On Etsy: Whitney Smith

artist blog

artist Etsy shop

artist website

Why I love it: I have been reading Whitney Smith's blog for quite some time now, and have been meaning to include her work on (Mud)Bucket just as long. More than being a fabulous potter, Whitney is a most incredible business woman. She shares so much advice and insight on her blog, This Artist's Life, it's an invaluable resource for potters today.  I love her work because it looks like such an incredibly modern interpretation of traditional asian ceramic styles: celedon, porcelain, cherry blossom motifs, floral shape inspirations. It's all so feminine and sharp at the same time. I also really dig the fact that Whitney has a registry available for her work. What a clever idea! Why don't more potters offer this? Also, if you want to read a great interview with this hardworkin' gal, check it out on sfgirlbybay.

P.S. Doesn't Whitney take wonderful product photos?

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. :)

Workshop Review: Sharon Virtue

Ahhh... Sharon Virtue. What a wonderful lady and talented artist. Yesterday we got to take a wonderful workshop with Sharon at Clay Creations and learn all of her lovely tips and tricks to design beautifully layered surfaces ripe with depth and color. I've been struggling to reach a quality of surface that I feel good about lately and this workshop definitely inspired me to try some new things. Sharon has developed a great method for layering imaged and color to create a uniquely collaged surface. Learning about the steps she takes made me think a little bit more about how I need to slow my work down a bit and take care to work my narrative into the clay at appropriate stages. I left thinking very differently about how to approach my work, which I think was what I was hoping for. :)

Some of my favorite Sharon Virtue tips?

-Think about what you want your work to do.

-It's okay to use the quickest and easiest way to do things, even if it strays from more traditional methods.

-Never leave any texture on a piece that you don't intend to put there... like canvas or sponge or clay gunk textures. Yuck!

Sharon said this was her very first workshop, though she's been teaching for many years. I congratulate her on a job well done and hope she continues to give workshops so more people can benefit from her fantastic ideas and inspiring energy. :)

Workshop Review: Christa Assad

So I thought I would finally share some of my photos from the Christa Assad Workshop that I went to with a couple of girlfriends a few weekends ago.

First off Solano Valley College was so nice to open its doors for this free workshop. Instructor Kathy Kearns was very kind and the potluck was off the hook! Assad had some good things to say, too. Ha!

So this was a demo workshop, we just sat and watched Assad do her thing while we bombarded her with millions of questions. I felt a little awkward 'cause I think my friends and I totally dominated the conversation. I'd feel worse though if we hadn't been asking such awesome questions and Assad hadn't had such valuable answers. There was a fantastic slide show, which helped me think about how I translate my own inspiration into my work and just watching how Assad builds her pieces was pretty exciting. It's so hard to remember some times that most of her work comes from right off the wheel.

Because right now I'm handbuilding only in my own work, I found her general artist/professional advice to be the most valuable aspect of the day. So to share a few tidbits (not neccessarily direct quotes, mind you)...

Christa says:

-Just show up. (This seems key somehow.)

-Refining a form is how you get to a perfect form. Resolve your designs. (Along the lines of some other advice I was privy to recently.)

-Make time for a beer at the pub with friends! (This one has been the favorite of Sarah's and mine so far.)

I'm looking forward to upcoming workshops with Sharon Virtue and Diana Fayt the next couple of weekends. Those should be right up my alley right now as I struggle with the surface of my work.Stay tuned for those reviews! :)

(Mud)Shot: Sharon Virtue

Good morning, everyone! I'm so happy to share today's artist profile. Sharon Virtue is a gem of an artist- supremely talented, remarkably down to earth, and out of this world generous. I am so inspired by her vision and ability to bring art to people all over the world and still have time to create such a gorgeous body of work herself.  

So, I'll hush my gushing... you can all read for yourselves. Enjoy!

The Stats: Sharon Virtue @ Rubys Clay Studio with 23 years in clay…. www.virtuevision.org

Do you remember how or when, exactly, the clay bug bit you? In art school in the 80s in England, I was actually into film and tv, but ended up being frustrated by the lines for equipment, so I would go down to the clay studio, which was always empty.

Can you choose three words to describe your work? flamboyant, enigmatic, exciting.

