A Closer Look with Brett Freund

Brett Freund is an artist living and working in Maryland. He recently was awarded the Lormina Salter Fellowship at Balitmore Clayworks and last year he was featured as one of Ceramic Monthly's Emerging Artists for 2012. While Brett was bunkered-in awaiting the arrival of superstorm Sandy, we met up at the intergalactic cafe known as 'online chat' to discuss his work a bit more in depth. His use of traditional technique, non-traditional material, and contemporary imagery have created an exciting body of work that grows in many directions, quite like the crystals he references. I look forward to seeing where his work takes him in the future.

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Jesse Lu: I did tons of 'thorough' research into you and your artwork, however, it seems there is very little written out there on the basics of your life story. Care to share a bit of your beginnings with us?

Brett Freund: Sure, I grew up in Pittsburgh, PA during a time when a lot of the old steel factories were being torn down and the city was reinventing itself. Pittsburgh is big enough to be exposed to big city ideas but small enough that as a child I could spend time running around in the streets with friends.

My parents grew up in homes where the men worked in the factories and the women stayed at home. There was a strong element of working class ethics in the city as well as a strong emphasis on education due to the large number of universities in the city.

JL: Blue collar has a loose connection to lowbrow as well. What's the connection in your own work? I've read that you are thinking about commodity, value, low-brow versus high... 

BF: Yeah I think there is a strong connection that happens mentally while I work and one that affects how I look at objects. I think about hierarchies between low and highbrow art a lot. For example who buys what and what context certain objects are created for. I make work based of formal qualities that I consider highbrow but I always want my work to look loose and chaotic. It's funny how so many aesthetics that came from low-brow culture become fashionable for being outsider.

I want things to look a little out of place but at the same time I want there to be a sense that I know what's going on either around me or historically.

JL: I noticed that about your vessels. It seems like you begin with this traditional 'pot' concept but then these crystals form around them along with the imagery, growing out from the epicenter. It kind of mimics how trends spread and adapt, no?

BF: I think that's an interesting way to see it but it's something that I haven't thought of. After undergrad I moved to Florida for a residency at St. Petersburg Clay Company. The first seven or eight months I was there I worked for a company applying rhinestones to dresses for Dancing With the Stars, all the while making folk-inspired, atmospheric pottery at the clay company. I began to see a difference between the environment that I was living in and the pottery that I was making. Living in Western Pennsylvania it made sense to work in that style, but after I lived in Florida things never felt the same. I think some of the best pots made reflect the environment that they are created in but also that sometimes trends in society can conflict with one's own taste. My work is currently reflective of a world that emphasizes precious objects, or any object that people use for identity purposes.

These are the just the things I think about but when I work there is generally a lighter mood in the atmosphere.

JL: I think folks who don't make art think of artists as dancing with this divine inspiration while they make their work. But that isn't really the case, is it? It's more like walking the dog and thinking about stuff, and then making a note to pursue one of those ideas, but then just making the work because it's fun to make things.

So... let's talk about the crystal. It's kind of a big deal in your work. Where'd it come from?

BF: I began using diamond forms in graduate school by gluing Swarovski crystals onto ceramics objects, the same rhinestones we used in the dressmaking sweatshop. I found that I didn't like the connection that the real rhinestones made so I began to use gem forms with slip cast parts. This concept evolved into the crystals because I liked that the work looked precious without being too refined.

JL: Hmm... again, a kind of dichotomy of value. 'Rhinestones' in and of themselves represent this intermediary position between the classy and the trashy, hi versus low. Let's talk about this in a different way...

You were one of Ceramic Monthly's 2012 Emerging Artists. (Congrats, by the way!) In your nomination introduction you said this:

"It's hard to ignore that I've felt hierarchies btw functional and sculptural objects from external sources."

Do you ever find it challenging to be a sculptor who uses ceramics and a contemporary potter at the same time?

BF: First off, thanks. The Emerging Artist was award I felt really honored to have, especially after so much hard work. I don't think you should ever have to define yourself, because if you do I think the end is near. I don't ever want to pinpoint exactly who I am because then it makes it harder to change. I feel as though working as a sculptor and a contemporary potter are the same thing. What I do find challenging is the kind of scale that you associate with sculpture and the resources and energy that it takes, not to say that smaller things have less importance. I have often worked in places that had limited space, for instance, all of the work that I made for the Ceramics Monthly Emerging Artist award was made in my kitchen.

