At her request, I’ve handed the host microphone over to my dear friend, New York based artist Petah Coyne. As you might know, I’ve been working away, alone in my studio, for just over a year on a totally new body of work. Well, I wasn’t totally alone in there… Petah and I would meet via Zoom so we could talk through all of the ups, downs, and sideways. Well, after all this time, my first solo show in a public gallery opens TONIGHT! We recorded this episode about a week ago, the day before I installed everything because Petah wanted to document the “before”, and we’ll do an “after” episode next! Listen right up there under me dipping yet another flower in white paint, or download ART FOR YOUR EAR wherever you get your podcasts.

First up, the very first “3D collage” (which I do like, it just wasn’t do the job I wanted it to do) that I showed to Petah over Zoom, followed by a bunch of work in progress bits ‘n pieces:

Cigarettes, gum, and matching the gallery wall paint to one of my ashtrays, and a lovely little blush butt.

And here’s that wall, plus “Self-Preservation” starting to be put into place:

Eep! It is so exciting that all of this work is out of my head, out of my studio, and in a lovely, sunlit space! More to come in two weeks with the full reveal, OR keep an eye on my Instagram feed where I’ll be posting at the show TONIGHT. Thank you so much to my amazing friend Petah for suggesting this interview, and for – well – EVERYTHING. And of course, thanks to you for listening… the “after” episode will be up in two weeks. ps. “Self-Preservation” runs until May 15th.

Other links:

1. Petah on Instagram
2. Danielle’s art on Instagram
3. Penticton Art Gallery
4. Alexandra Goodall, Artist
5. MoMA

First up, a whole bunch of Jacqueline’s work you’ll most likely recognize because I can’t stop featuring her jaw-dropping, white, unglazed, porcelain confections. These are all from her ongoing series, “Death by Sugar”:

Gasp! Seriously, I cannot get enough of these beauties! The detail is bonkers.

Next, a little peek at her solo show, titled “My Candy Nightmares”, at Talon Gallery in Portland:

YUM! I know she said the “monsters” have less detail than the white pieces, but they still look pretty perfect to me!

Okay, and here’s what you find if you scroll right to the bottom of Jacqueline’s Instagram feed. She wasn’t kidding when she said things started with baby skull candles:

Of course I had to include some of her jewelry, given her career history! ps. You can still buy some of these pieces in her shop. Just sayin’.

And finally, we can’t finish the post without showing you this sweet little lady:

Awwwwww! And she has a donut toy… of course she has a donut toy. Thank you so much to Jacqueline and Skylar for being on the podcast today, thanks to Storyblocks for supporting the episode, and as always, THANK YOU for listening. There will be a brand new episode of ART FOR YOUR EAR in two weeks.

Other links:

1. Jacqueline’s Shop/Site
2. Jacqueline on IG … aka @mad_brooklyn
3. Skylar on IG!
4. Talon Gallery, Portland
5. “My Candy Nightmares” at Talon Gallery till Nov 14
6. Ceramic World Destinations Database
7. Pierre Herme, Paris (Jacqueline’s fave macarons)
8. Storyblocks

These wonderful, narrative, painted porcelain beauties are the work of Korean-born, Brooklyn based artist Ahrong Kim. I’ve written about her before {and included her work/story in one of my books}, so when I saw these pieces from her 2020 series, “I_LOVE_MYSELF”, it was time to write again! If you don’t already follow Ahrong on Instagram, you should… she posts so many process videos, giving us a peek behind the porcelain curtain. Check out this one, and this one … just for starters!

Seattle based artist Emily Counts makes the most magical ceramic sculptures. Some of them hang on the wall, interlocked into beautiful narratives, while others tell their stories standing free… and ALL of them are gorgeous / make me wish i knew how to use a kiln! I have questions about Emily’s childhood {because for some reason I always want to know that part!}, we talked about how she found her way to ceramics, her current process, stained glass, mushrooms, grief, grandmothers, haircuts and more. Don’t worry. It’ll make sense. Look/listen under that lovely photo of Emily in her studio {shot by Amber Fouts for Luxe Magazine}, or subscribe on Apple Podcasts and/or Spotify.

Let’s kick things off with the first piece of Emily’s I ever saw / instantly became obsessed with. It’s titled, “Forage and Pour”:

Looooooove. And yes, I popped another one of her wall pieces in there because, um, how could I not. It’s titled “Catenary Vessel”, and I love it too!

Next, Emily’s CERAMIC MURAL {!?}:

Isn’t that crazy amazing!? You might recognize it because I wrote about it, IN DETAIL, last summer. This was at Facebook’s Redmond, WA location, and part of their Artist-in-Residence program.

