Monthly Archives: January 2012

Dragons of clay

 

Ceramic Dragon Art

 

Chinese Dragon BottleDragon motif baluster vase

 

It is auspicious to honour the magnanimous dragon in a Dragon Year. As it’s a Water Dragon in 2012, and many other harmonic forces are  aligning too, such as Neptune  and Uranus in Pisces ( a powerful water aspect ), intuitive and artistic inspiration will be well aspected, especially with the abstract and impressionistic. Dragon symbol The dragon is a mythological animal of Chinese origin, and a member of the Naga (Sanskrit) family of serpentine creatures who protect Buddhism. Japan’s dragon lore comes predominantly from China. Images of the reptilian dragon are found throughout Asia, and the pictorial form most widely recognized today was already prevalent in Chinese ink paintings in the Tang period (9th century AD).  In contrast to Western mythology, Asian dragons are rarely depicted as malevolent. Although fearsome and powerful, dragons are equally considered just, benevolent, and the bringers of wealth and good fortune. The dragon is also considered a shape shifter who can assume human form and mate with people. The Dragon has the head of a camel, horns or a deer, eyes of a hare, scales of a carp, paws of a tiger, and claws resembling those of an eagle. In addition it has whiskers, a bright jewel under its chin, and a measure on the top of its head which enables it to ascend to Heaven at will. This is merely a general description and does not apply to all dragons, some of which have heads of so extraordinary a kind that they cannot be compared with anything in the animal kingdom. The breath of the Dragon changes into clouds from which come either rain or fire. It is able to expand or contract its body, and in addition it has the power of transformation and invisibility. In the Ming and Qing dynasties (1368–1911), only the imperial family was allowed to use dragons to decorate their homes, furniture, and clothes.  The dragon is the only mythical animal among the twelve zodiac animals, bringing special auspices to the year of the dragon. In addition, the dragon is believed to possess supernatural powers such as controlling the rain. As a result, it is one of the most popular themes for Asian artists.


black lidded dragon vessel
Silver dragon on black

 

Blue ceramic dragon

 Mid 15th Century Porcelain Dragon Ewer (Vietnam)

Associated with the aquatic aspects of creation, dragons are central themes in Vietnamese cosmology and it was believed that fish of great age transformed themselves into dragons capable of flight. The Ly dynasty named its capital Thang Long or ‘rising dragon’, ( Art Gallery NSW )

 

 A ceramic tile mural of a mythical dragon in Beijing. It’s called the Nine Dragon screen.

escending dragon vietnam

Descending Dragon, Hanoi, Vietnam. ( Wonderfully animated ! )

Red dragon vaseGold dragon on red glaze vessel

dragon handled incense censerDragon Handled incense censer

Takht-i Sulayman, Iran, 14th century. Il-khanid period.

Rare 1950s Japan Dragon Ceramic Plate

Dragon Oil Burner Japan

Japanese Dragon Oil Burner

Dragon Eggs Ceramic Dragon Egg,  18 inches high. Unfortunately, to the dismay of the owner, they were stolen. ( frogspondrock.com )

 

Wedgewood Dragon BowlEnglish Wedgwood Cobalt Blue 8 sided bowl

 

English Wedgwood Cobalt Blue “Dragon Lustre” Bowl, 1920.

 

Large Green Dragon

Hanoi green dragonGreen dragon entrance

 

The 37m long ceramic dragons, which were registered for the Vietnam Book of Records, were moved and set up on West Lake, Hanoi, on January 3 to celebrate the Lunar New Year Festival.

The 9 metre tall  dragons, made by craftsmen from Bat Trang Ceramic Village, had been displayed at the Bach Thao botanical gardens to mark the 1,000th anniversary of Thang Long-Hanoi.

According to cultural researchers, dragons should be located at solemn places close to water and historical relics and West Lake was the most suitable area.

