Summer 2024

Happy midyear!

The solstice has passed and July has begun. Looking back on the past 6 months I feel like I’ve done so much experimenting and yet I’ve only just begun! My focus has been on both building and finishing experiments, new forms and developing some skills with color layering. I am slowly finishing pieces started months ago as I start to work more fluidly with the color information gathered from experimenting.

A few folks have reached out to ask what I am up to- so I thought I’d share a bit here. Above is a section of a sculpture, still wet, where I am trying to understand how to add flying bird elements to a piece.

After breaking a beloved piece in multiple parts several months ago, I decided to experiment with adding wire or rod to reinforce extended branches or legs during building. I am hopeful this might make some of my work more resilient.

The images above show the nichrome wire I selected in several gauges, a batch of unfired tests and then fired. Since clay shrinks as it dries and again during each firing I tested wrapping the wire with layers of paper mache that would burn out during firing and allow room for shrinkage. After testing several clay bodies and wires I learned that 4 layers of paper over the wire will minimize cracking and thicker gauge wire warps less during firing.

The piece in the top banner is the first where I have used this wire technique in the structure. We shall see how it dries and fires!

I’ve also been exploring layering and mixing Amaco Velvet Underglazes to see what I find interesting to apply to future pieces. The above are a few my favorites of the hundreds of samples made in the past few months.

Below is one of three small frog sculptures I’ve used to experiment with layering underglazes and oxides to bring color into my work. This one will be exhibited in the Western Visions Show and Sale at the National Museum of Wildlife Art in Jackson starting in September. More information on the show can be found here: https://www.wildlifeartevents.org .

Thank you for your support and interested in my work as I pursue these new ideas! Looking forward to sharing more with you soon.