A few times people have commented, after seeing my work in person, that they always imagined it bigger. Most people see my work through images.

You mentioned a kind of dichotomy before and I do think that's what can be tricky when talking about what I do. So many parts can be understood in different ways and in the end I don't really have any answers to the questions that I have with high-brow and low-brow issues but I find them really interesting to look for.

What I like about vessels, rather, that always keeps me coming back to them is the initial connection a pot has with a viewer. That basic form is easily understood and from there you can begin to expand on meaning. Some of my art friends complain about archetypes but I find them to be useful and unavoidable. I also like doing both types of work because anytime I explore my sculpture further my vessel work gets stronger, too.

JL: Working in different media or in different concepts is kind of a catch-22. I think the contemporary art scene kind of frowns upon it to an extent, as if focusing on ONE thing legitimizes your artwork in some way. And while focus can lead to mastering a skill or concept, I think it's important to remember that The Greats rarely stuck to one thing. It's that cross-pollination that leads to actual artistic authority. In my humble opinion, that is.

And I agree... there's a reason certain concepts, objects, or styles have become archetypes.

So, I'm going to be cheeky in regards to functional versus sculptural. Which came first in your work, the chicken or the egg?

BF: I'm not sure if the chicken is functional ceramics and if sculptural ceramics is the egg, but I do think sculptural ceramics historically happened first. For me, though, it may have been functional work that came first. The first piece I ever made was a pinch pot in high school and I specifically remember having salsa bowl in mind while I was making it. The next project, on the other hand, was a ceramic pumpkin assignment that had no function besides being festive. I had no idea what ceramics really was when I started but it quickly became my favorite class. I tried throwing towards my senior year and couldn't manage it for the life of me. When I started art school I thought I could never make it as a potter, and never considering ceramics as a serious sculptural medium, I got heavy into steel and concrete. That is, until I took an introductory ceramics course. It was at that time I learned to throw and became serious about clay. So I suppose I didn't really start out throwing but didn't become a ceramist until I did.

JL: I guess that I meant to ask if you started putting crystals onto your pots before you started making crystal sculptures. Maybe you did it at the same time?

BF: The nugget aspect of my work started even before I began applying the slip cast crystal parts onto vessels. I have only realized my current work within the last year and mostly by taking all the aspects of my graduate work that I liked and mixing them together.

JL: So what is it exactly that's crystallizing on the sculptural work?

BF: I've been over saturating borax in boiling water and then soaking my ceramic pieces in them overnight. It's fun to find what has occurred in the morning and makes waking up more enjoyable. What l like about it, besides giving the porcelain pieces a faux natural appearance, is that it creates a moment in the work where I don't have very much control. I know generally what the outcome will be, but not how the particular crystalline structure will grow.

JL: We don't really have as much control as we ever like to think... over anything really- our life, our art, our process, sometimes that ends up being for the better. If you could choose, though, one direction you would really like to take your work in the future, where would that be?

BF: My favorite aspect with making work is connecting with people and I'm constantly impressed with how certain artists have that ability with their work. Ron Nagle is somebody who comes to mind when I think about work that is small and intimate yet engaging. Another example is Brendon Tang and the way his work makes tradition feel so contemporary. I can see my work becoming more sculptural but maintaining its intimate qualities. I like watching trends and I can see myself mimicking some modernist aesthetics in the future.

JL: I love Ron Nagle's work and Brendan Tang is also pursuing some ideas that I find really interesting. And I can really see intimate work as a seed that's germinating in the contemporary scene. Especially as accessibility to original art becomes more and more important to everyday people, not just big time collectors.

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A huge thank you to Brett for bearing with me as publishing this interview hit a couples bumps in the road. If you're reading and you happen to be in the Baltimore area between January 18 and February 17, Brett is showing some of his work in a group show, "Multiplicity: More than the sum of the parts," at Julio Fine Arts Gallery.

In the Workspace with Linda Fahey

Linda Fahey is a ceramic artist living and working just minutes south of San Francisco, California.  She's been a regular on the ceramic blog scene, with the popular We Swim with the Fishes. Recently, she has begun working full-time on her pottery. Watching her work blossom so quickly and brilliantly has been an absolute joy, both as a friend and as a fellow ceramist. Several days ago Linda and I spent some time writing each other about her studio space, the challenges of making a living as an artist, and her recent entry in a grant contest, Mission: Small Business.