Lidded Yellow Dragon VaseBlack dragon on yellow vase

 

   Pair Of Plain Tri-colored Porcelain Gu-shaped Vases with a Dragon Pattern, Qing Dynasty: Kang Xi Imperial Ware

     Dragon Roof Tile

A glazed  model of a dragon roof tile, China Qing Dynasty. Nagel

 

 

 Tomb of Emperor MinhMang ,Vietnam ( Richard-Seaman .com )

 

 

 Choson Dynasty Dragon Jar -The short-necked, inverted pear-shaped Eighteenth Century jar is 19 inches high and decorated in brilliant cobalt blue with scrolls and a unique vigorously drawn five-clawed dragon. It was sold to a collector in 2002 for $1.2 million. This price was Butterfields’ highest selling singular lot in its 137-year history at the time.

Japanese Dragon Tattoo

Japanese Dragon Tattoo

Giant serpent

Giant Sea Dragon – Crosby, Mn

 ‘Panlong vase’ by designer chen-hsu liu and craft artist shi-ren lu working with traditional koji ceramic and contemporary shapes. Taiwan

Badge-(Lizi)-of-the-Imperial Prince

Badge (Lizi) of the Imperial Prince with Dragon, China, late Ming dynasty (1368-1644), mid-seventeenth century.

( LACMA )

garden dragon http://ceramicemporium.wordpress.com/

dragon motif ginger jar

Dragon ceramic ginger jarScrafitto Dragon decorative vessel

Scrafitto Dragon decorative vessel

Photo (c) Overstock.com

 

Dragon Incense Pot

Dragon Incense Pot

Charlotte Rhead Tube Lined Manchu Charger

Charlotte Rhead Tube Lined Manchu Dragon Charger

Chinese copper dragon teapot

Chinese copper dragon teapot

Chinese porcelain blue & yellow vase

Chinese porcelain blue & yellow dragon vase

Dragon Moriaga Hand Painted coffee pot

Dragon Moriaga Hand Painted coffee pot

c

Chinese blue white dragon teapot

Hirado ware Dragon Vase

Japan Vase with Everted Fluted Lip and Raised Dragon Decor, 19th century Ceramic, Hirado ware; porcelain with underglaze blue.

( LACMA )

Double dragon vase

Ceramic vase with dragon handles and molded design covered in a mustard yellow and green glaze over a red clay body.

( Cowan Auctions )

457px-599px-Dragon-Amphora-vase.jpg

Amphora dragon vase

475px-875px-Antique-Chinese-Qing-Dynast

Antique Chinese Qing Dynasty Period hand painted black and gilt vase depicting dragon and fish.

Antique Nippon Moriage Dragon Vase

Antique Nippon Moriage Dragon Vase

Chinese Blue and White Vase

Chinese Blue and White Vase

Chinese celadon porcelain vase

Chinese dragon celadon porcelain vase.

( Liveauctioneers )

Chinese Qianlong tall dragon vase

Chinese Qianlong tall vase, the vase with detailed 5-toed dragon chasing the flaming pearl of wisdom.

Qing dynasty dragon vase

Qing dynasty dragon vase

Chinese Dragon Teapot

Chinese Dragon Teapot

green ceramic dragonGreen Dragon

 

 

 

 


Pueblo Indian Pottery

native American Indian girl carrying a pot on her head

San Ildefonso Girl with Jar

 Photo by Edward S. Curtis

 

 

Karen Cordova –

Karen Cordova Traditional Peublo Pottery

Karen Cordova, Myrtle Cata of San Felipe and San Juan Pueblos. Micaceous Clay Pottery


Karen’s pots are hand coiled, traditionally pit fired, and built from clay gathered from historic clay pits where native peoples have gathered clays for hundreds of years. This style of pottery is indigenous to Taos and Picuris Pueblos. The clay is gathered in the summertime and the naturally present mica in the clay gives the pottery its beautiful glimmer.The

 It can take two weeks to three months for each piece to be completed. The clay, in its natural environment, is dry like and dirt, but the experienced clay gatherer knows it on sight. The clay is soaked and strained before it can be worked. It is then coiled into shape. While it is drying designs may be etched into the clay. The pottery is then left in a dark room to slowly dry before firing.