Oooh, next… some “portraits”, complete with stained glass eyes etc:

Aren’t they lovely? And they have Emily’s bangs!

Up next, interlocking vessels:

Ah, the mushrooms and flowers she talked about. Magical. Also, I really want to see Emily and her husband try to drink ginger tea out of these at the same time.

Finally, a peek at Emily’s current show, titled Souvenir. at Nationale in Portland:

See? This is why I’m such a HUGE fan of Emily. Oh my word, it’s all so gorgeous. I put in that final image so you could get a better look at the glass. What a renaissance woman! She make do it allllllll. Oh, and great news if you’re in Portland, this show has been extended until July 8th. Thank you so much to Emily for sharing all of her stories with us {and for encouraging me to get a kiln!!!}; thanks to Wireframe for supporting this episode; and great big thanks to YOU for listening. There will be more ART FOR  YOUR EAR next weekend.

Other links:

1. Emily on Instagram
2. Bio photo of Emily by Amber Fouts for Luxe Magazine
3. “Souvenir” at Nationale {until July 8}
4. studio e gallery {Seattle}
5. SOIL show!… Brooklynn Johnson / Rachel Thomander / Ko Kirk Yamahira
6. Susannah Montague, Sculptor
7. Wireframe {Podcast}

I am soooo excited to have Kenesha Sneed, aka @tactilematter, on the podcast today! Now, it’s hard to pin point what Kenesha does… because she does so much! Painting, illustrations, murals, ceramics, brand collaborations, and most recently she’s become the author and illustrator of a beautiful children’s book titled “Many Shapes of Clay, A Story of Healing”. It’s such a lovely and uplifting book which, sadly, came out of losing her father suddenly in 2018. I’m sure many of you know, I also lost my dad unexpectedly in 2018, so a book about healing sounds really wonderful to me. Kenesha and I are starting from her childhood in “the dirt”, and working our way right up to today. You can listen right up there under Kenesha looking fabulous, or subscribe on Apple Podcasts and/or Spotify.

First up, a peek at some of the ceramics that, well, changed her life!

Gorgeous! Ummm, how much do I love that she was going to the ceramics studio before work, during her lunch break, and then again after work!? Clearly, she’d found her thing.

Another thing she happens to be realllllly good at… painting, both small and LARGE-SCALE!

Love! The top most mural is the first one she ever did {with help from her partner, and her brother-in-law, artist Nathaniel Tetro}. The swimmer at the bottom was the five-panel piece she was talking about. Her colors and shapes are so, so, so fantastic.

Oka, and today’s main attraction… Kenesha’s very first, absolutely beautiful children’s book, “Many Shapes of Clay – A Story of Healing”:

Such an important message, delivered in such a lovely and caring way. I need it… I think we all need it.

And finally, a huge hug and a big thank you to the two men who would have loved this episode:

Actually, I bet they were listening. Thank you so much to Kenesha for not only coming on the podcast today, but for writing such a beautiful story. I hope it helps children {of all ages} deal with grief, and more importantly, help them with the healing process. Thanks to you for listening, there will be more ART FOR YOUR EAR next weekend.

Other links:

1. Kenesha on Instagram
2. “Many Shapes of Clay”, AVAILABLE NOW!
3. Prestel Publishing
4. Present Perfect {Literary Agency, San Francisco}
5. Nathaniel Tetro, Artist / Brother-in-law!
6. Otis College of Art & Design, LA

Leopard print pants and a Garfield t-shirt? How can you not want to be friends with Anthony Sonnenberg  … that’s what I imagine he’s saying in this photo. I’m so excited to have Anthony on the podcast today because I’ve been following him on Instagram for years, but we’ve never spoken until today. I was feeling a little shy, but with photos like the one above all over his feed, I was pretty sure he’d be a friggin’ delight… and I was right! Listen right up there under Anthony enjoying the great outdoors, or subscribe on Apple Podcasts and/or Spotify.

I wasn’t sure where to start because Anthony does so many amazing things, but let’s go with his ceramic sculpture:

So gorgeous! The final sculpture above is from quite a few years ago, but I’m almost 100% sure it was the piece that made me click FOLLOW on Instagram. Looooove.

Oh boy, and speaking of love… ANTHONY’S JEWELRY:

Whoa. So big, so ornate, so everything. I can’t wait to see where he goes with this work… it’s going to be ridiculously good.

Now, I chose to start this post with a photo of Anthony enjoying the fresh mountain air, but I could have easily gone with one of these:

Yep, you want to be friends with him… I know, me too. See? I told you he makes and does zillions of things, and all of them are fabulous!

