess?). Fingers crossed for a safe passage to the other side.
Slip Casting!
Coming soon!
Weekly Update
I feel like I’m moving through water lately, and some days more like jello. Everything seems to be moving slower than usually except for time. It’s a very odd feeling and I’m not sure how to move at full speed again. I’ve been working to finish up projects and clean my table and my brain of excess “stuff”, but it feels like its always there… At the Medusa photo shoot the other day we talked about sorting things into boxes either mentally or, if needed, physically and I’m working on compartmentalizing but life feels like a fire hose to the face most days. Here’s the update for now. More to come once I pick some stuff up from the ceramic supply shop this week.
Upcoming Exhibitions
Small Wonders 11 opens at Arch Enemy Arts next Friday, November 4th. This exhibition features small works priced at $250 or under so they tend to go quickly! For early access to the show before the opening, you can email info@archenemyarts.com with SMALL WONDERS 11 in the subject line and they'll add your email to the collectors list, which goes out on Thursday, Nov 3rd at 2pm EST.
Exploring the Vessel will open at Antler Gallery in Portland, OR on Friday, November 25th. This show features both functional and non functional vessels. My party bird cups are in process so stay tuned. If you would like to receive an online preview of the show please write Antler to request one by email: gallerist@antlerpdx.com
I am still doing research for my September 2023 show at The Delaplaine in Frederick, MD. Sketches are started but too rough to show anyone, let alone the internet.
Paul and I are continuing to gather ideas for our show in November 2023.
Upcoming Workshops
Workshops in Kalamazoo at KIA // March 2nd-5th, 2023
Workshop at Pocosin Arts // June 12-16, 2023
Registration for my 2023 workshop at Pocosin Arts will open on January 18th so stay tuned!
Work in Progress
I am headed to pick up some slip today so I can start casting these cups. I am excited and nervous but mostly excited. My job today is to not spend $1,000,000 on all the glazes.
Upcoming Miscellany
Sale of available work // November 1st, 2022 - 25% off all available pieces in my catalog. See the previous post for a sneak preview. Possibly more work to come depending on what I find hiding around the house.
Sip & Sketch at the Wagner Free Institute of Science // December 8th, 2022 I’ll be discussing “Birds in Art” and then leading a drawing session. I’m so excited.
Workshops in Kalamazoo at KIA // March 2nd-5th, 2023
Workshop at Pocosin Arts // June 12-16, 2023
Sneak Peek of 11/1 Sale
Next Tuesday, November 1st at 11am EST I’ll be offering all available work in my catalog at a discount of 25% off the regular price. Here is a sneak piece of the pieces, and I may add in some more before then as I look through the studio to see what else I have.
Medusssssssa
After a crazy weekend and Olivia turning 13 (!!!) today I spent the day in someone else’s studio, Celeste Giuliano, for an exciting Medusa themed photoshoot!
I spent most of the time just trying to make my face do all the right things, but Celeste made it super fun and easy. My makeup was done by Jessica Saint Beauty
Here’s a sneak peek, with more images to come in a few weeks:
More molds
This week has been molds molds molds. I’m casting multiples of my slip mold so I can cast more than one cup at once. I’ll start with 5 molds and make more if needed.
Speeding up production to 5 a day rather than 1 a day is already a big step in the right direction. Typically I’m casting in plaster, not clay so it usually easy for me to get multiple pieces cast in a day. Slip casting relies on the plaster soaking moisture out of the clay and the plaster mold needs a bit of time to dry between castings, especially because this one is so small.
I’m hoping to get into the process next week, but it all depends on when I can make it out to the ceramic supply store to get some slip, something I don’t typically have on hand.
WEEKLY UPDATE
Ok ok ok. And we’re back, for real. I’m still catching up after being sick but this week feels more “normal” and I’ve been getting a fair amount done, so that feels good. Here’s today’s update:
Upcoming Exhibitions
Small Wonders 11 opens at Arch Enemy Arts on Friday, November 4th. This exhibition features small works priced at $250 or under so they tend to go quickly! I will have a few pieces available and will show a sneak peek next week. To get early access to the show before the opening, you can email info@archenemyarts.com with SMALL WONDERS 11 in the subject line and they'll add your email to the collectors list, which goes out on Thursday, Nov 3rd at 2pm EST.