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? There are many, and my own work spans many different mediums, Painting was my first love, and my work in community development around the world keeps me firmly grounded in the fact that what I do in my studio is not that important. I am inspired by Matisse, Micheal Jackson, Mythology and Magic…. and most of the sculpture from the ancient worlds from Africa, Oceania, Asia and Classical Greek/Roman Europe.

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 have no formal training in ceramic arts, after my first NCECA conference I realized that most of these people have MA’s… so there are a million different technical things for me to learn. Better throwing skills, handbuilding skills, tricks of the trade, HANDLES….!!!

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? My sculpture, though I feel it is sorely neglected right now. I have so much more to learn and express, so many ideas never made manifest. the time that it takes to create a sculpture is so different to my process around smaller functional works that are easier to sell. My latest works I call Clay Poems, they are ceramic paintings, a bridge between my sculpture, painting and functional work.

Alternately, what is your favorite part of your creative process? (Sketching, glazing, pulling handles, installing, etc.) Working with form, from the wet to leather hard phase, and anything to do with surface pattern design.
 

Can you describe your studio space in a few words or sentences? Very small and dark. I call it the ‘Womb of creativity.’

What is the one tool you can’t live without? Sculpting tools… the ones made of bone with tiny little paddle shaped ends.

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? My work as an artist in community development projects has taken me to Mozambique, Uganda, Brazil, and most recently Haiti. I have worked on several projects here in San Francisco. Searching for inspiration for my artwork has taken me on many journeys all over the world, the only places I haven’t been are Middle East, Japan, China, the Poles and some other countries in South America. My artwork has earned me residencies in Hawaii, Ghana and here in San Francisco, at the De Young Museum.

Artists are multifaceted people and we often have more than one passion. What is an activity outside of ceramic work that you really enjoy? Dancing, singing, sailing, roller scating, sketching, snowboarding , surfing, travel… just life in general, being alive is so special, we take it forgranted a lot of the time, how lucky we are.

What is the best piece of advice you’ve received from another artist? “Do what ever you want, you are the artist.” (Nick Cave after seeing his exhibition of costumes at the Yerba Buena Art Center)

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? With my digital camera, and my memory if I don’t have a sketchbook.

If you could have a one-on-one workshop with any ceramist (living or not), who would it be? Akio Takamori (for now)… is he giving workshops?

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

-Favorite color? the rainbow.

-Coffee or tea? nettle tea.

-Last good film or book? the lace reader.

-Minimalist or maximalist? both

-Dogs or cats? definitely CATS RULE

-Favorite season? they are all special, but I hate being cold.

-Music, silence, or NPR in the studio? depends on the mood, all of the above.

-Polka dots or stripes? Polka dots with stripes on them.

And a bit more personal… Sharon, aside from creating your own body of work, you make an impressive effort to bring art to other communities from right here in the Bay Area to places as far away as Rio de Janeiro and Mozambique. Primarily, these opportunities have been with disadvantaged youth. How have your relationships with these children, specifically, influenced your creativity? My life in general is inspired by the people I work with, but then for me the line between art and life is invisible, its a very holistic, symbiotic experience. My community development projects have helped me to realize how lucky i am to be able to make a career in the Arts. Working with both children and adults abroad and here in California I am made more aware of how important the arts are in our lives. I think most of all I don't take anything for granted and pay attention.

Do you have a blog we can follow? I have a website that needs to be updated but has more in depth info on my community outreach and my blog is http://virtuevision.blogspot.com.

Lastly, where can we see your work up close and personal? Ruby's clay studio, or my home.

Thank you so much, Sharon, for sharing with us. You are a total inspiration.

If you are interested in participating in an artist profile or studio tour, shoot me an email with a link to your website or blog.  :)

Christa Assad Interview

If you haven't read it yet, head over to Handful of Salt for a great interview with Christa Assad earlier this year.

Diana Fayt

It's about time for another post about the Bay Area Pottery Posse. These ladies are truly amazing. Not only do they create delicious bodies of work but they have an unparalleled skill for marketing themselves which I greatly admire.