Pots are fired in an open pit where they are placed on a grate. Then dry bark is built into a teepee formation around the pots and it is ignited from beneath. After two hours of being in the fire the pots are left to sit for another hour before the process is completed and the pottery is finished. ( http://www.pueblopotteryme.com )

Background to Pueblo Pottery :

Zuni Pueblo Pot with turquoise and orange circle motifs   Hispanic, Native and Anglo Americans in New Mexico have made use of the market for ethnic art to express their artistic, religious and economic values. Spaniards arrived in the region by 1540 and encountered both hostile and helpful Pueblo Indians. One remarkable thing about the interactions between these cultures is that each has been able to preserve much of its unique character. After 1800, Anglo American culture added a third element to daily life in New Mexico. Hispanics and American Indians living along New Mexico’s Rio Grande Valley between Santa Fe and Taos have retained much of their culture, as reflected in such crafts as pottery, weaving, jewelry, and images.

The Hispanics who settled in the mountainside village of Chimayó displaced the Indians after 1700, and are famous for their zig-zag and diamond woven designs.

After 1848, when much of Mexico became American territory, Anglo investors and promoters discovered and exploited the cultural practices and products of New Mexico’s Hispanics and Pueblo Indians. In turn, both groups sought ways to convert the tourism trade to their own benefits. While relying on the tourism market for income, many contemporary New Mexican artists use their work as a way of reaffirming old cultural values. Black, polished and carved pottery by Indians at Santa Clara Pueblo is still done by families, but also as individuals as a means of individual self expression.

By the 1920s, Pueblo potters experimented with forms and glazes, including the famous black-on-black finish developed by Maria Martinez of San Ildefonso Pueblo, who became the best known of all Indian potters among collectors.

Crucita Gonzales Calabaza

Blue Corn (Crucita Gonzales Calabaza) burnished Black on black pottery

Crucita Gonzales Calabaza – ‘Blue Corn’

 (1921-1999) – San Ildefonso Black on Black  Geometric Bowl. Medicine Man Gallery.

Santo Domingo Pueblo :

Mark Wayne Garcia

Mark Garcia

Mark Wayne Garcia

Santo Domingo Pueblo, New Mexico

Mark Garcia Pueblo pot with black decorative motifs

Mark Wayne Garcia

      Mark has been an active Santo Domingo Pueblo potter since the 1990s working with black-on-red jars, dough bowls and canteens and most recently in micaceous pottery with black.

http://www.pueblopotteryme.com

Robert Tenorio

Robert Tenorio ceramic canteen with bird motif an black and red on white

Robert Tenorio

Canteen with stylized bird and corn design ( Medicine Man Gallery )

Santa Clara Peublo:

 Santanita Suazo

Santanita Suazo black on black ceramic jarBlack on Black Jar by Santanita Suazo

 http://www.medicinemangallery.com

Susan Folwell

  Her innovative work was initially inspired by her mother, Jody Folwell, who broke many of the traditional conventions in the 1970’s. The jar below  is slipped with a blue underglaze and then painted with birds and branches.  The classic shape speaks well with the use of the birds and tree branches as they encircle the jar.  The birds here are honeyguides or “honey birds which eat both the wax around the honey and the bee larvae. ( King Galleries )

Susan Folwell Jar hand painted and decorated with birds on branches

Susan Folwell

Acoma Pueblo

Sandra  M Victorino :

Sandra  is one of today’s most highly collected potters along with her aunt and teacher, the famous Dorothy Torivio. She has won awards at the Santa Fe Indian Market.

 

Sandra Victorino Acoma Peublo pottery

Sandra  M Victorino

Sandra Victorino

Sandra  M Victorino

.

Monroe Victorino :

Monroe  has been an active potter since 1976 working with fineline polychrome bowls and jars. Monroe is well-known for his superb fineline work, wonderful star bursts a exemplified in the wedding vase below.

Monroe Victorino traditional wedding vase

Monroe Victorino

Queaustea

Josephine Foard, an arts and crafts do-gooder at the beginning of the twentieth century, thought that a larger market would develop for Pueblo pottery if the objects were glazed to be water tight.
She bought fine works like this Acoma jar by Queaustea, glazed it and sold it.  However, the idea was never an economic success, and Pueblo pottery remains unglazed today.

