Artsist Spotlight: Lindsay Feuer

A couple of years ago in my ceramics class, our teacher Joe asked us to find an artist that "informed" our work. This was apparently different than something that inspires our work, but he wouldn't tell us the difference until we found an artist we though informed our work. Oh he's a tricky one, that Joe. Pff, making us think, what kinda crap is that!? heehee But anyways, even though I wasn't sure exactly what he meant, and having no artist in mind, I flipped through art on Google and found Lindsay Feuer. She is definitely right up my alley.





And apparently I was right that she could be someone that "informs" my work, the difference being where do, specifically, the forms and images I use in my ceramics stem from. For example, a lot of Lindsay's work has tentacles/vines growing and sprouting from them, as does my own. Someone may get inspired by nature like myself, and after a nice hike, or visit to the botanical gardens, want to immediately get to work making things inspired by that. But when you are applying specific aesthetics of nature like the tops of acorns, then they are what informs your work. A fine and confusing line, ha! now go look at Lindsay's artwork, it could inspire and inform your work!

So much newness!

I am so proud that I finally finished the necklace I talked about a short while back. Since graduating, I've not had any big 'projects' to work on really, so I gave myself one. And finishing it feels really good. Not worrying about it being graded feels pretty good too. ;D



Details about this necklace are right here in my shop.

And now that I've bombarded your computer with all those photos, I have a few more. I've added a ton of new photo's to my photography shop on Etsy TheUnderstory, but I'll just post a couple of my favorites and if you want you can go check out the others. :)

Resting Petals



Dandelions Are Flowers Too dandelion study n. 4

I hope everyone's week is going lovely! :)

A cold frosty morning

The dogs woke me up at about 7am this morning to go out, and when I stepped outside I was surprised at how frosty the ground was. It was cold! But it was soooo pretty out. Since it may have been the last frosty morning of the year where I live, I wanted to take some pictures. I got one print out of it all. :)

Morning Chill

Some other pics I took:

Spring Dream

New print. :) The weather has been so perfect these past few days. It's like the atmosphere went, "Oh, it's officially spring now? Ok!"

Spring Dream 8x10

Oh bloggy blog, how I've neglected thee!

I keep procrastinating a new post because I think "Ok, I will finish this necklace I'm working on, and then I can post about that, yeah! And it will motivate me to finish my project, yeah!" But instead I get distracted and still haven't finished the necklace. Sad day. But I am proud of it so far and can't wait to post it.
Until then, here's a new photo I've recently uploaded to The Understory.

Passing Rain

Dan Cormier

I've not been on as much lately but after today things should be back to normal for me. :)

But anyways...
I was searching for polymer clay tools when I found Dan Cormier's website. He has the kind of work that makes me want to stop whatever I'm doing and break out my polymer clay right on the spot. I looove his work, his newer work especially. His use of white is stunning.


But you know I love color. ;D This is one of my favorites.



His page came up in my search because of this great tool he created, The Cutting Edge Peeler Kit.


Go check out his work!

Been busy, and have my first big commission

I've not been online much for a few days. I've been working on a baby blanket for my best friends baby who is due in July. She is in from Hawaii (husband is in air force, they are stationed there) for two more weeks. :) She had a baby shower yesterday, but I didn't finish the blanket in time for it, so I will have to give it to her before she leaves. It's extremely colorful, like a clown threw up, haha. I'll get pics.
I have my first commission for a business. The gift shop coordinator for the Elmhurst Art Museum in Illinois seen this necklace and wants me to make some for them to sell in the gift shop. So I'll be making 10 of these for the shop there.


I don't have enough of my ceramic beads to make 10 more of these so I will be attempting to recreate the ceramic beads from polymer clay. I'm really excited!
Well, I slept past noon today and I've not eaten. :p Time to get some grub.

Natalya Pinchuk

*In reference to my last post, I think from now on I will both reply to comments on the commenters blog, as well as my own so that new readers can see that I do reply to just about every comment here.

Anywho, a few months ago I was looking for inspiration for my final project for my jewelry/metals class. One of the artists I found was Natalya Pinchuk who uses mixed media mainly consisting of plastic and felt, as well as enameled metal, polymer clay, sterling silver, and even a bycicle intertube. Here are some of her pieces I really love:







You can see more either on Natalya Pinchuk's main website, or right here.

On a related note, I really need to send a blank cd to my metals professor so she can send me the images she took of my work! I also need ot get photo's of my final ceramics work. :p

Caroline Saul

Check out these beautiful forms from artist Caroline Saul and before reading further, try guessing what they are made from. :)


Done guessing? .....




