Ceramics

I have an unrelenting need to preserve moments of old Florida through imagery.  My most precious moments spent in natural Florida stem from cross country running.  Being a collegiate cross country runner, I seek old Florida by taking to parks and preserves on foot.  Running marries the grand landscapes and ecosystems of the state with the exhilaration and adventure that comes with endurance sports.  My art transfers personal experiences, emotions, and sights of natural Florida into a tangible item, essentially preserving the moment.  I allow firsthand observations, feelings, and recollection to influence the scenery and subjects as opposed to copying directly from nature.  As a whole, my work is a means for me to further connect with the land that I grew up with and capture moments for myself and others.


An artist statement was required within the first few weeks of my ceramic sculpture class.  I think that is important to be able to communicate thought processes and intentions in writing, but I will still nervous about turning in my statement because my process tends to be different.  I had recently written an artist statement for an application, so I made a few tweaks and handed it in.  I wondered if it was appropriate to include running, or if my methods of exploring the outdoors were somehow not appropriate in an formal statement.  I have never seen a statement like mine before, but then again, when it comes to art, I've learned it's best to do what works for me and not worry about what other people are doing.  I got the grade, and even better, my professor loved it.  Hopefully those reading that application will, as well.

Sculpting and carving is a new thing for me, and so far I have enjoyed it. The first two projects of the semester have been the "Slab Shrine" and the still life carving.

The shrine required a container-like form (think shrines from art history) and some sort of conceptual design. I choose to reinterpret the imagery from The Secret River in the three dimensional medium. The slabs of clay were reminiscent of the flat, paper cut-out, 1950s illustrations that I love.

This one looks better in person, but you get the idea

The most recent project was intended to make the class more comfortable with the medium. It required the building of a still life in a box and then carving the objects from life out of a slab of clay the same size.  The night before the still life was due, I still had no idea what I wanted to carve.  I went on a run the next morning and it was clear: palm tree parts, bulbs, a stick, and magnolia cones.  Running fixes just about everything.  My box was 9.5x9.5x3in. Creating the textures and negative space was a lot of fun. I'm happy with the composition as a whole and the cones (which were difficult to solve- glad I only put in two). 

In progress

Finished carving