Queaustea Waterproof Jar

Queaustea

Acoma Jar, 1900-1905 ( New Mexico Museum of Art )

Zuni Peublo :

Priscilla Peynesta

Priscilla Peynesta Bowl

Priscilla Peynesta

A lizard rises over a repeating deer design. (www..pueblopottery.net )

Carlos Latte

Carlos learned pottery making from his step-grandmother, Daisy Hooee, by observing and listening to his grandmother and what she had to say about pottery making. It was the same way with his aunt Jennie Laate. Carlos has been making pottery since 1989, and his technique continues to improve. His design elements cover all the traditional motifs: deer house, rosettes, rain birds, lines, curves, and geometrics.

Carlos Latte Zuni Peublo Pot

Carlos Latte, Zuni Pueblo

Santa Clara Peublo :

Tina Garcia  ( 1957-2005 )

red ware fluted pot by Tina Garcia

Tine Garcia

  The color of this traditional redware fluted pot is difficult to elaborate.  It is not so much the pigment as the color saturation and the pristine gloss . Vessels like this classic shape with uninterrupted surfaces are harder to polish.  Etched, carved, and shaped design elements provide natural break in finish—unadorned surfaces require uniform finish.

Marta Oritz Peublo :

Juan Quezada

Mata Ortiz pottery is also known as Casa Grandes pottery as the pueblo is located along a tributary of the Rio Casas Grandes, a fertile valley which has long been inhabited by indigenous people. Pottery from this pueblo has seen a revival lead by the effort of Juan Quezada, a self taught potter of the modern Mata Ortiz style whose skills have attracted clay workers from the region, extended family and neighbors to create the distinctive pottery shapes and designs which define the pottery from this region. Many of the designs incorporate mimbres symbolism from Native American culture. Mata Ortiz pottery has become highly collectible .

Marta Oritz Pueblo pot by Juan Quezada hand painted in red and black on a white background

Juan Quezada, Mata Ortiz

Medicine Man gallery

Jemez Peublo :

Dominique Toya 

A fourth-generation, award -winning potter who has emerged as a major talent. Great-grandmother Persingula Gachupin, grandmother Marie G. Romero, mother Maxine Toya and aunt Laura Gachupin all paved the way for the artist’s very contemporary sensibility, based on age-old tradition.

Dominique Toya Swirled Melon Pot from jemez pueblo

Dominique Toya

Wright’s Indian Art

 

 

 Verda Toledo

Verda Toledo Bowl with bold black and white internal geometric decoration

Verda Toledo

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Hopi Peublo : 

Nathan Begaye  ( 1958 – 2010 )

 Nathan Begaye was an unique innovator among Pueblo and Navajo potters. His work used traditional designs, forms and techniques, yet somehow appeared very modern.  His ethnic connection to both Hopi and Navajo let his work flow between the two distinctive styles and yet find their own unique space.  Here are two classic pieces of his pottery. ( http://www.kinggalleries.com )

Nathan Begaye Melon Bowls

Nathan Begaye ‘Melon Bowls’

Rainy Naha-Hopi Tewa – Rainy Naha creates beautifully coiled pottery which is thin walled and traditionally fired. The white color is a white clay slip which is polished onto the surface of the clay.  Her designs are all painted using natural clay slips for the various colors, or bee-weed (a plant) for the black.  On the seedpot below is  her classic solstice pattern.  In the sections near the opening are the various phases of the moon.  In the smaller panels below the moons are cloud, rain and traditional Hopi designs from both pottery and katsinas.