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Jesse Lu: Your studio space is a bit of a patchwork situation, which I find interesting and lovely. Could you describe it to us a little? How long have you been making work here?  

Linda Fahey: Interesting is a nice way of putting it. It’s taken over my house, so it's definitely a live/work set up.  I live by myself, so I can spread out.  I'm up on a hill and have a very nice ocean view.  It could be more organized, but overall it works well.  I do wet work in the actual ‘studio outpost’ which is in my back yard.   The studio is a simple modern frame shed, pitch roof.  Seven feet high ceilings at the lowest with a pitch to eleven feet at the front, with old french doors from a San Francisco victorian for windows, floor to ceiling.  It has great light during the day.  The outpost is 10' X 14', not huge, but cozy.  I have a large table, a bench for drying work and storing materials along the wall, as well as a couch and surround sound.  I like my music and books on tape.  I also work at my dinning room table (see photo) where I do a lot of the carving and slip decoration.  My kiln and glaze area are in the garage providing easier clean up. 

JL: When I was in school I had a class my final semester where we talked about all the ins and outs of the working life of an artist, and there was a good deal of conversation about choosing the right studio space. And it seems from books I've read and artists I've spoken to that there is kind of a split preference between having your studio in your home space and having it away from home. I know you've worked both at and away from your home. Can you tell us a little about those experiences, the differences, and which you prefer?

LF: Ooh, loaded question.  I’ve done both, and until recently, simultaneously.  Probably common for many potters.  Each has pluses and minuses.  The community space is fertile ground, isn’t it?  The energy of being part of a strong artist community and sharing space means you have immediate access to many styles of process - everyone benefits from that type of environment.  Working closely with your mates builds community and camaraderie. That's hugely important to artists- who, like little gangs of birds, can gather together to weather the storms.  I miss it sometimes because, until very recently, I went to Skyline College (Tiffany Schmierer is the teacher) two nights a week to focus on on sculpture work.  I’d been there for over five years, and also Ruby’s Clay Studio for a couple years before that. Now I’m exclusively working at home, sometimes long hours, and it can be a lonely business.  You don’t get the benefit of just hangin’ out with fellow artists and working out an issue or ideas, getting feedback and support, or just taking a break to eat or have a beer with your studio mates.  My constant studio mates are my two dogs, Dante and the tiny Pig.   They are great to have around, unless they don’t get their walk.  

JL: So your studio space at home sounds pretty awesome. You are perched up the hill in a little coastal forest of sorts, looking out into the Pacific, with a beautiful garden and your lovely pups to keep you company when you're not in the water. Can you talk a little about how the space that surrounds you inspires you and influences your work? What is your favorite part about your working environment?

LF: If by environment you mean where I live?  Pacifica is a beach town along the Pacific not far from San Francisco.  Living in a small coastal town would always be my choice.  I get fidgety if I'm away from the ocean for too long.  The ocean is unbounded, vast, constantly changing, along with the weather.  I’ve blogged about it a lot.  One day it’s a perfect sunny day, the next with fog down to the ground, and then it's sunny again.  I love it.  The ocean is a constant inspiration, a million shades of blue, green, gray and white.  I hear the waves at night.  We have tons of sea life, dolphins and whales - it’s beautiful.  I've been in and out of the water most of my life.  I’m doing much less surfing these days, but I have started paddleboarding which I’m excited about.  Being in the water looking back on land, it’s a big experience, the ocean teaches you a lot.  I don’t get that experience anywhere else nor a greater connection to the land, a greater respect for nature and it’s power.  Seriously, it's that sublime effect that only nature creates. You know, the double rainbow effect... we laugh, and it is funny, but it’s also something that is so much bigger than us.

JL: So being such a water baby... that must find it's way into your work or into the way you work. Beyond the obvious ocean icons we see in your art, I mean.

LF: My house is stuffed to the gills with books.  I’ve been reading every book I can find on maritime history and the age of discovery over the last few years.  It's fascinating stuff.  So, it’s not connecting to the ocean via the natural world, but the man’s ferocious appetite for mastering his domain.  It’s incredible what they did.  Setting off towards the horizon not knowing where it would take them or what was waiting for them.  Sometimes they would be out at sea for years.  We have no equivalent for that today.  And it changed the whole world forever.  For my own work I can't always get my arms around how I want to convey the relationship between man and the sea.  How do we feel about the ocean?  I’m often asked about the whales; it’s not just as simple as I read Moby Dick and well, there you go.  Put a whale on it.  The whale is the greatest metaphor we have for the sea.  It’s about the elements, the environment, and the feel of the sea.  The line work, water, moving and turning, churning, wind blowing, the feeling that the ocean is bigger than we know.  

