Artwork
I named this vase “The Beast” because I wrestled with it. I was very physical when making it, and at the end I believe “it” may have won the fight, because I can’t say its appearance is exactly what I had in my mind’s eye when I was working on it. Most of the time, I have such a clear vision of what I want, and this clearly began steering me toward its final form, so this experience taught me a lot about acceptance. And now I do love it; it is one of my favorite pieces, and for the first time I can see myself in one of my art pieces.
I made The Beast to have three distinctive views, sides or personalities, if you will. When you turn it, it gives you a different feeling, and hopefully evokes a different emotion or artistic and visual perspective and experience. This was a conscious effort on my part and I love that psychological aspect of my three sided pieces. We all have so many aspects of our personalities that we express daily. Why shouldn’t artwork have that same ability to change ? The Beast was meant to be predominantly red in coloration and have an overall sense of red, with cobalt highlights, but a much more complex story than beauty because of the much more intricate modeling.
Ironically, I made “The Beauty” before “The Beast”. It was a personal breakthrough for me just in the sense of cementing my personal style of sculpting. It was the start of my three sided approach to my current floral pieces, and I felt a distinctively feminine vibe coming from it. I appreciate and fully understand the Italian ethos of everything having a masculine or feminine.
I wanted both of these pieces to be unique within themselves, yet have a definitive union, an aspect that they belong together. They were made to be partnered, like any good relationship they were made to be together. They were made to be viewed together. By observing the pieces together, the viewer is now gifted a comparison point or context of deeper understanding that allows them to appreciate more aspects of each piece. They help to explain one another. They complement and enhance the beauty and strengths of one another, all the while highlighting and defining their unique differences. The Beauty was meant to lean bluer – to have a blue story of colors, purple and cobalt.
Both these pieces were glazed and fired twice, together. I once was asked if I thought the two pieces should be sold together on stipulation that they would stay together and I thought yes, of course, it would be like separating mated penguins. What freak would be so cruel as to try and separate penguins, who mate for life?
Easter Island Tablet
Edgar Allan Poe Bust
Constance, the Constitution Cow
"A cow for the people!"