 

 

Rainy-Naha-Solstice-Bowl with sun and moon motifs nd geometric hand painted decoration

Rainy Naha ‘Solstice Bowl’

 

 

Rainy Naha Solstice Seedpot

Rainy-Naha Solstice Bowl

The jar below has her “tumbling parrot” design.  There are five parrots, which are interconnected and “tumbling” around the jar.  Why parrots?  They are one of the clans at Hopi and are typically seen in katsina form and their feathers are often used in the ceremonies.    Rainy learned to make pottery from her mother, Helen (Featherwoman) Naha.  Rainy continues to innovate and also create her own voice among Hopi-Tewa potters. ( King Galleries )

 

 

Rainy Naha Tumbling Parrots Jar.jpg

Rainy Naha ‘Tumbling Parrots’ Jar.

 

 

Kaia Thomas pot hand painted i ancient Pueblo pottery style

‘Earth Song’ is a carved and painted gourd done in the style of ancient Pueblo pottery.

Kaia Thomas

 

 

Jody Folwell spherical bowl with bird motif

Bowl with Birds – Jody Folwell

 

 

Shauna Rustin ceramic vessel with fine decorative detail in black and white

Shauna Rustin  Acoma via Andrea Fisher Pottery

 

 

 

Shauna Rustin seed pot with spiral motif and intricate geometric detail

Shauna Rustin  Acoma, New Mexico

 

 

Mark Sublette - bowl with geometric lines in black and white

Geometric motif bowl

Mark Sublette – Medicine Man Gallery

Sharon-Lewis-Swirling-Squares in a repetitive geometric pattern

Sharon Lewis – Swirling Squares Jar

Virgil Ortiz Velocity Jar

Virgil Ortiz –  ‘Velocity Jar’

Sandra Victorino - Tall Butte with swirling geometric patterns

Sandra Victorino – Tall Butte

Pottery by Tammy Garcia

Pottery by Tammy Garcia

Pottery by Tammy Garcia abstract ceramic carved bottle

Carved pottery bottle by Tammy Garcia

JENNIFER-MOQUINO black ceramic lidded box with sgraffito decorations of turtles

Jennifer Moquino, Santa Clara

Alan Lasiloo abstract shaped vase

Alan Lasiloo

Alan Lasiloo excavates the white clay of the Zuni Pueblo from the same location his grandmother collected clay for her pottery. In 1999, upon returning to the Pueblo after studying fashion design at the American College for the Applied Arts in Los Angeles, Lasiloo began altering traditional pottery forms. “I realized clay could be used like fabric. I used what I learned from fashion design about lines, curves, and pleats. It brought life to my pieces “

Dorothy Torivio eye dazzler black and white geometric patterned see jar

 Dorothy Torivio “eye dazzler” seed jar.

Storage jar (olla), ca. 1890–1910 with goemetric patterns

Storage jar (olla), ca. 1890–1910

Jacob-Koopee,-Native American Indian ceramic seed jar

Jacob Koopee, American Hopi   ( 1970 – 2011 )

TTenorio ceramic ot with black fish motif on hite background

T. Tenorio

 
 
 
 
 

 

Ceramic Animal Art

 

Here is a collection of a few of my favourite ceramic animal artists :

 

Lesley Anne Greene : 

I exhibit and sell throughout the UK and model imaginative figurative sculptures using hand building techniques. Inspiration is often drawn from an interest in the role of animals and ancient artefacts and sustained by visits to museums and sites of antiquity both at home and abroad. Other works are derived from encounters in daily life and embrace a playful humour in their expression and form. The individually made pieces vary in scale from palm size to approximately twenty seven inches tall. Fired in an electric kiln they are decorated with metallic oxides, coloured slips, underglazes gold and silver lustres.

Lesley-Anne-Greene-elephant sculpture

Lesley Anne Greene

Ceramic Elephants Lesley-Anne-Greene

 ( website : http://www.lagreeneceramics.co.uk/ )

 

 

 

Michael and Sumati Colepitts – Artful Ceramics  :