Exploring the Vessel will open at Antler Gallery in Portland, OR on Friday, November 25th. This show features both functional and non functional vessels. More info on this soon as my piece is in the works but process is its whole own thing....
I had a meeting with Corey at The Delaplaine in Frederick, MD for my September 2023 show and am really excited to get started on that. The working theme is “Training dojo for Disney Princesses as Final Girls”. Stay tuned.
Paul and I are getting back to talking about our show in November 2023 and I’ll be diving back into that once I start casting these new pieces. Much more headed this way soon.
Upcoming Workshops
Workshops in Kalamazoo at KIA // March 2nd-5th, 2023
Workshop at Pocosin Arts // June 12-16, 2023
Registration for my 2023 workshop at Pocosin Arts will open on January 18th so stay tuned!
Work in Progress
I will be casting bird skulls til November of 2023. SO there will be a lot of them. I’ve started my vessel piece and am working on the molds so I can set myself up a bit of a production line. I’m excited to play around with glazes, as I never get the chance to do that.
Upcoming Miscellany
Olivia’s Birthday is Sunday so expect some good party photos next week! She’s going to be 13!!!!
Sale of available work // November 1st, 2022 - 25% off all available pieces in my catalog. Look out for a sneak preview here next week.
Sip & Sketch at the Wagner Free Institute of Science // December 8th, 2022
Workshops in Kalamazoo at KIA // March 2nd-5th, 2023
Workshop at Pocosin Arts // June 12-16, 2023
Molds of molds
Ok, so in order to make more than one at a time, I need to make a mold of my mold so I can make more molds… so I can cast multiple small bird cups in a day. A lot of molds right? Well they are small so really it’s relatively easy. Below you see the silicone molds into which I will cast No. 1 Pottery plaster to create multiple slip molds for casting into. It will all make sense soon, I promise.
Monday Moldmaking
Here is the finished plaster mold for slip casting. Because I want to make a lot of these there is another step before I get started…
Slip molds
As a non ceramicist, I rarely have a reason to make slip molds. However, sometimes I find myself with an idea that calls for one… and this piece is one that I’m excited enough about to proceed with a straightforward yet occasionally frustrating process.
I am making a small cup, that is a bird head wearing a party hat. It is such a small cup. And there is no good way to put it down until it is empty.
I think my idea here is that maybe it will slow you down, in the best way possible. Force you to focus on the act of drinking this tiny drink. A pause in your day where maybe you need both hands and all your attention.
Because this form is simple, it will be a 2 piece slip mold. Slip molds are made of plaster, because the plaster absorbs the liquid clay that is poured in. The clay becomes thicker as the moisture is soaked into the plaster and the excess is poured out, leaving a hollow form. Don’t worry. It will all make sense eventually. Stay tuned for more on this piece soon.
Weekly Update
The last two weeks have been crazy, and I feel like the crazy affects me more than it ever has. I used to almost thrive on chaos and now I most assuredly do not. This weekly update is the place where I sort my upcoming projects and work and my brain appreciates that, so here we go:
Upcoming Exhibitions
Small Wonders 11 will be coming to Arch Enemy Arts on Friday, November 4th. This exhibition features small works priced at $250 or under so if you are looking for holiday gifts, this is the place to do it! To get access to this work before the opening, you can email info@archenemyarts.com with SMALL WONDERS 11 in the subject line and they'll add your email to the collectors list, which goes out on Thursday, Nov 3rd at 2pm EST.
Exploring the Vessel will open at Antler Gallery on Friday, November 25th. This show features both functional and non functional vessels. More info on this soon.
Talks for our show in Nov 2023 have slowed with all that we have going on but now as everything calms down here a bit I expect it will pick up again soon. November of 2023 feels far away but will be here before we know it!