They're constructed from the recyclable plastic of milk bottles! And they are stunning. I love the colors, and the shadows they make. Makes me want to cut up a carton myself and, I don't know...take the clothing iron to it or something (with paper in between of course). I have no idea what her process is but it makes me want to experiment. Wouldn't something like that look great for some sort of window display with some yellow morning light coming through it?
You can see more on her website, Caroline Saul.

Mineo Mizuno

I've just stumbled upon some artwork from ceramic artist Mineo Mizuno. You ever see something you think is fantastic and matches what's swimming around in your brain so well that you get jealous that you didn't think of it? Happens to me a lot unfortunately, haha.
Mizuno makes pieces resembling large creek stones. Areas across the body of the pieces are indented, designating where moss will be planted to actually grow on the piece itself. I loooove moss and think these are beautiful.

You can view more on the Samuel Freeman gallery website. These works are on display there until March 21st, so if you are lucky enough to be in the Santa Monica California area, you might want to check it out. I am on the opposite side of the country, but am enjoying viewing more of Mineo Mizuno's work on his website. :)

New Etsy: The Understory

I finally decided to make a separate Etsy shop for my photography. It's at TheUnderstory.etsy.com. (an understory is the floor of the forest). I have a ton of photo's that I've taken over the past year or so that are just piling up on my computer, waiting to be made into lovely prints. :)
Here are a few I've added recently:







The rest are the ones that were already on my main shop.

Mosaic Monday

Some of my favorite things on Etsy. Click image to see full view.


Shops from left to right/top to bottom:

beadkeepers

midnightcoiler

kkennedydesigns

KarenGilbertDesigns

RitualBath

kateblack

LittleHouses

Perishables

BeatriceMcClelland

hierapparel

MarianeS

ChopstixWaits

heatherhaymart

JamCube

jennifermorrisbeads

sproutmama

Newness!

I finally finished my new Etsy/blogger banner. You like? Also changed my blog colors. And i finished a hat just now, but here is a new necklace I recently posted.



The bean beads are polymer, the rest are ceramic. All made by me.

New treasury, and an upcoming shop makeover

I've made a new Etsy treasury! It's called Eyegasm and it's been sitting in my poster sketch forever until I was finally around when the treasury opened up. When it expires I'll post a screen shot. I'm really happy with this treasury and it's super awesome colors. :)

I'm currently making a new banner for my Etsy store. I'm trying to focus on a specific aesthetic direction to take my shop in that relates to my ceramics work while still maintaining a variety of media. My work in clay has taken a on a specific direction in the past couple of semesters that I'm really excited about and I want to bring the rest of the things I make into that same direction a little. I'd like to keep working on the banner but I should get in bed. I have to get up kind of early.

What's Tab Making??

It's about time I showed some of what I have been working on in my final ceramics class before I graduate this December. Before I do that though, I want to show a couple of finished things from my metals class. Earlier in the semester we learned granulation (a process used by goldsmiths or silversmiths to decorate precious metals with small spheres fused to a base piece.) We also learned to make a chain with fine silver (fine silver is what we were also using to granulate). We had to do a practice piece first, which I ended up using as the focal point to this bracelet. It also uses the chain I made (which is kind of a pain in the ass since you have to fuse every jumpring by hand before linking together)







I'm really happy with it, and wear it most days. :) It's not supposed to have a face, it just ended up looking that way. But I like it.

Once I got the hang of granulation with my practice piece, I made the main project. These are a pair of 8 gauge earrings. The granulated part is of course *fine silver, and the hook and rivet is sterling silver. These were not meant to look like purses, but they just ended up that way. *shrug* That's ok with me though, I am really happy with them. I wear them almost daily.






*As far as I understand from my class, you must granulate with pure metals, not alloys. Only pure metals will fuse together when heated. This is why you can not granulate with sterling silver. Sterling is 7.5% copper, which is added for strength (silver is pretty soft). Fine silver is something like 99.999% silver, nothing added whatsoever.



Ok, back to ceramics. These pieces are all unfinished, either still being sculpted, or still in need of being glazed, etc... They are for my BFA senior exhibition that will be December 7th. So close! So stressful! Haha.

This is a sort of terrarium, so to speak. Tiny plant life (muchly made up from my brain) in what could be a split nut shell, or maybe some driftwood, who knows. :) It is dry, but still needs to be bisque fired. It will be really tricky to glaze!









A work in progress which is now finished, waiting to be bisque fired.



Bottom of this still waiting to be carved, and the top waiting to be put on.






Here it is with the top finished. The bottom still needed to be carved, but it has since been finished and is also waiting to be bisque fired.





Here are some bisque fired pieces on my shelf, ready to be glazed. :)







One of several small 'studies' of mine. They'll make good glaze testers. :)





This is my work space in the advanced studio. I have since cleaned and organized it so it looks much better now. :9





And that's all for now! I can't wait to have the finished pieces to show. :D