Onto Diana Fayt specifically, though... I can remember the very first time I came face to face with Fayts beautiful pottery. It was a few years ago and I had stumbled into a new shop on 16th Street between Valencia and Guerrero Streets... The shop was called CandyStore and generously dispersed throughout the quaint shop was the work of local artist Diana Fayt. I had just recently rekindled my relationship with clay and was falling in love the second time around (sometimes that's how it happens). Fayt's fantastic use of bold colors, sketchy botanical motifs, and wabi-sabi forms inspired me immediately. As I have watched Fayt's style delicately evolve I become more and more fond and inspired by her work and her business.  

I had the pleasure of meeting Fayt at Molly Hatch's workshop last weekend and she was just as lovely and perfectly relaxed as her work. Such a pleasant surprise. Though I have to say, few ceramists have ever proven otherwise, so it wasn't really a surprise, more a confirmation.  (We clay folk are just nice people I guess.)

Fayt has a huge body of work and there are many images I could share with you, but I decided to stick to one form, my favorite-- her Canteen Vase, to highlight the beautiful illustration work.  The artist's process is one she describes as self-developed and neither mishima nor sgrafitto. I can't figure out how she does it either but it's a great process however it works. I can't wait to take her workshop one of these days... Speaking of-- Fayt is offering a whole slough of workshops this summer, unfortunately none in the Bay Area, which you can find out more about on her new blog.

Fayt is also currently showing new work at Gumps San Francisco along with a few other Posse members including Josie Jurczenia, Rae Dunn, and Whitney Smith. If you can't make it, check out Fayt's Etsy shop instead and then become her fan on Facebook so you won't miss the next time she shows or teaches in your area.

(images via artist's etsy shop)

Christa Assad

Christa Assad is the rockstar of the fine pottery world. Her kick ass personality and her phenomenal craftsmanship make the artist hard to beat. Assad is just one of several highly successful ceramic artists who make up Clay Mode, a group of friends, all women artists, working in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Assad's work is most notable for the construction techniques the artist uses. These pots are combination wheel thrown and handbuilt. Many of the 'parts' are actually thrown on the wheel and the cut, manipulated, and reconstructed to form beautiful vessels that pay a unique homage to industrial nostalgia. As luck has it, I missed a workshop with Assad this past week at a local junior college. A classmate supposedly made it, so perhaps I can glean some Assad tips from him when I return.

I did, however, find a great interview with the artist in American Craft Magazine that you all should really read. I admire Assad for never losing her joie de vivre as it seems that many proffesional potters become so serious once the inevitable intensity of full time potting kicks in.

(images via the Art of Tea 2009, Exploding Head Gallery, Strictly Functional Pottery National, MudFire Gallery, and artist's own website)

Sara Paloma

I'm sure most folks who find this blog won't need an introduction to Sara Paloma. Her work is, well... well known. Her city-scape bottles can be found in galleries across the country, on blogs across the blogosphere, and in design magazines galore.

But I'm not posting about this artist because of how well known she is. I'm not even posting about her because of how incredible her work is. I'm posting about her because she was the absolute highlight of my day at the Renegade Craft Fair this year. I purchased a couple of her seconds, that's what a student artist can afford, and I love them. Paloma's work looks stunning even with cracks, breakage, and glaze flaws which, in my humble opinion, speaks volumes to her talent. But even as happy as I was to be able to take home some of Paloma's work, I was more thankful for the kind words she had for me when we spoke. In our short interaction, the artist inspired me with her encouragement and humility, her kind words and calmness. She told me she never imagined she would be able to make a living making art, but in fact that's what she does now. She told me it was possible and if I loved clay as much as she does, which it sounded like I did, that I should give it a go. So I think I will.

It's such a silly stereotype, the tortured artist, but it's one based in a reality of sorts. I think you have to give up worrying about whether or not you are going to 'make it' or if you have 'enough talent' to warrant dedicating your life to this path if you want to actually create anything worth creating. But that is even more difficult to do than to write, as an artist's livelihood greatly relies on her/his success.

Anyway, this is all just a tangent now. So sorry, this is supposed to be mostly a picture blog. ;)

The artist's shop.
The artist's website.

(images via artist's website, flickr member pud_pud, MudFire, and frolic!)