Upcoming Workshops
Registration for my 2023 workshop at Pocosin Arts will open on January 18th so stay tuned!
Work in Progress
I am still casting bird skulls and deciding next moves to make on a few different projects. I’m at the stage where I have too many ideas all at once and its a bit paralyzing. Too many ideas is always a good problem and usually I just start somewhere and see what happens.
Upcoming Miscellany
Sale of available work // November 1st, 2022
Sip & Sketch at the Wagner Free Institute of Science // December 8th, 2022
Workshops in Kalamazoo at KIA // March 2nd-5th, 2023
Workshop at Pocosin Arts // June 12-16, 2023
back at it
Whew! What a crazy two weeks! So much happened that my brain still feels like it’s playing catch up but here I am, so that’s a start.
The workshop at Union Hall Arts was great, so I’ll start there. A dedicated group of artists braved hurricane winds to make it to Atlantic City for two days of me talking about dead birds and feather textures. Everyone did a wonderful job and I had such a great time.
I have a few workshops coming up in 2023, which I will share info on tomorrow. Workshops are a fun way to have an immersive learning experience where you get a lot of information over a short period of time. And my suggestion for afterwards? Go home and sculpt! Try out all the new tips and tricks you learned at your own speed and see what happens. Try to notice if you are looking T your work differently now and if so, what are you noticing?
Ok, that’s it for now. More tomorrow!
Workshop goodie boxes
Tomorrow is the start of my 2 day Animal Sculpture workshop at Union Hall Arts! I spent the day finalizing: packing the clay, tools, reference materials and 1,000,000 books into the car; printing and assembling the Animal Sculpture with Darla Jackson zine; and making what can only be described as “Goodie Boxes” (like a goodie bag but it’s in a bin instead.) I guess it’s a “Take a class with Darla, get a prize!” sort of thing, because I’m so excited about this one.
Stay tuned for photos from the workshop!
Chaos reigns
I am perpetually fixing things that aren’t quite ready to be fixed. Like fixing this wall before the plumbing on the other side was completely figured out.
But I am happy to cut back into this perfect wall if it means that we will have a bathroom on the upper floors of the house. No more lugging buckets of water up from the first floor!
We are also having the roof done today, which will solve the other big problem in my studio: the perpetual leak. Despite the chaos, I’m very excited for it all.
Incoming Casts
In addition to casting my own work, I LOVE collecting plaster casts when I can. Here are two that we will be picking up from The Fountainhead Gipsoteca in a few weeks:
Justin is having a moving sale in his Instagram stories at @fountainheadgipsoteca and there are tons of affordable casts available.
Around the house: The Green Room
Weekly Update
This week has been a little crazy despite it being only Wednesday. I feel like I’m doing a whole lot and very little at the same time. Some major things are happening around the house (roof! bathrooms!) and that’s got a chunk of my attention. The rest of my time feels filled with lots of little things that all need finishing.
Current Exhibitions
Spectrum 3, at Arch Enemy Arts, will have an opening reception on First Friday, October 7th.
Upcoming Exhibitions
Paul and I continue to prep for our show in Nov 2023. I am gathering a lot of thoughts and testing things and hope to make a fair amount of sculpture (and more) that I can edit down as is appropriate for the show. I’ll get more into some things I’m thinking about soon…
Upcoming Workshops
There is only one space left in my upcoming Animal Sculpture Workshop at Union Hall Arts in Atlantic City, NJ!
You can view more information and sign up HERE
Work in Progress
Upcoming Miscellany
Sale of available work // November 1st, 2022
Sip & Sketch at the Wagner Free Institute of Science // December 8th, 2022
Workshops in Kalamazoo at KIA // March 2nd-5th, 2023
Workshop at Pocosin Arts // June 12-16, 2023
New ways of doing things
I decided that plastic bags aren’t the best wrapping for small desk sculpture and set out to find a cloche to cover in progress work. I did not want to spend a ton and nor did I want one that was too fragile. Enter the Target Halloween section. Perfect. Done.
Now the dome keeps the environments around the clay somewhat like a terrarium. Perfect.