More summer recap...

I went to see the Health in Enamel exhibition at the Metal Museum in Memphis, Tennessee. There was a beautiful selection of Martha Banyas’s work on display and an enameled “quilt” in her honor. I was invited to participate in the quilt, and so contributed the following tile and story…

Once upon a time, there was a very young girl whose daddy was in the hospital. When it was time to visit him, she wanted to bring flowers. She asked her mother if the flowers would die. When her mother said 'yes,' the very young girl asked if rocks die. When her mother said 'no,' she decided to paint a rock for him and take it to the hospital instead of flowers. The daddy got better and came home. Our Rock People stay alive in our hearts.

Rocks Don’t Die, enamel on copper, 4 x"4in., 2024

Enamel community quilt of tiles

43RD ANNUAL CONTEMPORARY CRAFTS at Mesa Contemporary Arts Museum

The juror for this esteemed and established annual event was Beth C. McLaughlin, Artistic Director and Chief Curator of Fuller Craft Museum in Brockton, MA. I was so pleased to have Grow Build Climb Fly selected for inclusion. Imposed upon the form of a pneumatic dry haul trailer, the imagery of kernels, bricks, ladders and feathers are meant to represent what I wish for my children as they move through the stages of their life. The dry haul trailer is a conveyor of grain that I often see on the highways, but is also reminiscent of mammary glands. The rope that it hangs from is made of casein fiber, derived from milk, which I spun myself.

enameled metal wall sculpture hanging from a hook

Grow, Build, Climb, Fly, 18 x 18 x 9 in, copper, brass, vitreous enamel, casein fiber, 2021

Materials Hard and Soft

One of the best things about living in North Texas is getting to see the Materials Hard and Soft show in person every year. Now in its 36th year, the Greater Denton Arts Council does an excellent job of putting this together and the opening reception is always a big night in the local craft community. According to the website, “This year’s call for artists drew over 800 submissions from 16 countries worldwide and 45 states. Our Jurors selected 80 works for exhibition at the Patterson-Appleton Arts Center, including works from 18 states and 4 countries including Canada, France, the United Kingdom, and the United States.”

I am so grateful to have had a piece selected. If you go to see the show, look near the floor - my Louver with Face Mask is installed in a slightly sneaky way. The show is up until May 6 at the Patterson-Appleton Arts Center.

wall vent with surgical mask in center

CraftForms 2022

I was so SO pleased to have one of my sculptures selected by Jeannine Falino for this annual, international, fine craft exhibition! Night Air Garniture will be on view at the Wayne Art Center from December 3, 2022, to January 21, 2023. It is always an outstanding show and I can’t wait to see installation pictures of the whole thing.

Night Air Garniture: stainless steel, vitreous enamel, silver foil, 14 x 33 x 13 in.

Craft Nouveau

There are many great competitive craft exhibitions one can count on each year, such as The Octagonal, Materials Hard and Soft, and CraftForms. But its always a pleasure to find a new one pop up; and even better when one has work accepted! I was very pleased to find the call for Craft Nouveau at the Blue Line Arts Gallery. Juror Ariel Zaccheo has a great reflective statement here. If you find yourself near Roseville, California, please check it out. Images of included work and an exhibition catalog are also available on their website.

Craft Nouveau logo over image of wall louver with surgical mask

Industrial Arts: Exhibition and Public Talk

I will be exhibiting a wide variety of work at the University of Texas at San Antonio's Terminal 136 Gallery from August 31st through September 16th with a public "lunch and lecture" at the Southwest School of Art on Saturday September 16th at 12:30.

For more information about the exhibition please contact Laura Crist 210.458.4391

For more information about the talk please contact Jillian Sortore 210.200.8254

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California dreaming

I had the most wonderful time in California! I was honored to be invited to be a "Radical Enameling" Workshop provider by the visionary Center for Enamel Arts. I taught a class on making kilns out of trash cans and the creation of vessels with sewn copper foil. The workshop was entitled "Quick and Dirty." My class happened at the same time as the delightful Kristina Glick's flux oxidation class at the Crucible Studio in Oakland. The Crucible is a temple to all things fire related, from jewelry and blacksmithing to hot glass and fire dancing. (Crucible Photos by Gail Reid)

Following the three day class and with the benevolent guidance of Judy Stone I had access to the large enameling kilns at KVO Industries. Steve Vandyke was wonderful about granting access and myself and another artist had the place almost to ourselves for three days. This made it possible to work larger than I had ever done in enamel and with new materials such as their oil-based liquids, typically used for silkscreening, but with which I painted. This opportunity was also made possible by a UNT Scholarly and Creative Activity Award. I already cannot wait to go back!

 

Quick and Dirty!

I will be leading a Radical Enameling workshop sponsored by the Center for Enamel Arts July 5-7 at the Crucible in Oakland, California. Join me as we make torch-fired kilns from trash cans and whip up some vessels with copper foil and wire. These processes promise fast and furious fun for those willing to embrace serendipity.

Maker Moxie

I am very pleased to report that I have had a piece accepted into the Maker Moxie Exhibition which celebrates the impact of the craft school experience. My time as a resident and student at Arrowmont School of Art and Craft was formative and indispensable to the professional life I now enjoy. I was proud to submit a piece for the consideration of the three jurors and even more pleased to find that it was selected for both the catalog and physical exhibition at Peters Valley School of Craft. Images of the exhibition and pieces for sale are here.

The piece I submitted is called "Model Universe" and it is based on a technique I explored in a liquid enamel workshop with Elizabeth Turrell while a resident at Arrowmont. It was then executed at Banff in Canada during a one week residency. The forms are stitched together copper foil and derived from alchemical symbols for the sun and planets in our solar system, rotated on their vertical axis to create a volume. The study of alchemy and practice of enameling just make sense together for me.

More information about the event is here.

Opening Reception: Saturday, March 26 from 5-7pm.

On view March 26 - May 15, 2016 in the Sally D. Francisco Gallery, Peters Valley School of Craft, Layton NJ

Topeka 31

One of my enameled panels is hanging in Kansas tonight. "Alchemical Utensils" was selected by juror Sarah Perkins for inclusion in the annual Topeka Competition in the Topeka & Shawnee County Public Library. It is an outstanding annual competitive craft exhibition at the Alice C. Sabatini Art Gallery. I am particularly gratified and awed at having something I did in enamels selected by such a world class enamelist. The exhibition runs from December 6th through January 19th. The opening reception will be from 5:30 - 8:30 on the 6th of December.

Fuller Craft Museum Exhibition

One of my enameled panels, Alchemical Utensils, was selected by Curator Dina Deitsch of deCordova Sculpture Park and Museum for inclusion in the upcoming Fuller Craft Museum Members Exhibition. The show will be up from September 22, 2012 – February 10, 2013 with an opening reception on Sunday September 30th from 2 – 5pm.

 

8 x 10"

vitreous enamel on steel

sgrafitto and overglaze enamel