Ceramics. That word is the feeling of clay underneath your fingernails, the joy that comes with finally centering clay on the wheel, creating something new with your own two hands. When I am focused on building, I block out the rest of the world. Any distractions, any problems I may have all fade away for however long I have my hands on clay. I guess you could say that I do the work that I do as a way of escaping life, escaping the world. As an artist, I hope to create pieces that make others feel as peaceful and serene as I do while making it; the focus I have when creating the piece is the same amount I wish for others to have when viewing it. I want viewing my pieces to allow others to escape their problems, escape life, and escape the world.
When I am working, I block out the world but before hand, the world is my biggest source of inspiration. Everything I see in the world inspires me: the people, nature, and art. Once all this inspiration is absorbed, it must have a way to be expressed, which happens in my sketchbook. My sketchbook is filled with focused sketches of projects, pictures of other artists’ work that inspire me, and my own random thoughts. Before I start any project, I like to research an artist who is known for that style. For example, before creating my surrealist bust, I explored the work of Salvador Dalì. Then after researching, I begin sketching any ideas that seem interesting to me and could potentially become the center of my project. Finally, once I have my idea, I will try various methods of construction until I determine which one will best accomplish what I hope to create. As I go through this process, my original idea shifts and morphs into something new, which I love because that means that I grew a little bit more as an artist.
My current work is a bit different than what I have made in the past but still retains some elements of the same. As I continue with ceramics, I repeatedly use nature as one of my main focuses. For example, my bowls shaped like fish, my flower trivet, and my tea set (a watering can and two sunflowers) all share the nature element. However, I have shifted my focus from more abstract work, such as my dream catcher or my surrealist bust, to be more realistic and focused. I hope that, despite the fact that my work is more realistic, the viewer can still be taken away from the world, if only for a moment, when viewing my work.
When I am working, I block out the world but before hand, the world is my biggest source of inspiration. Everything I see in the world inspires me: the people, nature, and art. Once all this inspiration is absorbed, it must have a way to be expressed, which happens in my sketchbook. My sketchbook is filled with focused sketches of projects, pictures of other artists’ work that inspire me, and my own random thoughts. Before I start any project, I like to research an artist who is known for that style. For example, before creating my surrealist bust, I explored the work of Salvador Dalì. Then after researching, I begin sketching any ideas that seem interesting to me and could potentially become the center of my project. Finally, once I have my idea, I will try various methods of construction until I determine which one will best accomplish what I hope to create. As I go through this process, my original idea shifts and morphs into something new, which I love because that means that I grew a little bit more as an artist.
My current work is a bit different than what I have made in the past but still retains some elements of the same. As I continue with ceramics, I repeatedly use nature as one of my main focuses. For example, my bowls shaped like fish, my flower trivet, and my tea set (a watering can and two sunflowers) all share the nature element. However, I have shifted my focus from more abstract work, such as my dream catcher or my surrealist bust, to be more realistic and focused. I hope that, despite the fact that my work is more realistic, the viewer can still be taken away from the world, if only for a moment, when viewing my work.