Digital sketches on IPad Pro

I’ve been learning the powerful Procreate app on my iPad Pro. Digital drawing has been an enlightening way to explore flat shapes, narrative and 2D composition.

Fair Shares

Some images from my show at Truman State University in Kirksville, MO on display through November 20, 2015.

Summer Sketch

Chandra DeBuse squirrel sketch, 2015

Just Beyond Grasp: Chasing a Life in Clay

Here's a link to my article about making the switch to pursuing clay full time.  Ceramics Monthly has published a few of my images in the past and has run advertisements that have included images of my work, but this is my first feature article.  Shout out to assistant editor Forrest Sincoff Gard, who approached me about writing a piece for the issue.  I don't regularly make time to write about my experiences, but I'm always reminded how much I enjoy it when I do.

Originally published in April 2015 issue of Ceramics Monthly, pages 37 - 39. http://www.ceramicsmonthly.org . Copyright, The American Ceramic Society. Reprinted with permission.

Chandra DeBuse Underglaze Painting

Apply for the 7th Annual Cup Show: Form and Function

Lots of artist opportunities at Gulf Coast State College in Panama City right now, including the Seventh Annual Cup Show: Form and Function.  Apply online: applications due October 23, 2014. I am honored to be the juror for the show this year and will be giving a lecture about the cups in the show on December 5th. Please see the artist opportunities available and apply for the cup show here.

Collaborative Journeys

I work alone, in my basement studio. I enjoy the control I have over my studio space, my time, and my creative process. So why work collaboratively? I am learning that there are many reasons to embark on a creative project with another person, despite the process not always being so comfortable.

Collaborative Vases made by Tommy Frank and Chandra DeBuse, 2014

The past year has been rich in collaborative explorations. Last fall I worked with Tammy Marinuzzi, Assistant Professor at Gulf Coast State College on a 2-person show called Time In. We produced two-dimensional drawings, paintings and collages on paper and wood. The second round of collabs happened at Watershed Center for the Ceramic Arts in August. Many of the invited artists during Session Four worked on collaborative projects (see image below of a work in progress with Rain Harris). It was at Watershed that Tommy Frank and I began collaborating on some ideas for tableware. Our collaboration will continue for the next several months, as we work toward producing pieces for a show at NCECA-Providence.

Wall tile in process with Rain Harris and Chandra DeBuse, 2014

Several months ago, I heard an interview on Fresh Air between Terry Gross and a musician who had worked collaboratively (can't remember his name, I'll try to find it). He told Gross that the reason to work with another person is that collaboration will take you places that you couldn't have gone to on your own. That resonated with me, as I embarked on my collaborative journeys. Permission to stretch my creative voice has been the biggest benefit of working on new projects with others.

I am enjoying a new (to me) podcast called Song Exploder, where musicians take apart songs, piece by piece and tell the story of how they were made. Many of the episodes deal with collaboration and the magic that arises when two or more creative individuals work on a project together.

If you have any anecdotes of the creative collaborative process, I'd love to hear them!  Shoot me a message or leave a comment below.