This is a new piece I created, again using pinch pots as a base (the sphere in the center).  Spheres are becoming a central aspect of these new pieces, representing seeds, eggs, the womb, a microcosm of a larger "world."  Perhaps this is an unconscious manifestation of my feelings about having a baby?

In this sculpture, I have created a tiny oceanic planet with coral, barnacles and tentacles emerging from the surface.  I enjoyed carving each tiny surface detail, and I glazed only the tentacles so the glossy, slimy surface would contrast with the matte background.

I have titled this piece Tentacled Undulations.

Miniature Sculpture

Lately, it has been difficult for me to work on the wheel as I have a little guy taking up most of my lap :)  So until he gets here, I have been focusing on handbuilding small scale sculptures that explore the detail and texture found in nature.

This first sculpture is an exploration of the dogwood seed pod, which I found in my yard a couple of weeks ago.  It is very strange looking, with hexagonal sections that each have a little bump in the center.  My wild imagination began making up all kinds of stories about the exotic fruit tree we had growing in our yard, and I made Ryan come and see my new discovery.  He took one look and said, "that's a dogwood seed," and went back to mowing the lawn.  I couldn't help but laugh at myself!

Sometimes my wild imagination can be a blessing.  It helps me create fantastical sculptures that are based on real natural materials, but take on a life of their own.  I created a stamp that recreates the texture of the dogwood seed pod, and to the right you'll see the first prototype sculpture using this stamp.  The dogwood branches cradle the enlarged seed pod, emphasizing the relationship of branch to seed to flower.

The acorn cap mold is another small sculpture tool I have recently created.  I carved a reverse acorn cap texture inside of a pinch pot, so now I can press clay into the mold and make multiple acorn caps!  I envision lots of tiny caps with creatures living inside of them...

Two new pieces: Atropa Belladonna (deadly nightshade) and Choked (flower vase).

I really like making pieces, but glazing is very difficult for me as glazes can be unpredictable and color choices are so permanent. These two recent pieces have been waiting for a while to be glazed, and now that they are done I feel relieved!

The donut shaped teapot has a tiled base that I am working on now. The deadly nightshade wrapped around the form is contrasted against the white teapot body, the dark berries glistening and the flowers open in an inviting manner. This plant grows freely in the wild, beautiful and prolific yet deadly in the right amounts. It makes me think about how people figured this out over time through trial and error, becoming familiar with poisonous plants by getting sick from them. Over the summer, I had planned to make tea from some herbs I was growing in my yard...until I did some research and discovered that in the right amounts, one of the herbs causes excessive bleeding! I think I will buy my tea, and stick to sculpting these dangerous plants instead of ingesting them.

The vine wrapped around the flower vase is tight, cutting into the surface and creating a dark shadow where the two meet. The brightly colored flowers attract attention and create a decorative surface, but small vines creep out continuously and threaten to cover the entire surface of the pot. Is the relationship between the form and the flowers positive or negative? This is a question I intend to return to in future work.

Seapot!

This sea-themed teapot began as a hollow ball of porcelain made on the wheel. I carved the bottom into a nautilus swirl, then added lots of creatures and ocean details. More barnacles, octopus tentacle handle, and a little starfish and sea urchin lid. (I always thought the interior of a sea urchin was called a periwinkle--but it turns out, periwinkles are actually little snails!) The coral spout is my favorite part--I really liked carving and poking all those little holes! Not that anyone would actually use this to steep tea in, but it actually pours really well.

New Work for Maynard ArtSpace Holiday Sale this weekend!

These are my newest mugs, created out of porcelain to match the vase series I have been working on. I wanted to incorporate the "nature" aspect of my sculptural work into my functional work, so all of the pieces I make would feel more cohesive. I am excited to see how they will go over at the Maynard ArtSpace Holiday Sale, at 63 Summer St in Maynard MA. Stop by to see all the great art made by local artists!

December 2nd 5-8

December 3rd 12-5

December 4th 12-4

Here is an image of my most recent finished piece, Bee Pot. I carved a stamp for the honeycomb texture, and used a combination of underglazes and overglazes to highlight the texture and make the honey appear to drip. I am really happy with how this one came out, and I practiced with our new graded background today for a better photo!

New Lace Mugs!

This new set of mugs just came out of the kiln! I am very happy with the pattern on the top edge, done by dipping lace into glaze and pressing it onto the mug.

I also really like the pink/maroon/brown color combo. This is the first full set of mugs with my new married initials Y