I once swam with a pod of dolphins in Hawaii; it changed my life.  But by contrast, we are poor stewards of the oceans.  Why are we still whaling?  How can we need anything from a whale in this day and age?   We are the arbiters of plastic and so incredibly irresponsible.  There's an endless stream of container ships that march across the horizon line (two a week on average go to the bottom) and then we're considering more oil rigs after the BP fiasco? How are we not doing better, being more sophisticated on how we utilize our resources?  We can’t stop, but we can be way more intelligent about it, instead of greedy.  Everything eventually ends up in the sea.  So, yes, there's a lot more I can do with the subject matter. There are many stories I haven't yet told.   One thing I’d like to do is partner in art with some ocean non-profits to donate sales/help bring greater awareness to how we can use less plastic for starters.

And then... there’s the flower thing in my work.  It’s as simple as I love flowers and pattern.  simplicity and innocence, old and new.  

JL: Recently you posted an article from Etsy on your Facebook that highlighted the misconception about artists and their time. So much more than molding clay or layering paint goes into being an artist. Can you break down what a real 'artist's schedule' is like for you? And on the other hand, if you didn't have to think about making money, what would a fantasy workday look like for you?

LF: I did my corporate time, some 20 years in heavily structured environments.  Now that I have the whole day to structure in anyway I like, it’s been challenging. What's weird is that I'm generally good at time management. Or I was. Now I'm in a world without inherent structure, where I am in charge of developing, implementing, and adjusting the work schedule day to day - even throughout the day.  I've gotten much better at it, but find that I still waste a lot of time.  I just went out and bought a huge calendar for the rest of the year to plot a plan and create a project timeline.  A corporate world of one.  I have a lot going on at the moment, more than I have ever had, so it's critical to my success and growth to get a handle on it.  I make myself work a minimum of six hours a day on clay and two hours on administrative stuff.  The toughest thing is when I'm ramping up for an event.  All hell breaks loose and the schedule gets tossed and I end up working 16/17 hrs a day.  

My fantasy workday... nice question!   So, fantasy day in my fantasy studio/gallery, right? Up around 6,  little workout, make coffee or tea, beach walk with the dogs, then get on my bike and ride to work at the studio/retail/gallery space around ten-thirty. I'd open at eleven.  Come home, wine, eat, rest, read, have fun. Sleep and repeat. Shop hours: Tuesday through Friday eleven - seven, Saturday and Sundays eleven - five. Mondays we'd be closed. I don't know.  Sounds pretty good to me.  Actually, my day is already like that except for the bike part. And, well, the awesome studio/gallery part.  

JL: You've got it all worked out! 

That Etsy article also cited an article on Salon about the plight of the creative class and the relatively obscured economic hardship it's currently facing. Incidentally, in the last year or so you also came across some economic obstacles of your own, the end of your twenty-year career in the corporate world and a leap into the 'creative for pay' wilderness. You mentioned that figuring out how to schedule your self hasn't been as easy as you would have guessed. What other challenges has that leap into self-employment as an artist presented for you in the studio? How has it affected your craft methods??

LF: There have been numerous challenges with the transition.  I think it's important to evaluate your weak points and areas where you are uneven, don't be afraid to get feedback, not just on your artwork, but on your business approach as well.  I know- easier said than done, but there is enormous value there.  Setting realistic goals and attaining them is key.  Again, I draw from my corporate experience a great deal.  I have a hard time with the idea of obscured economic hardship.  I want to be respectful to those, including myself at this point, who cannot make a sustainable living without supplemental income.  Self-employment in any field is a gamble, and it takes a lot of courage to believe in what you are doing and to continue to do that in the face of economic realities.  Where you live, the demographic, the work, luck, grit- everyone has to decide what their bottom line is.   For me, I try to look at my situation as a consultant might, if I could afford to hire one.  How can I be more efficient?  How can I save money?  I want to be smart and make thoughtful decisions.  How can I market myself effectively? What are my goals for the next three months, or six months, or the next year?  How can I round out some of the areas that are not my natural strengths?  I think these are reasonable questions.    

