Category Archives: Favorites

Designer Wallpaper Influence

18 May 2009

2 Comments

Hoodless_Blossom C&S_Selsby C&S_DorsetC&S_Opera C&S_Selsby_Flock_on_Foil C&S_Woodstock_FlockC&S_Willow_Garden Retro_Op-Art_Green_&_White_Floral Rosies_Pretty_Flower_PotsRosies_Dark_Red Rosies_Oriental Rosies_Black_FloralRosies_Mod_Circles

Not a big fan of wallpaper for the walls, I prefer looking to it for ideas of pattern and color meshings on clay. The textures and designs on these hand-pulled and vintage papers sure spark some ideas.

First paper: “Blosson in Moss Green & Fuschia Pink” by Suzy Hoodless.  Next six: “Selsby,” “Dorset,” “Opera,” “Selsby Flock on Foil,” “Woodstock Flock” and “Willow Garden” by Cole & Son.  Last six: “Retro Op-Art Floral,” “Pretty Flower Pots,” “Dark Red,” “Oriental,” “Black Floral,” and “Mod Circles” at Rosie’s Vintage Wallpaper.

Favorites & Influences from the PMA

12 April 2009

1 Comment

After teaching my workshop last Thursday at a community college outside of Philadelphia, I spent a leisurely afternoon at the Philadelphia Museum of Art on Friday. It was my second visit, and I highly recommend it.  Larger images of the entire collection are posted at the PMA website (I could only snag the smaller to post here).  These are some of my favorite objects, many of which I sketched and noted in my little sketchbook for future reference and influence.

animals_in_diamond_delft chest_over_drawers compote
green_vase bird_on_a_trough candlestick_sevres coffeepot coffeepot_ri
cylinder_desk_and_bookcase document_box dressing_table_pa
footstool_american bird_tree giorgio_morandi_still_life_1946
interior_of_a_cafe jug_iznik lilac_blossoms
mj_heade pair_of_candelabra persian_tabouret
pillow_song side_chair_pa spice_box two_hares vase_on_brass_mount
vase_with_lid wardrobe
surtout_centerpiece sofa yuan_pillow

From top left, first row: Animals in Diamonds (Dutch/Delft tiles) c.1585 Netherlands; Chest over Drawers, Pennsylvania c.1792; Compote, c.1846 France for President Polk; Second row: Vase, Chicago Terra Cotta Works 19thc. Illinois; Bird at Trough, c.1850 Pennsylvania German; Candlestick, c.1761 Sèvres, France; Coffeepot, c. 1800 Pennsylvania German; Coffeepot, c.1899 Rhode Island; Third row: Cylinder Desk and Bookcase, c.1800 PA; Document Box (painted tin), c.1830 PA; Dressing Table, c.1715 PA;  Fourth row: Footstool, c. 1730 PA; Bird Tree, c.1810 Pennsylvania German; Still Life by Giorgio Morandi, 1946; Fifth row: Interior of a Café by Santiago Rusiñol, 1892; Jug, 17th c. Iznik, Turkey; Lilac Blossoms by Christiaen van Pol, c.1800; Sixth row: Orchids in a Jungle by Martin Johnson Heade, c.1870s; Pair of Candelabra designed by Louis-Constant Sévin, c.1862 France; Tabouret (Persian), early 13th c. Iran; Seventh row: Pillow, Song Dynasty (960-1127) China; Side Chair, c.1870 PA; Spice Box (Painted maple), c. 1870 PA; Two Hares in Moonlight by Cho Tai Eok, Chosòn Dynasty 18th c. Korea; Vase on Brass Mount (glass), c. 1910 U.S.; Eighth row:Vase with Lid, c. 1768 Sèvres, France; Wardrobe designed by Sir Ambrose Heal, c. 1910 England; Last row: Centerpiece (Surtout), Strasbourg faience factory, c.1729 France; Sofa (one of a pair) c.1725 England; Pillow, Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368) China.

Jewelry Influence & Favorites

15 February 2009

6 Comments

filigree_gau_box_pendant_nepalesecountess_lettice_knollyskenyan_glass_bead_necklacesingapore_girl_w_jewelry_c1910afghani_hollow_pendant.jpginlaid_buttonMN003200omamorikundan_jewellry_indiatibetan_mans_hair_ornament_c1930tekke_turkoman_amuletfboucher_madame_bergeretjoeseph_descomps_necklacemingei_museum_collectionhaircomb_19thc_indonesiachinese_torque

From top left, first row: Filigree Ga’u box pendant from Nepal; portrait of Lettice Knollys, Countess of Essex and Leicester during Elizabethan England; glass bead necklaces from Kenya; photograph of young girl from Singapore with jewelry, c.1910; Afghani hollow pendant necklace; Second row: inlaid filigree silver and brass button; print depicting Fath Ail Shah, the Shah of Persia, 19th c. (photograph by Michael Nicholson); Omamori, a Japanese amulet; woman wearing Kundan jewellry from India; Third row: Tibetan man’s hair ornament, c. 1930; Tekke Turkoman amulet; painting “Madame Bergeret” by Francois Boucher, 1746; Fourth row: Art Nouveau necklace by Emmanuel-Jules-Joseph [Joë] Descomps, c. 1900; necklace from the Mingei Museum collection; haircomb from Indonesia, 19th c.; and a torque necklace from China.

