Number Five

Richard Notkin recently presented a workshop at Florida Atlantic University. First, Notkin gave all of the workshop attendees one cubic inch of clay and told us to work with it for one hour. We could use any tools that we wanted. We did not have to use all of the clay, but we were told to stay quiet and work for the entire 60 minutes.

I worked on a small bunny sculpture; later turning it into the salt and pepper set you see here.

Notkin talked about Time as an element in art-making. Giving each of us a small amount of clay, a few guidelines, and the uninterrupted time to give the clay the care and attention it deserved proved to be a valuable gift. After all, our lives are defined by time.

As a resident artist and ceramics teacher, I do have lots of studio time. However, my To-Do Lists are always looming, and interruptions are frequent. The quality of time is not what it should be. Through Notkin's exercise, I learned that 60 minutes/week of guilt-free, studio play-time needs to be an essential part of my artistic practice.

#5 S& P ended up being in the resident artist exhibition at the Armory Art Center. My body of work for the exhibition centers on themes of play. The illustrations and figurative pieces, specifically, are about transcending one's present reality through the act of play. I am in the process of documenting the work in the show. Look for a blog post about it soon.

Gettin' Smaller

These are on display at the Armory Art Center foyer, as a part of a ceramics and sculpture faculty exhibit. The creamer and sugar jar are little guys: approx 5 inches tall. I am working toward my piece for Small Favors at the Clay Studio in Philly, which needs to be no larger than 3.75 inches. Get out your magnifying glasses!

Mad Hats and Paint Chips

The Armory Art Center's Mad Hatter Luncheon is tomorrow. The annual event raises money for the resident artist program. Traditionally, attendees wear wild and wacky hats to the luncheon. The hats range from handmade to high-design.

I was inspired by the paint chip art I saw at Art Basel in Miami this year. A google search of "paint chip art" will yield a healthy return for your visual pleasure.

There are many things I loved about this project: the flat colors, the petal configuration, the ease of hot glue, and especially the low cost of the materials. Can't get much cheaper than free, now can I?

I built this hat just like I would if I was coiling a pot: I put the hat on a banding wheel and engaged in the rhythm of glue, press, turn, glue, press, turn.

I also made a fancy broach out of paint chips to wear with my dress tomorrow. Hope it does

not rain!

Finished Teapots

These teapots (and maybe one or two others) will be making an appearance at the Armory Art Center's Mad Hatter's Event on March 3, 2011. The event raises money for the resident artist program.

Apology Letter

Dear Florida,

I am sorry for all of the bad things I said about you during the 2007-08 academic year when I was acclimating to the heat. You are a beautiful state that gives its residents blooms and fragrances when the rest of the country is digging out of their driveways.

Much love,

Chandra

I took this picture on my morning walk! Amazing!

Finish Every Sentence

If you pick up any of my 30 or so sketchbooks lying around my apartment, you will see that there are always 4 or 5 pages of effortful drawings before the darn thing turns into a collection of random notes, glaze recipes, addresses, grocery lists, doodles, and always always sketches of pots. Some of the information within is so time-sensitive, it becomes a useless waste of space. (To-do lists from the summer of 2008).

I have purchased three new sketchbooks in the last 6 weeks. Each of them once held such promise within its blank pages. The little blue sketchbook, perfectly sized for my messenger bag, fell victim to a coffee spill while I was on the go. Its most recent entry is a scribbly reminder to buy toilet paper and envelopes at the store.

I was talking with a student/fellow artist last week about the direction his sculptural vessel was taking. My advice to him was, "finish the sentence." Despite his initial cross-eyed reaction, he showed me the piece a few days later and he had, indeed, finished his sentence.

I have never finished my own sketchbook sentence. What I mean is, I have never committed fully to effortful drawings cover - t0- cover. Because of convenience peppered with a lack of organization, my sketchbooks fall victim to grocery lists.

Because this blog is a virtual sketchbook, I operate under the assumption that I am writing to the public. I have not put many of my own pen and paper sketches in here: it's been more about ideas. However, I would like to make a public commitment to finishing the sentence in my real sketchbook like I do in the virtual one. Not every drawing needs to be masterpiece - worthy. It's a sketchbook, after all. However, I need to finish what I start and give enough dignity to my visions to see them through. I vow to update regularly on this commitment and risk public shame if I let the grocery list monster in.

My newest prize, a goldenrod colored flexi-sketch, contains 300 perfect 8"x8" pages. This book is ripe with promise. I even purchased 3 new ink pens to draw with. Sigh. The drawing here is on page #2 . . .

Works in Progress: Teapots and Covered Jars

I have been working on some more complex forms the past few weeks: lidded jars and teapots. Man, is it slow-going! All recent graduates strive to synthesize the information collected over three years of graduate school and I am so grateful for this residency and the opportunity to do just that. I look at the work I have created over the last five years and I see the progression into these forms (even though I am still working out many kinks). I am looking forward to making the surface and color decisions to put these babies to bed and on to the next round!