THE NEW HAT

I loved this precariously balanced sculpture but something was missing for me....She needed a headdress to be complete. Even though she was already fired and finished, I was able to add a pieces of clay (this is paper clay, remember) and then refire the whole piece and refinish it ...voilla!

VARIATIONS ON A THEME

 

 

I am preparing for a workshop and I put together a sheet of images so we could talk about the various ways I finish a piece. I realized that iron oxide is the magic ingredient. I use it over underglazes and under opaque and transparent paints...
I now have a whole vocabulary of effects based on this noxious stuff. I want to get away from it, but I'm too in love with what it can do

BEGINNING WITH AN IDEA

Images come on go...the best ones repeat until I finally find a way to sculpt them. this one is about clouds. how they form, rising as a great mist from the massive forests of the Pacific NorthWest.
First came the sketches...looking for the eventual volume of the cloud that had, now, taken on the human (god-like) shape. Moving into clay and finally finding a finish that expressed the misty quality...her name...NIMBUS

USING BRIGHT COLORS

Fifteen years ago, I left figurative painting behind and  began my journey into clay.
In clay, form is my most important consideration. The finishes on my clay sculptures always defined the piece in either light porcelain or dark iron oxide....now bright color has come to me begging to be included.
By using bright color, I factor in an element that demands equal consideration. Bright color doesn't play a supportive role. It doesn't play nice...

I'm using the same color pallet and the same oil paints that defined my years as a painter. I see that My bright color sculptures are an extension of those earlier paintings.

ACKNOWLEDGING MY HEROS

Most artists don't burst on the scene, fully formed in all their mastery. We all work towards our own vision and along the way, we become aware of the genius of others. If we are honest in our work, we refrain from imitation while allowing ourselves to be influenced.
My heros are figurative sculptors and there are many more than those listed here. At the top of my list is that renaissance giant, Michelangelo. His female figures have strength and power while remaining feminine.

Another of my heros is Aguste Rodin and his studio mate/lover Camille Claudel

Moving forward into modern times, I will list just some of my heros with links to their work.
Javier Marin his work leaves me breathless.
Beth Cavenor she works so large and so detailed. Her animals are archetypes for the best and worst of ourselves.
Michelle Gregor who always builds an aura of peace into her figures.
Lisa Clague her women are serene and beautiful...but there is always something else going on.
Lisa Reinertson her personal work is all about saving nature from it's enemy, man.

I hope you take a moment to check out my heros.
Can you see their influences in my work?

ONLINE GALLERY

I have just begun a relationship with Saatchi Art. They get rave reviews for content and business practices. I was impressed with the quality of art that they show so I put a small group of my work up for sale. You can see my profile at Saatchi Art
This is one of the pieces. She is all about change...Ya gotta embrace it or it will run you over like a freight train.

SPONTANEOUS CLAY in MENDOCINO

The waves are crashing, the sun is shining (hopefully) and I'm  inviting you all to be with me for an exciting 4 days...SEPTEMBER 7th through 10th. at the MENDOCINO ART CENTER
here's the link for full workshop info   http://www.mendocinoartcenter.org/Fall17/Collier.html

Once again, I will be sharing my special tricks for paper clay. It's the perfect clay for beginners because it is so easy to work with and that extra workability also makes it ideal for advanced students to push the envelope on creativity.

WINE COUNTRY WORKSHOP

JUNE 24th and JUNE 25th...SPECIAL (FREE) DEMO JUNE 23
HEALDSBURG ART CENTER

This will be a lot of fun. I always look forward to sharing what I have learned about paper clay.

PAPERCLAY is the only clay I use and I would like to share my serets with you.  In slab form, it can twisted, folded, torn or stretched to build an evocative sculpture. Even if you are a newcomer to clay, results can be amazing. We also will talk about how I achieve my surface treatments.