The wearable objects above and the portraits of their wearers are beautiful to me. kk_teapots_pair_ivSeveral of my past sketch/idea books have pictures and xeroxes from museum exhibitions and books about traditional jewelry, beads and adornment.  I enjoy the patterns, shapes, forms, ornamentation, colors, intricacy, layering and elegance, as well as the symbolism and meaning of jewelry from different time periods and cultures.  Elements of adornment have influenced my work in various ways over the years.  My pots can look “jeweled” or like over-sized jewelry components I think.  The shape of a traditional Ga’u amulet lends itself to the idea and drawing of a large covered jar, or the negative shape created by a Victorian necklace becomes the lip of a pot.

rosetutu_feltnecklace textil_art_necklace precious_zipit_necklace

wood_resin_cluster_necklaceI thought I would include some of my favorite contemporary, handmade necklaces too. From left to right: Funky Felt Necklace by Rose Tutu in Montreal; Textil Art Necklace by Maria Cavallero in Argentina; Precious Zip It Necklace by Londi Creations in France; and Wood Resin Cluster Necklace* by Modica Design in Oregon. (*Happily, I received this necklace as a gift from my husband.)

You can click here, Influences or Favorites, to scroll through more of my posts like this. “Influences” are objects and ideas that directly influence my work or thinking in some way. “Favorites” are things I just really like a lot.

Ceramics I Love, Historical Pt. I

9 December 2008

3 Comments

jomon_pottery pillow_jin_dynasty mimbres ifa_vessel
oribe_mino_ware_serving_dish niderviller pillow_song_dynasty candelabrum_royal_copenhagen
royal_copenhagen_bluefluteschellink_iivory_haeger_art_deco_vasepersian_jugschellink_ii
yoruba_water_vessel islamic_bowl oribe_mino_tebachi

From top left: Jōmon pot, c. 12,000–300 B.C., Japan; Pillow, Cizhou ware, Song to Jin dynasty, 12–13th c., Hebei Province, China; Bowl, Mimbres pottery, AD 1000–1150, New Mexico, USA; Ifa Divination Vessel, Yoruba, Nigeria, Africa.  Second row: Serving dishes, Oribe-style Mino ware, Momoyama period, 16th c. Japan; ‘Caisse à Oignons’, Niderviller porcelain, 1761–66, Rococo, France; Cloud-shaped Pillow w. Peony Scroll, Cizhou ware, Northern Song dynasty, 960–1127 AD, Japan; Candelabrum, Arnold King, Royal Copenhagen Porcelain Manufactory, 1886, Denmark.  Third row: Plate, Blue fluted half lace, Royal Copenhagen, 1775, Denmark; Vase, Sam Schellink for Rozenburg Pottery and Porcelain Factory, The Hague, 1883–1916, Netherlands; Footed vase, Haeger, Art Deco Style, c. 1940s, Illinois, USA; Jug, Persian lustreware, Rayy, c. 1200, Iran; Teapot, W.P. Hartgring for Rozenburg Pottery and Porcelain Factory, The Hague, 1903, Netherlands. Fourth row: Yoruba water vessel, Nigeria, Africa; Plate, Islamic Saminid Period w. Kufic Arabic script, Iranian, late 9th–early 10th c.; Tebachi, Oribe-style Mino ware, Momoyama period, 16th c. Japan.

The pieces above from varied cultures and time periods nicely bridge ceramics I both love and have been influenced by over the years.  To view other posts about this topic (9 total to date), see the “Search Past Posts by Category” section at right and click “Influences” and “Favorites”.

Ceramics I Love (Contemporary, Pt. I)

21 November 2008

5 Comments

ron_nagle cindy_kolodziejski scott_rench brad_schwieger micheal_lucero
kathy_butterly leopold_foulem maren_kloppmann
andrew_martin kathryn_finnerty michael_sherrill

From top left, First row: Ron Nagle, Cindy Kolodziejski, Scott Rench, Brad Schwieger and Michael Lucero. Second row: Kathy Butterly, Leopold Foulem and Maren Kloppmann. Last row: Andrew Martin, Kathryn Finnerty and Michael Sherrill. Not pictured: Adrian Saxe.

This could also be titled, “Ceramics I Want to Own”. This is a different category from the Influence series I add to periodically (click “Influences” in the right column under “Search Past Posts by Category”). When I teach workshops and sometimes via email, I am asked about my “favorite ceramic artists”. This grouping features some of my all time favs.

I don’t consider the work of the artists pictured above —and the next couple of groupings I hope to add in future posts— influences. It’s hard to define, but I differentiate between “favorites” and “influences”. The pictured works are vessels, wall pieces and sculptures I enjoy, appreciate and just plain love (like I want them in my house, love) by artists I respect. Sometimes we like things specifically because they are different from what we make (do, or wear).

When I teach workshops and speak to my students about influences, I try to explain my realization from years ago when I learned to buy work I appreciate rather than attempt working in a style that doesn’t suit my personality. I like “minimal”, but don’t make it, so I buy Maren’s. Of course there is overlap, but generally I buy (or covet) favorites; I research and absorb influences.

I am fortunate to own work by four of the eleven pictured by purchase, trade or gift.

More “Ceramic Loves” to come! They will appear here first, and then be collected under Search Past Posts in a new category I’m calling “Favorites”.