JL: So it seems like this leap has forced you into being more creative in other aspects or your work, not just the 'making' part. I think when it comes down to it though, that type of full throttle, creative thinking is essential to success as an artist and as an entrepreneur. To that effect, your ambition and dedication to this new, 'creative for pay,' has begun to bear some exciting opportunities for you. You are making plans with two stores for future collaborations and you've been accepted into several local art fairs for the upcoming year. Furthermore you've just applied for a small business grant from the 'Mission: Small Business' project. Can you tell us about your project and what the grant would mean for you and your town?

LF: The grant would be a windfall.  It came across my Facebook page quite accidentally; a "friend of a friend" had applied and I voted for her.  Then the wheels started turning and I decided to go for it  Chase Bank/Livesocial set aside some 3 million to give to small businesses that have been in business for at least two years and could use some capital, a financial boost for small business next level growth.   I can only imagine the number of people who applied.  And of course, I consider the unlikelihood of it, but then again... you never know, do you?  As we discussed challenges artists face,  I'm thinking financial creativity.  I've been throwing around in my head the idea of a brick and mortar store for some time, combining a gallery space, retail space, and studio space- romanticizing, idealizing, and visualizing what that would be. A dream for many artists.  The grant would obviously bring this idea to life quite quickly... at least much more quickly than I could do on my own. 

Pacifica is a beautiful place, as I mentioned, a small beach community of 30,000 very near the ocean - a slightly odd little town suffering, it’s fair to say, from a bit of an identity crisis. We have an historic surf culture, which is enjoying a bit of a renaissance and growing by the minute.  We also have a blue-collar flavor here, mixed in with a lot of new people moving in, building homes, wanting growth.  There have been some positive changes, and Pacifica feels like it's on the verge of a new expansion.  We have new business popping up here and there and we have a lively art community. I’d love to see a more vibrant shopping/restaurant trend happening here.  

I believe the idea I have may add something to our community.  I'd like a space to do my work with a gallery and retail store front.  We'd host monthly openings and other events.  I would like to focus on emerging artists and bring in work with moderate price points alongside more upscale pieces, well made textiles, paper goods, and clothing, furniture.   I envision a well-curated, inviting, curious, and interesting environment.  I also think of the space as a gathering place, a comfortable general mercantile.  I want people to see Pacifica as a destination, and to get that art is approachable and affordable for everyone. I want to be more involved day to day with the people in my community and I hope to draw people here from all over.  I am lucky that the Bay Area is saturated with enormous talent to draw from.  

JL: You've always been very supportive of other artists and have built a community for yourself of like-minded creatives. This project seems like it would be an extension of that part of your life. I know working as an artist can present a social challenge at times as you spend many, many hours just with yourself. Some folks blossom in that kind of isolation, but I think you and I are not those folks. Do you have any tips or advice on creating a creative community for oneself, especially as someone working from home?

LF: Yes!  We're Ambi-verts, right?  Ambi-verts can more comfortably navigate the lines between introversion and extroversion.  I have learned that some of my work requires concentration and focus and working alone is ideal. On the other hand, I like doing sculpture work in community studio spaces and I feel it needs that energy.  My peers, the people I've spent years working with, we know each other's work, where we've come from, and we benefit one another with good insight and valuable critique. Building a solid community of people you sync up with is an important part of your artistic development.  If you're not in a graduate program then going to workshops, reading and/or writing blogs, seeking out information and knowledge on your own is important. Finding a mentor or someone fitting to review and give feedback on your work is crucial.  Get your work out there and participate in shows and sales. You have to work it, feed it energy.  You will create a robust circle for yourself by being part of the greater creative community around you. I think it's vital.

JL: Lastly, I've been reading this zine lately, Good to Know, from Pikaland's Amy Ng. The latest issue is about rituals and how artists use them, or don't, to help their work. I'm fascinated by this concept as I feel rituals are really important to help us zone into creative space/time, especially when you work at home. Rituals are signals to your mind that it's time to work, like putting on your suit and tie or hopping on the train to Downtown. Do you have any rituals that you use to put you in studio mode? Do you think rituals are important?