Ceramic turtle- by Artful CeramicsTurtle – Artful Ceramics

Michael is primarily self taught and has worked in a variety of study programs with other established artists in clay including Don Reitz, Toshiko Takaezu, Paulus Berensohn. At present much of his inpiration comes from oriental influences. He brings the inner qualities of silence and peace from his meditation practice to his Asian figurative work. He has traveled widely and gathered much inspiration from around the world, especially Africa and Southeast Asia. From 1975 through 1982 Michael lived in Ibiza, Spain, where, he became fascinated by the desert people of North Africa and the animals of that continent. While in Ibiza, he solidified his construction techniques of hand building and pinch and began his exploration of using clay like fabric. Sumati Colpitts is a ceramic sculptor, licensed massage therapist, and culinary gourmet cook. All her professions rely on her tactile wisdom and creativity through her hands. She has studied at the Chicago Art Institute and the Kansas City Art Institute exploring a wide range of media, but has always been drawn to the use of textures an d color. She has first worked in clay with Michael in India in 1989 and they have been working and living together in Sedona since 1997. Their interest is to capture the essence of the animal or the figure and give them an expression that makes you feel good when you look at them.

Beaver- Artful Ceramics

Michael and Sumati Colepitts – Artful Ceramics

Pelican-Artful Ceramics Michael and Sumati Colepitts

Artful Ceramics

Frog - Artful Ceramics

Artful Ceramics

Hippo - Artful Ceramics

 Their Technique:

We do not use molds or forms. Subtle variations within the piece are generated by using different natural colors. Various textures are also added for accent and to give a sense of fun and elegance.

The finished pieces are air dried for 1-2 weeks, then fired in a kiln that reaches temperatures of up to 1600 degrees Fahrenheit. The initial firing removes the water and makes the pieces strong. At this point, colored washes such as iron oxide and manganese dioxide are added to create more color and gives the pieces their final sheen and tones. The pieces are then fired a second time to 2300 degrees Farenheit, which melts the glazes and creates the beautiful patinas. The finishing process after the firing includes adding the glass eyes or wire whiskers, attaching bases and adding final touches of color to enhance each individual piece.

Snow Monkeys Artful CeramicsGarden Crane - Artful Ceramics

Artful Ceramics website – http://www.artfulceramics.com

Joanne Cooke :

From the minute I was born I have had a dog in my life (my mum’s dog was under the bed!). I love the way canines can communicate without the use of words – just the raising of an eyebrow can say so much. As I begin each sculpture, I try to imagine the dog’s emotional state and character and aim to capture that by the time it is finished. I occasionally add a clay collar or neck scarf for the more jaunty or cool characters! I create each dog individually using either earthstone crank or white hand building clay which I fire to 1230°c.  ( website – http://www.sculpturelounge.com/ )

Ceramic Dog - Joanne Cooke

 Joanne Cooke

Ceramic Dog - Joanne Cooke

 Joanne Cooke

 

Lisa Larson :

Lisa Larson yellow ceramic cow

Designer –  Lisa Larson, Maker –  Gustavberg, Sweden

see the veniceclayartists post on Lisa Larson here

Sue Jenkins :

At the moment I work with a coarse textured clay fired to stoneware temperatures, suitable for use inside and out. It is decorated with slips, metal oxides and sometimes a little glaze. Having lived in the Pennines for many years I started making sheep. These were joined by more animals and birds, each one with its own quirky character. I now also make figures to complement the menagerie! Gardening being a passion, I also make planters and more one off work, based on patterns and organic shapes from nature. ( website – http://www.hand-built-pottery.co.uk/ )

Ceramic Rabbits - Sue Jenkins

Sue Jenkins

Three Ceramic Cats - Sue JenkinsPetra LLoyd :

Petra Lloyd was born in London and studied scientific illustration at Middlesex Polytechnic. After her move to the North-East, she rediscovered her love of ceramics and started to create sculptural work and other ornamental items reflecting her love of nature, especially of birds, fish and animals. She works mostly in stoneware using a mixture of oxides and glazes which enhance the unique character of each piece of work. See more Petra LLoyd at http://www.northern-potters.co.uk

Petra LLoyd ceramic sculpture

Graham Glynn :

Graham Glynn cat family

Graham Glynn

 

Jenny Mendes :

Jenny Mendes Weiner Dog ith abstract patttern

Weiner Dog – Jenny Mendes

 

 

Anita Reay :

Sculpting clay is my passion which allows me to tap into my imagination. I am a self taught artist and have been into many forms of art since childhood and have always had the ability to draw animals and birds well. My pieces are sold in a local gallery, antique & collectable shops around Australia and worldwide via the internet. I am currently sculpting in porcelain and ceramic clay however for years I sculpted birds and animals from many mediums including air dry clay, fabric, soap and wax.

