I've never seen myself as a decorator, but that's mostly because I have a narrow sense of what that is. (I'm not proud of that fact!) When I use that word I'm thinking about work that involves brushwork like Michael or sgrafitto like Neal or even the overglaze work of Susan. Just the same, I have often made marks on the surface and even more often created textures. For almost 30 years form has been my constant, and I've explored lots of different surface treatments.
I've written before about my growing fascination with old German saltglaze and that's my jumping off point for now. My favorite work often takes an old idea and makes it new. I guess that's what I think I'm doing with the bottle below.
Mostly these pots are fat and jolly, but this one is pretty cool long and lean. The surrealist painter Rene' Magritte painted a series of paintings that included dozens of bowler hatted gentlemen raining down out of the sky. That image of random multiples has always intrigued me...hence the raining sprigs.
It is very rare for me to make vase like this and not add a handle...or 2...or 4. But because it's also long and lean with that hard edged neck I let it be. Because it is a bit severe, I added this scratchy texture to the bottom. I like the contrast. Those are seed beads pressed into the sprigs.
I've written before about my growing fascination with old German saltglaze and that's my jumping off point for now. My favorite work often takes an old idea and makes it new. I guess that's what I think I'm doing with the bottle below.
Mostly these pots are fat and jolly, but this one is pretty cool long and lean. The surrealist painter Rene' Magritte painted a series of paintings that included dozens of bowler hatted gentlemen raining down out of the sky. That image of random multiples has always intrigued me...hence the raining sprigs.
It is very rare for me to make vase like this and not add a handle...or 2...or 4. But because it's also long and lean with that hard edged neck I let it be. Because it is a bit severe, I added this scratchy texture to the bottom. I like the contrast. Those are seed beads pressed into the sprigs.
Tomorrow I'll be back on the wheel. That's always a good thing.
6 comments:
love the sprigs! especially the top pot--wonderful how the decoration wraps around it.
--christy
Enjoying your posts very much - these look wonderful.
I think the sprigging combined with the texture gives it a richness that simple sprigging on a bare surface lacks. The texturing of the background not only adds depth, but I think some complexity too!
Nice work.
Second one reminds me a little of Brancusi in shape. Very aerodynamic. Very cool.
I love the sprigs, beautiful. Just read Toff and Georgie's names in your last post. I know them too though not well. My next door neighbour here in Scotland is also related to Toff, small worls isn't it.
LOVE that third one with the texture and sprigs!
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