And finally, this. Here’s the painting of Anthony by UK based artist Sarah Ball, and the photographic inspiration:

Isn’t that lovely? Sigh. So good. Thank you so much to Anthony for recording his first ever podcast interview with me… and for not pursuing his career as a “sandwich artist”!  As always, huge thanks to you for listening to yet another episode of ART FOR YOUR EAR… there’ll be a brand new episode next weekend.

Other links:

1. Anthony on Instagram
2. “I’m not here. This isn’t happening.” at GAVLAK Palm Beach / June 9 – July 25, 2021
3. Conduit Gallery, Dallas Texas
4. Archie Bray Foundation

Okay, it’s a three-way tie between the scrambled pink phone, the giant yellow fan, and the nose light. So. Good. This is the weird and wonderful ceramic work of Haitian born, Miami based artist Woody De Othello. Here’s a description of his work via Jessica Silverman Gallery:

During his childhood, Othello saw these household objects as intimate presences, used to alter physical states and offer temporary comfort. Moreover, born and raised in Miami to a family of Haitian descent, the artist was enamored by the power of ceramic pots used to contain and overcome negative energy and bad spirits.

Using a hand-building technique called “slab construction,” Othello builds his ceramic sculptures up about six inches at a time. “The clay takes over; it has a mind of its own,” he explains. “It is a conversation and there is always space for me to react.” Othello pushes the forms up to a point where they are near collapse, working the unfired clay to a point of precariousness, giving each piece a psychological weight, a sense of movement and individual emotion. The glazes are then layered with many pieces being fired multiple times to achieve the depth of color and texture that Othello desires.

‘The clay takes over’ … love, love, love!

*Bio photo via Cultured Mag by Aubrey Mayer

Oooh, I want to hold one of these “clouds” … I won’t try to taste it, I promise. That said, it wouldn’t be my fault if I did take a little lick, because the first two pieces at the top of the post are titled “Lollipop Mint Baby Cloud Bundles”. Yum!  Anyway, this is the ceramic work of UK based artist Tessa Eastman, and here is a description of her work:

“I aim to fix ungraspable states such as fleeting cloud formations, which represent the ideal and the perishable, doom and fantasy”.

[Tessa Eastman] draws inspiration from natural phenomena as seen through a microscope, exploring the strangeness of growth where systems flow and digress.

Grouping work creates a dialogue of congruence and conflict where voluminous cloud-like shapes exploring the theme of space pushing outwards are juxtaposed with mesh structures revealing the internal. The tension between internal and external relates to receptacles where positive and negative space are equally valued, and also to the body where the void permits life. It is through sensitivity to form and glaze that Tessa’s sculptures become animated and much time is invested in research and testing. Tessa says: “Colour is inspiring and creates a distinction between the sum of parts. Matt and shiny, coarse and smooth and hot and cool coloured glazes offer depth of character.”

Okay, now I really want to hold one.

{List of galleries/places to see Tessa’s work.}

Well, usually around this time of year I’m writing my posts from Hawaii. Clearly we won’t be going this year, but oh my goodness I miss the ocean, the warm breezes, and all of the vibrant colors. And so, instead, I give you these beauties! This is the work of UK based artist Lisa Stevens. I found her on Instagram, where she’s known as @lisaseaurchin … appropriate, no? Here is a quick description of how she works:

“The main body of my work … is primarily influenced by the clay itself. I do not fight with the clay to make neat edges and smooth, even surfaces, preferring instead to leave the tool marks, the raw edges, and the natural texture of the clay … I also take reference form sea creatures, such as coral, jellyfish and of course, sea urchins. I love working with textures and a lot of my work is pierced. I do not smooth the piercing, but instead, choose to keep the barnacle effect as the clay splits as the tool moves through it.”

Sigh. Aloha.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Jacqueline Tse (@mad_brooklyn)

YUM! These unglazed porcelain pastries are the work of Arizona based artist Jacqueline Tse, aka @mad_brooklyn. Oh sure, they look sweet ‘n delicious, but there’s definitely something menacing going on. Here’s why:

“My work is highly influenced by my anxieties of being human, particularly the dilemmas of everyday urban life. It is an ongoing exploration of my fascination with American society of excess and shameless consumerism, social media overstimulation, greed and gluttony as a remedy for emotional disconnection. Meanwhile still celebrating the beauty and flaws of these fragile human conditions.”

Such a beautiful way to execute this idea. Now, did you watch the video posted above? It’s just a little teaser, but you can watch the whole video about Jacqueline’s work right here. {created by Supply Unica, April 2020}

{Thanks to Rhonda Willers, another fabulous ceramicist, for pointing me to Jacqueline’s work.}