New Forms

 

 

"Canopic Forms"

 

 

Another view of vessels

I have been working with new ceramic forms and shapes while thinking about how a vessel could be used to "mark" events or periods of time. This has led me to consider the historic use of the vessel as a marker.  Inspired by the grave Stelae of many ancient eastern cultures as well as the North Carolinian tradition of using a jug as a grave marker I created a series of "marker vessels".  After throwing jug/bottle forms that were open I decided that I did not want the vessel to be "functional"  so I eliminated that by closing in the top creating a finial.  Experimenting with various forms over the last few weeks I have noticed that the vessels slightly resemble Egyptian Canopic Jars. I like this association and I am going to continue on with these forms and see what comes from this new direction.

What is your favorite color?

What is your favorite color?

At home with M109

Nothing like a bit of pressure to freeze my creativity. Usually when I work everything just flows, ideas come, I draw, I think, I make and everything works out nicely, lately this is not the case. Maybe it is the pressure of this being my last year in the MFA program or unrealistic expectations I put upon myself that every piece must be great, either way I have been struggling with a bit of artists block lately but I have had a few ideas I had to sketch out.

The first image above is based on the imaginary conversation I would have with my Father if he was still alive. My parents divorced when I was 7 and my Father passed away last year, because of this I did not know much about him, we had no silly family stories or shared confidences. The saddest part is we had just begun to get to know each other when he was diagnosed with Leukemia. We both thought he would beat it, I thought we would have more time but we did not. Now he is gone and I have realized I knew very little about him.  I do not know what his favorite movie, food, song, book or color was? Considering he was color blind I think that he would of had an interesting answer to that question.  (One might think someone who is color blind would not have a favorite color but I know this is not true.  Like my Father my son is also color blind and his favorite color is what we would call purple).

The idea of one last conversation with my Father has been playing over and over in my head. I imagine we would sit together in my Grandmothers living room in the hard ladderback chairs she had. Of course my Grandmother passed away many years ago but that doesn't matter.  I would ask him questions,  morning talk show style and he would answer me and smile at me with that quick impish grin I only know from photographs. All would be safe and right in the world, if only for a while. Anyway thats how I imagine it to be and since it's in my head thats how it is.

The second image is an portrait of an M109 at home, I'd explain more but I think I've rambled enough for one post............