I first started using ceramic clay in 2005 and after creating a menagerie of birds and animals including owls, kookaburras, dogs and ponies I purchased my first kiln and then when I discovered my art was appealing to others I began sculpting full time.

The nature of my work lies with the whimsical and the figurative. I create original sculptures so that each collector has the only ‘one of its kind’. My sculptures may follow a theme but no two are ever identical. ( website –   http://www.anitareay.com )

Koala and Kookaburra Vase by Anita ReayKoala Vase

 

 

Kookaburra Jug Anita Reay - Australian potteryKookaburra Jug

 

Brendan Hesmondhalgh :

Brendan works primarily in ceramic and creates bold animal designs that are often mounted on ceramic plinths. He uses a hand building technique that deliberately cracks the surface of the clay. By pushing out a sheet from the inside , the surface breaks as it stretches. ( website – http://www.sculpturelounge.com/ )

Two Pelicans sculpture by Brendan Hesmondhalgh

Brendan Hesmondhalgh

Brendan Hesmondhalgh big hen ceramic sculpture

Brendan Hesmondhalgh big hen

Ardmore :- see more here

Ardmore Ceramic Art zebras

Veronica Ballan :

I have been designing and creating ceramic figures and latterly, animals for over 30 years. My inspiration is drawn from nature, using my own observations and research. In my studio at the rear of my Georgian town house I sculpt every piece individually, and after bisque firing, hand paint each sculpture with earthy natural glazes, returning them to the kiln for a second firing. I specialize in a shredded clay effect that gives the hairy animals their unique look, the most popular being the highland cattle, hares, donkeys and the dogs, which I make to commission.  ( website – http://www.studio2-ceramics.co.uk/ )

Veronica Ballan scotty dof

Veronica Ballan

Veronica Ballan

Veronica Ballan

 

Victoria Leeks :

Having lived in the Far East for many years my pieces are influenced by the Asian culture. I am looking for visual harmony using simple, pure, strong forms with added surface decoration, employing symbolism, themes, motifs and narrative. Using slip cast moulds and slab building and the use of porcelain paper clay, copper wire, glass and specialist glazes I express my ideas, resulting in decorative pieces that reflect my artistic interpretation.

( website – http://www.northern-potters.co.uk )

Pottery birds Victoria Leeks

Victoria Leeks

Ceramic Dove Victoria LeeksCatherine Boyne :

Ceramic Pig

Sylvan Studios – Christy Crews Dunne :

As with nearly everyone else, the first thirteen years of my life made a formative impact on how I think, feel, and communicate. In my case these years were spent on a farm in rural Virginia that gave me a closeness to nature and animals that has never diminished. There were no children ‘next door’, or anywhere near, to play with so my playmates and friends were the animals that I formed a bond with and the land itself. The faces of nature were an endless fascination for me and my maternal grandmother encouraged me through her efforts to express this in an artistic fashion. I diligently applied myself to paper and modeling clay.

Christy Crews Dunne giraffe teapot

Christy Crews Dunne

Camel Teapot Sylvan Studios

 

Anya Stasenko/ Slava Leontiev  :- see more here

Anya Stasenko/ Slava Leontiev

Anya Stasenko/ Slava Leontiev

 

 Monika Leone, Canberra

” Zoya “ – Monika Leone

” Zana ”  – Monika Leone

 

Sharon Skelter

Sharon Skelter

Sharon Skelter

475px-453px-walter_bosse_elephant.jpg

 Walter Bosse for Karlsruhe Ceramic (Austria) elephant (1956-1962). Turquoise blue majolica glaze over red brick clay.

( Mod Cats )

1950’s ceramic black cat vase

( Le Greiner )

Perky turquoise ceramic French Poodle  –  Doilet, France

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