Drinking coffee and listening to RHCP

 So here are the pieces I have worked on the past three weeks.  The two tall pieces (approx 24") are coil built from a white b-mix clay.  On them, I carved the image and inlaid slip (b-mix slip with cobalt carbonate). Then I sanded away the excess slip, so it only remained in the carved lines.  I bisqued fired the pieces, and then using a black underglaze pencil, I colored in certain areas, reminiscing about foundations drawing classes with Jeremiah, and trying to sharpen my pencil with a pocket knife. Feels wholesome to draw again. I am not one to keep a sketchbook, because I just end up drawing a bunch of cartoon cats.  On the slender pot I think I am going to use some clear glaze in vertical bands for the carved area only. I would like to see what the "sky" would look like left plain clay or flocked white/grayish. I also would like to mother of pearl luster those bands of glaze. I have been thinking of seasons/winter/snow because I have never explored that idea of frozen, dormant, sleep. In my previous work I have only touched upon green, summer, alive.  At least that it what I have been mulling over.  


The imagery I am working with for these two pieces are based off of my initial drive out here to Corning.  You are surrounded by fields and the occasional farmhouse and lots of gentle hills that lull you to sleep.  I have done a lot of driving in Iowa and it is sort of the only time I really have to myself. Not driving to work, but on my long drives to the studio in Dubuque and out here to Corning.  So it is precious and peaceful in a way and this cliche image of an endless road is calming and fascinating in a strange way where you think you might drive off the edge of the earth but never do. 

Artist Residency @ Corning Fine Arts

Corning Center For the Fine Arts

         I arrived in Corning, IA on Monday November 5th.  I am four hours west of Davenport, so I am pretty close to Omaha, Nebraska. This is the tiniest town I have ever been too, and everyone is friendly so far.  I think I will be very happy here because it is alot less hectic than Davenport. I quit my job to come here for three months and be a Resident Artist at the Corning Center for the Fine Arts.  It is a small art center with a rather large gallery, and a small pottery studio.  There is a clay room with a wedging table, clay sink, and work table.  In the adjacent room are 5 electric wheels and a Skutt programmable kiln.
      I am also the December artist in the gallery, so I will be putting up a show and hosting an opening reception starting the 2nd Saturday in December.

Why I chose Corning to do a Residency:

+A non intimidating environment for emerging artists, I didn't feel the pressure to compete
+there are two apartments aboive the art center, for the resident artist ( small fee) fully furnished
+I like the flexiibly of being able to choose 3 months, because I had enough finances to provide for three months of living, so I am able dedicate myself 100% to the artwork.

        For the past 2 years I have been sculpting Iowa, for the past month or so I have had the strong desire to draw and since I have been away from the studio for a few months that itch to make was driving me insane.  The drive from davenport to iowa took me about 4 hours, and the more you drive the more rural it becomes.  Snapping some cell phone pictures while I was driving, I was struck with the thought of building large amphoras and historical vase shapes and drawing these images of a road and the surroundings.

Flocked and glittered Christmas Ornaments

 I have two versions so far, one is heavily carved the other lightly scrached with a needles tool.  the clay is a cone 6-10 b-mix, I am going to bsique fire them and then use undergalze pencils before applying a clear glaze to certain sections and maybe a little bit of colored glaze.  Then finally luster them.  I bought lusters right after graduation and never had the opportunity to use them at Mississippi Mud Studios. I have a large jar of mother of pearl luster and  the smallest vile of gold.  I am thinking about getting some silver luster as well.
I have also started taking my mountain form and opening it up as a bottle and drawing my recent sculptures on them.  This is a brown stoneware with a white slip painted on and then carved through.

more to come i promise.

hollie