All of this happens in Headsburg CA which is a wonderful new art center (as well as the epicenter of Sonoma County wine culture) Lots of galleries, restaurants and wine tasting opportunities.

just go to http://healdsburgcenterforthearts.org/calendar/spontaneous-clay/ for the full info

MOVING ON

Forces beyond my control are causing a change of place for me. Now, that think I about it, it will be a very positive move. In the midst of the packing I felt strongly about bringing this piece to life...somehow, within all the chaos of my life, this piece took shape and made it through the firing process. It's about moving forward and the title is...Straight on Till Morning.

 
 

CREAMY PEANUT BUTTER

It's mid January and even sunny California is cold and wet. I'm trying out some ideas in maquette form and the clay feels like creamy (sticky) peanut butter. It comes out of the bag that way. How does the clay inside the bag know that it's cold and wet everywhere?

I'VE BEEN HERE BEFORE

I just spent several weeks on a piece only to find that I had tried to sculpt this idea about a year ago. The older one is in my garden and as I was finishing up the new piece, I realized that I had been there before.

NEW WAVES

I just finished up a series of wave sculptures...some have horses within the wave and some have human forms. They are waiting for a photo session.
My photographer will do the official photos, but I need an image so I can keep my files up to date. I saw them all lined up here and it made an interesting shot.

WORK SHOP AT QUYLE KILNS

June 25th and 26th I am teaching a paperclay workshop up at the very scenic and relaxing Quyle Kiln Studio just above Murphy's, CA
I am offering this to anyone who loves the way clay can express itself....beginners and old hands are all welcome.
Email Pam Quyle (quylekilns!yahoo.com or myself (michele@burningclay.com) We will send the full info.

ALL THE PRETTY HORSES

This is probably the last of my "Horses in the Surf" series...for now, anyway. I used these pieces as an exploration of color, using under-glazes with oxides (or porcelain slip) to knock down the vibrant primary colors. I learned a lot here that I can take to my human forms.

HORSES AND THE SURF

I was traveling north on CA Hwy 1...the surf was wild and the sun was out. I almost drove off the road. I was so moved by what I saw...a true force of nature. The surf was storm-driven and the sunshine was only a temporary condition. When I got to my destination, I ripped up the grocery bags I had with me to make sketches (probably the first time I did not have my trusty sketchbook) The explosion of surf as it pummeled the sea stacks seems to suggest entities. (I'm sure I'm not the first to see this apparition) At first I sketched figures because this has been my subject matter for a very long time. I finally gave up and admitted that was I saw (and felt) were horses pounding though the surf. So I'm following the muse right now to sculpt what I saw. it's a learning experience!

COPPER CARBONATE

I sometimes use a copper wash under my iron oxide surface finish. The results are unpredictable and often very dramatic. It's a process that's impossible to control to any degree, so you just have to take what you get. I did a little photo essay of the progression.

USING MACQUETTES

I always make a bunch of sketches...I keep it all  in a book so I can see all my ideas from certain periods and how I evolved. Maquettes are new for me, I don't even know if I'm spelling it right...the dictionary doesn't have it. But, spelled wrong or not...they are very helpful in planning how to engineer each piece. The socks are my armature. I work with slabs and this unlikely method allows me a lot of flexibility.

LIGHTNESS OF BEING

It has been a long journey to move, set up a new studio....and find out who I am here in this new place. After much experimentation, I have found a surface for my work that pleases me. I use the dark oxides as an undercoat and apply raw clay after firing. I also find that I must include FEET! why I don't know...ask the muse.

WHO'S THERE?

After being away from my work for these past months (and moving) I not sure who the sculptor is right now. It is said that art is a reflection of the location of the artist. If that is true, much has changed and I go searching every time I get my hands on clay lately. The face is where the eye goes, so it's where I experience the most drama...what is this sculpture about?

BACK IN THE STUDIO

It's been quite a while since I had my studio adjoining my house. This new studio came with much hassle. I even had to tear down work tables and shelves to rebuild when the city told the electrician that the kiln had to move 10 feet before they would give him a permit. The rebuild was better than my first try and now everything is operational. The vent got connected last night...but the kiln isn't full yet. I've forgotten how much work I can stuff in there.