LF: I find the number one important thing I do each day is my walk.  I’ve got a routine in place and I plan my entire work day around it.  That is the main ritual for me.  Besides cleaning up my space before setting to work, I don’t have any elaborate rituals.  I do tend to “circle” around my work sometimes for days before starting a new series.  You remember the spirograph?  Well, I’m the pen.

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We can help Linda Fahey with the Mission: Small Business grant by voting for her project here. Enter Linda Fahey from Pacifica, California to find her project. She needs at least 250 votes to be considered for an award, but the more the better. Please take a moment to help a fellow ceramist and blogger get through the first round of this amazing opportunity.

Kathryn Finnerty

What I love most about Finnerty's work is the way she plays with positive and negative space. The shapes within these pots, created by the fine lattice-work, the curling handles, and the jutting spouts, are enough to examine for hours before you even begin to discover the texture, color, and imagery. Finnerty's work makes you consider how much room for design, style, and creativity there is in just one pot.

(images via accessCeramics with artist's permission)

Tess Stilwell

I have been meaning to post some of Tess Stilwell's work for over a year, so that the original images I chose to share were exchanged for the shots of these adorable cups from the artist's thesis series. I really love how the patterning and characters have evolved in this work. The quality of line, the placement, the subject matter, and the amount of imagery have reached a very balanced aesthetic. Don't you think?

P.S. So sorry for my absence. I have been busy with so much lately. Including my Kickstarter project. Woot Woot. Thank you to all my (Mud)Bucket friends and readers who supported me and helped make it such a success. :)

(images via artist's website with permission)

Karen McPhail

I came across Irish potter, Karen McPhail a couple days ago on Bloesem. What a sweet surprise! I love the graphic nature of the stencils and decals as well as the lovely quality of the linear decorative elements. Plus, creative handles and knobs are always a plus in my book. Also, I really appreciate, now more than ever, the simplicity of the cylinder and how wonderful it is when boldly decorated.

(images via artist's website)

Ally Howell

It's been a while since I last posted I know... But I have a pretty good excuse-

I'm graduating!

Yeah... there's a tinge of exhaustion in that exaltation. I've got exactly six school days left before I am completely finished with my B.A. in studio art. I kinda can't believe it, I don't know what I'll do next. Well, I kinda do, but that's an entirely different post.

Onto the lovely pots above. I've been harboring this post for a while, and well, today is as lovely a day as any to share. I haven't found much information on what Miss Howell is currently working on (or even where she is working from) but these pieces are nonetheless too lovely to pass up. I love the direction she is taking her work-- how she translates the influence or Fabergé and Rococo ornamentation into a cruder approach to handbuilding. These are so up my alley. (No pun intended, seriously.)

(images via artist's website and Flickr)

Studio Time: Surface Design

Okay, so can you tell, I've totally been sick for the last three days. Hence my mass-posting of things I've been meaning to post for some time. No pressure to read it all at once. Take your time to peruse, it might be a while again before I have time to post. Who knows.

Anyway, I wanted to share a little doodling I've been up to in my Surface Design class. We've been doing a whole heck of a lot of stenciling... Which is cool. I actually really like the motifs I've come up with so far. It started out with a bunch of automatic drawing (top) do loosen up and get some pattern ideas out on the board. Truth be told, I think my intructor was just trying to gauge where the everyone in the class was on the uptightness level and let people adjust a bit to his teaching style. But that's just me. He, he. 

Sampling started with some pigment (screen printing ink) and over-dyeing. I kind of cheated and pre-dyed my fabric swatches with thickened dye. We were supposed to be experimenting with different stenciling techniques many of which you can read about in the book, Printing by Hand by Lena Corwin. I employed the traditional stencil cut from plastic film method and the stencil cut from waxed butcher paper method. I loved the clean lines of the butcher paper stencil. Can you tell which part is from that method? Because I'm really into this compositional thing at the moment I added some embroidered images that were inspired by an old magazine article from 1951.  I'm really digging the way these are starting to look like textile paintings. And they remind me of some of my work from last semester.

These last two pieces were my second set of samples. Here we were testing different dyeing methods. I painted the fabrics with one color of fiber reactive dye (used for cotton and other bast fibers) and then experimented with some thickened discharge applied with a squeeze bottle quite like I apply my underglaze designs in ceramics. I'm hoping to stitch on to these samples as well, but I'd like to use some sketches of children from old family photographs. I'll share as soon as I do.

