“Veys,” “Veyz,” “Vahz”

25 April 2011

Spring means it is finally warming up here in north, central MA. For me, this primarily means things will start to bud and bloom which gets me all excited to sit on our porch and observe my garden, which makes me want to make vases.

Last summer (July ’10) during a two-week residency at the Watershed Center for the Arts in Maine, I made a new prototype vase (finished right). As is not uncommon for me, play and design are waylaid by deadlines, so I’ve just gotten around to making a next and improved version now (in-progress left).

Vase forms are a perennial (the pun that had to happen) favorite for me because they can be any shape, size and color, but are equally challenging in the balance between function and beauty (i.e. the potential to elegantly arrange flowers matched with a form that doesn’t overpower the display, but looks attractive and interesting sans posies). “Vase” is such a vague term though because it can be any size, shape and color. I wish there were more specific names for vases intended for certain flowers (like the “tulipiere”) or names that designate a certain size or shape (like the “flower brick”). This Vase In Floral Design page I found gives something close to what I’m craving, giving nice summations on various vase shapes and how they’re used best with tips and notes.

My new, large (15″ h) wire lattice vase is intended, however, to be more sculptural than functional, and is a slight mash-up of form inspiration between a small, cobalt blue glass vase of my Great Grandma’s (similar to the first image below) and a brass antique find that sits in my studio. The wire creates an airy finish to the top of the vase, appearing a bit like a blue-print drawing, a crinoline framework or the unfinished, underlying architecture of the clay part itself. The wire is a way for me to draw in three-dimensions and is a nice contrast material to the clay. (I enjoy working with the wire, but the humbling nature of clay and its shrinkage does not always cooperate with my master plans for elaborate wirework, so we’ll see how it fairs in the firings). I, of course, finished this muscular form off with suggestions of Victorian wallpaper layered over mod candy stripes.

Below are a selection of vases, from antique to contemporary, in a variety of sizes and materials that caught my eye for this post. (You can see the trend that I tend to like pedestal or footed vases.) There are more of my favorites in this post here too. Enjoy!

c1920 Imperial Katy Blue Opalescent Laced-edge vase

From top right: Laced-edge glass vase c. 1920; Vintage trumpet milk glass vase; Antique brass vase; and “Eva” solitaire glass vase. Second row: Etched vintage glass vase; Vintage ruby and gold glass vase; Vintage 1950s Hull vase; and antique Louis Majorelle glass and iron vase. Third row: Anika Engelbrecht ceramic, and balloon Swell vases and Petite Friture Ikebana vases. Last row are all KleinReid: Cyril vase, Chateau bud vase, Upright vases by Eva Zeisel for KleinReid, and Peep vase.

Ceramics I Love (Contemporary, Pt. II)

21 December 2009

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From top left, First row: Bobby Silverman, Gertraud Möhwald, and Magdelene Odundo; Second row: Hans Coper, Viola Frey, Sam Chung and Gary DiPasquale; Third row: Andrea Gill, Jeanne Quinn, and Mary Barringer; Last row: Jason Green and Alan Caiger-Smith.

Visit Part I here to see not only the first grouping but also what I mean by “love” (vs. influence). I enjoy putting these love montages together and hope to do one every so often. I welcome you to leave a list of your all-time favorite contemporary clay artists in the comment section.

Postcard Retrospective

31 May 2009

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Small covered jars*, 2008

Stamped cups, 2007

Wire flower brick*, 2005

Flower boat (Corset series), 2003

Lady vase, 2002

Tea set, Flower basket and Pourer with Saucer, 2001

I have had a “publicity” postcard made every year or two since 2001. (There are two other postcards from ’95 and ’98 I’ll have to dig up for another—more humorous—post.) The two most recent cards, with the jars and cups, are cone 7 electric; the others are cone 10 soda reduction. The image directly above is my MFA graduation show card from Ohio University. Six postcards of work from four different studios. It’s interesting to see how things have changed, most notably after my thesis card, going from what I see as just “ornate” to more “elegant”. Aside from additional layering, the surfaces haven’t changed a lot, but the lines that define the forms have. They are more crisp and where I see the elegance happening. I was the photographer for all of these too, baring witness to the transition from film to digital.

*If you would like a postcard, I would like for you to have one. My most current 2008 Covered jar postcard and the 2005 Flower Brick postcard are still available. (The former because it’s still new and the latter because a printing error left me with 2500!) Simply drop me an email with “Postcard” in the subject line, your mailing address in the body, and specify which card: 2008, 2005 or both. I would love for you to have a pot, but this is a nice precursor, and something you can actually hold in the meantime.

Thank you to Charan Sachar of the great Creative with Clay blog for presenting me with one of his Lovely Blog Awards. I appreciate the friendly acknowledgment!

Ceramics I Love (Contemporary, Pt. I)

21 November 2008

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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.