"Porcelain Grove" Solo Ceramics Show

Porcelain Grove

For the last few months, I've been busy putting together my new ceramics collection "Porcelain Grove" about trees and their meaning. As of today, the show is on view at Choplet Gallery, 238 Grand St, Brooklyn, NY, till August 3rd. Hope you can come see it! Gallery is open Mon-Fri until 11pm; Sat-Sun until 7pm. Here are a few snapshots from the 40+ collection.

Weeping Willow

Birches

Orange Tree

Sequoia Trees

Oak Tree

Baobab Tree

InsiderArt Video Feature

I'm excited to share this short video glimpse into my ceramic-making process by InsiderArt. Drawing is usually the first step to everything I make, regardless of material, although it sometimes takes me months to actually make that which is on paper. Drawing of an idea is a proclamation of intent to the universe, and somehow it works! As my art mentors say, our tastes are always ahead of our abilities, and that's a good thing: keeps us, makers, busy and striving for more!

Day 3 of the 5 Day Art Challenge: Painted Ceramic Plates

I accepted the Facebook 5 Day Art Challenge nomination from my friend and artist Audrey Hawkins. Here's my Day 3: painted ceramic plates. I sent these plates to Moscow recently, to our family's close friends. Hi, my dear Moscow friends, if you're reading this :)

Pottery Update

Here are some of my latest ceramic pieces from August and September of 2014.

Thumbnails for the Drip Vase glaze.

Drip Vase. 10" height x 8" width

Thumbnail for the Elephant Vase glaze

Elephant Vase. Drip Vase. 10.5" height x 8" width

Thumbnails for the Vessel with Handle glaze

Vessel with Handle. 14" height

Thumbnails for the Tribal Vase underglaze and glaze design.

Tribal Vase. 14" height

Thumbnails for the painterly series

Thumbnail for sea form glaze

Sea Form Bowl. 7" diameter.

Espresso Cups

The latest ceramics crop: small espresso cups. Dark brown clay, underglaze painting and glaze.

From The Potter's Wheel

Diameter range 5-6", height range 3-4"

I've taken up pottery this winter (here's what my first out-of-the-kiln crop looked like). Time for an update! I am enjoying it immensely, and have worked with white, brown and dark brown clay so far. Throwing on the wheel gets easier with time, as it's all about muscle memory and practice. And I love decorating surfaces with paints and glazes. Currently, I'm focusing on utilitarian items with handles; hope to share those in the next update. In the meantime, here's vases and bowls.

Thumbnails for round bowls

Round bowls, bisque-fired, pre-paint and glaze.

Diameter 6", height 3.5"

Left: diameter 5", height 3.5". Right: diameter 6", height 4"

Height 5.5"

Brown clay, fresh of the wheel, pre-bisque firing.  Below is what these look like after glazing.

Inspired by Italian Futurism art movement. Under-glaze painting, glaze.

Inspired by Italian Futurism art movement. Under-glaze painting, glaze.

Inspired by Italian Futurism art movement. Under-glaze painting, glaze.

Inspired by Italian Futurism art movement. Under-glaze painting, glaze. Diameter 4", height 2"

Carved surface, oxide and glaze. Height 5.5"

Carved surface, oxide and glaze. Height 7"

Oxide and glaze.

Oxide and glaze.

Oxide and glaze.

Fresh From the Kiln

I've taken up ceramics. Learning wheel-throwing is not easy, but very enjoyable. I just love the feel of wet clay. It holds endless potential. My teacher encourages us: "It's just mud!" and I think "sure, with so many hopes projected onto it!" Ha! Here's my first crop, painted and glazed.

Pottery Painting

Went pottery painting the other week with my friends, and enjoyed it immensely! These objects here are pre-made. I'm working on making my own ceramics, but that's for another post. The suspense in pottery-paining is that you start with matte, pastel-looking painting, and after glazing and firing, it turns glossy and saturated. I'm pleased with how these came out, and want to experiment more. So many possibilities...

Close-up

Before glazing and firing. Pastel, matte finish of freshly-painted ceramics.