Our newest sample assignment is all about stamping and very basic repeat pattern. I'm not a basic repeat kinda gal so this might be difficult. I have died my samples lovely shades of lime and aqua, however, which I'm excited about. And I also found that the ends of cheap plastic thread spools make a lovely lotus root-esque stamp or something similar to an okra print. This might work it's way into my clay somehow. Yes?

I'll be sure to post upcoming samples soon. :)

Workshop Review: Diana Fayt

Here are some images of the work I got to create during Diana Fayt's workshop last weekend. It was so much fun! I haven't been to a workshop where I got to make something in some time. It was really nice to be able to play in such a different style then I am used to and it loosened up my ideas about working on the surface.  I think workshops where you actually get to make something are really important for artists. When you are working in such an uninhibited situation where you're investment in the work is so much less than in your own studio work, you are free to unlock new ideas that maybe you never even really knew existed in the recesses of your imagination. I feel like the images I chose to bring to Diana's studio, and then work with during the workshop, were selected so spontaneously that I came across this intuitive content choice that I probably wouldn't have otherwise. 

Does that make sense? When you choose things quickly and without the limitations of your own judgement, surprises happen. My textiles professor, Vic de la Rosa, is prodding us to do this in our Surface Design class. We've been doing sampling and automatic drawing like crazy, just picking up random materials and then employing them randomly to create patterns and compositions on fabric. Diana's workshop was a similar experience for me; and the images I chose to make the tiles in her studio have already found their way into my textile work. Who would've known?

Now the only think that is racking my brain is this concept of copyright. Ugh! What a bummer. Does anyone have experience with this issue in their own work, regarding derivative images, from old magazines, newspapers, and such? 

Anyway onto some of the things I learned at Diana's workshop:

-Recycled paper withers against the moisture of wet clay. Use non-recycled paper or other non-paper materials for image transfer if you care to use the image repeatedly or don't want the hassle of picking paper pulp off your surface. I had to learn this the hard way.

-There are stamp-pads for clay! Made by Minnesota Clay Company. I knew I should have been collecting stamps all this time.

-Make your own rules! This was my favorite. We are very beholden to tradition in ceramics, whatever that means, and I think this can have a stunting or lagging effect on the evolution of our art form at times. Sometimes we have to remember that rules were made to be broken, in fact, that's exactly how new rules are made! :)

It goes without saying I think, but I'll say it anyway. If you ever get the chance to take a workshop with Diana by all means do it. She is a great teacher, incredible artist, and a lovely person. Did I tell you she set out tea and coffee and cookies for us? Isn't that so thoughtful? I was truly impressed by her hospitality and the relaxed energy in her studio. I can't wait to visit again. And how lucky? It just so happens that my Professional Practices class is visiting her studio in a couple of weeks. I get to pick my tiles up then, all glazed and fired. Eek! I can't wait.

Diana has three more workshops scheduled this year, thought I'm not sure how many slots are left, so check them out quickly if you're interested. She will be giving another one-day workshop in her own studio here in San Francisco in April, a five-day workshop at Sierra Nevada College in Lake Tahoe in July, and a three-day workshop at Mudfire in Decatur, Georgia in September. Sign up if you can, you'll be so glad you did. :)

Studio Time: Look-alikes

I felt like I had the most amazing a-ha moment on last night at the studio. Like I'd struck some kinda gold decorating some bisqued white stoneware pieces. Then the more I looked at them I felt like they resembled something too familiar. When I realized how closely the patterns resembled Emily Schroeder's work, I felt this cringe in my gut. Now, it's no secret that I am a huge fan of Schroeder, but I wasn't intending to mimic her work, nor was I even thinking of her work when I was decorating the pieces above. Somehow, though, it still seems I've channeled her designs into my work. I'm not really into this... and hopefully this is just one stage in the development of my own style. I'm still disappointed a bit though.

How similar do these pieces look to you? Am I being a total nut or does it look like I'm totally ripping someone off? What is a young artist to do when this happens?

(Mud)Shot: Michelle Summers

Woo hoo! Today we have another exciting artist profile on (Mud)Bucket.  Michelle Summers makes the coolest work- funky shapes and textures meet brilliant colors, quirky characters, and rad illustration. I'm such a fan, and it's so awesome to share her (Mud)Shot with you all today. Enjoy!

The Stats: Michelle Summers, Portland, OR, 10 years working in clay

Do you remember how or when, exactly, the clay bug bit you?

