Surfacing

This mask was finished just in time for the last show and it's a fairly accurate representation of my state of mind for the past month or two. The Winter and Spring (as some of you may have guessed) were a difficult period for me, but Summer brought a new and improved outlook. And so, "Surfacing" was born. I have imagined myself emerging from the deep - fully clothed and swimming cap intact - hopeful and yet pensive and wondering: What next?.......

The size of the mask is approximately 14" high x 6 1/2" wide and is sculpted from stoneware. I had originally planned a raku finish, but the piece dictated otherwise!

Daydream in the Treehouse

Here, I've combined two of my favorite themes: dreams and houses. It seems that my themes are evolving - so much so that I wonder about the beginnings of an idea and why it must be forever changing! Perhaps, like a dream, there is no telling which way it will go. There is no such thing as control.

The occupants of my treehouse are not that different from each other and yet each is an individual with a task to perform. I enjoy giving my dream subjects some responsibilities when I'm awake so that I can lie back and enjoy the view......

Animal Instincts

I'm baaaack! It's been a busy two weeks with the ACC San Francisco show and some delightful after show visitors. I'm just now catching my breath and ready to get back to more regular posting! Today's mask is based on a piece that I made a few years ago. This version is smaller than the original....and that is a trend in my studio right now. I've been making some smaller (more affordable) works in the hope that they might be a bit easier on the pocketbook. I'm still making the larger masks, but I find myself spending more and more time on each piece. I was able to finish a few for this last show and I'll be revealing them soon.

This little mask (7" high x 3 1/2" wide) is yet another tribute to the animal kingdom of which I consider myself a part.......

Not Far From the Tree print

I've been too busy to spend time in my archives searching for photos to post, so I'm again showing a print. This one is from an old small mask that I made and which someone recently asked me to revisit. I didn't make a new ceramic piece (although I might in the future) but decided to play with the image instead. I hope you will enjoy the results as much as I enjoyed creating it......

Moving Right Along

Here is yet another piece from my "Shigaraki" period. Looking back, I see that all of the masks I made there represent some form of change or movement and this one is a perfect example. Even now, in my raku frenzy, I'm still working with stoneware and stretching its limits as far as I can. The big challenge now is to fire it to near vitrification (for strength) and then use low fire treatments and a final raku firing. Some ceramists have told me that this couldn't be done - but, where there's a will.......

Self Analysis

This is a mask heavily influenced by a painting: "A Visit to the Psychoanalyst" by Remedios Varo (one of my faves). I rarely make a piece so directly linked to another's work - but this one just had to be!

I'd like to believe that self analysis is the key to understanding oneself, but it seems that the more doors are opened, the longer the hallway becomes (and this piece was made in 2001)! I'm not ashamed to admit that a visit (or two or three) to the psychoanalyst has become necessary, but I am a bit embarrassed that I put it off as long as I did....