     I believe it happened shortly after visiting the Contemporary Craft Gallery in Portland. I saw some ceramic pieces that opened my eyes to the possibilities of what could be made with clay.  After I started to apply imagery and texture on my pots, I was hooked.

Can you choose three words to describe your work?

     Dreamscape, vibrant, illustrative

I find that as ceramic artists we can get really focused on the ceramic art world and forget what’s happening outside of it. Can you name a non-ceramic artist whose work inspires you?

     Actually, there are several I can mention: Megan Bisbee-Durlam (1), Betsey Walton (4), Joseph Hart (3), Alidra Alic (2), to name a few.  I get most of my inspiration from outside the ceramics world than from within it.

The directions you can choose as a ceramic artist are so many and so varied that we often have to choose a few areas to focus our expertise on. Is there a technique or skill, apart from your own, that you admire or aspire to?

     I think I want to transition into more hand built pottery.  I am attracted to the inviting warmth of hand built pottery with its textures and finger marks left like clues of its construction.

As makers, we are often surprised by what our audience likes best of our work. And our audience’s favorites aren’t always the same as our own. Of your own work, do you have a favorite piece or project?

     I enjoy making cups more than any other form.

Alternately, what is your favorite part of your creative process? (Sketching, glazing, pulling handles, installing, etc.)

     Etching images into leather hard clay.
 

Can you describe your studio space in a few words or sentences?

     Small, homey, bright.  My studio is in the middle of my apartment, starting where a dining nook was meant to be and extends all the way to the door of my bedroom.  Being a bit of a miser, I couldn’t bring myself to pay rent on a little room in the basement, so I live in my studio.

What is the one tool you can’t live without?

     My etching pencil.  I bought it for etching on silver but found it works even better on leather hard clay.

There are ceramic residencies, studios, schools, galleries, conferences, and museums all over the world. Where has your artwork taken you or where would you like it to take you in the future?

     I hope in the near future to do a residency at the Archie Bray Foundation or Penland.  Someday I hope to travel to China or Japan and learn about the ceramic traditions and processes used there.

Artists are multifaceted people and we often have more than one passion. What is an activity outside of ceramic work that you really enjoy?

     I like to go to the bookstore near my home, get a coffee and roam through the magazine isles.  I’m a big fan of home decorating magazines and, of course, art magazines. 

What is the best piece of advice you’ve received from another artist?

     It was something like this, “ideas are a dime a dozen, everyone has them and they don’t mean a thing if you don’t make them happen.”

Teachers always impress the importance of the sketchbook and designers often develop mood-boards as creative as their actual work. How do you collect inspiration?

     Other than my ventures to the magazine isles, I follow a lot of blogs online for inspiration.

If you could have a one-on-one workshop with any ceramist (living or not), who would it be?

     Meredith Brickell

How about some more preferences, perhaps a bit more trivial, shall we…

-Favorite color? Green

-Coffee or tea? Tea

-Last good film or book? Red, the movie based on the DC comic

-Minimalist or maximalist? Maximalist trying to become a minimalist

-Dogs or cats? Cats

-Favorite season? Spring

-Music, silence, or NPR in the studio? Music

-Sloths or lemurs? Lemurs!

And a bit more personal… Michelle, I've noticed you are an artist of many mediums. In addition to making pottery, you also design jewelry and paint. Your unique style, however, is clearly present in all that you do. How do you figure out which projects will get more or less of your creative energy or time? And do you have any advice on developing or maintaining a 'cross-media' voice for other artists interested in pursuing multiple mediums? 

     Since childhood I always aspired to be an artist and have tried my hand at every type of art medium I could.  After taking many many art classes at a local community college, I decided to pick a discipline and stick with it.  Even though I loved working in so many other mediums, I choose ceramics because it allows me to combine many of my other artistic interests. 

     Since my college days, I still dabble in painting and jewelry making as a personal hobby and they are something I do when I need a break from ceramics to play creatively with out any pressure.  I often find working in different mediums reveals new ideas to take back to my ceramics.  However, I don’t have a lot of time between jobs, so I have to devote most of my time to ceramics. 

Do you have a blog we can follow?

     Yes!  michmashceramics.blogspot.com

Lastly, where can we see your work up close and personal?

     I mostly show at craft venues like Crafty Wonderland in Portland and maybe this summer at Urban Uprising in Seattle.

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