One of Steven's comments about one of my pots was that the reason that he liked a particular pot better than another one was that the woman applique was more contemporary. It got me thinking - my influence was my mother as she is an artist and she loved to draw figures. Her favorite painters are Picasso and Gustav Klimt. Here are two of my favorite paintings that she did many years ago. After the 1970's she rarely painted any more as she had to look after my father who had had a stroke and so perhaps her figure style was somewhat dated, though I don' really think so. Sadly now close to 90 she no longer has the energy to paint.
I was determined with this last vase to make the appliqued figures more contemporary - perhaps with torn or unfinished edges - to give it a more abstract look. However it ended up even worse - over designed, too cutsy. In making these pots, I find that often even though I hate what I am making I find that I cannot help myself and cannot move away from the direction that I am heading.
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The rim also has way too much stuff. I was not too satisfied with the wavy top and so decided to cut some out on the back - that was mistake! This is the first vase where I have not thickened the rim by adding extra clay strips. The thin rim just does not do much for the pot - just a bit too delicate.
Whenever I added leatherhard pieces to the rim, usually I got some cracking at the joint. So for the last two pieces I tried something new. I rolled out a coil and added it fresh to the rim. So far, the first pot - no cracks and next one comes out next week and we'll see!
Otherwise I'll have to start using paperclay.
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So I have ended up with a vase with two women - I tried to make them look like they have berries. My mother years ago had painted a picture of women picking blueberries and so I thought I would maybe reference that. Sort of blueberry bushes at the sides and back. However it looks like a wedding instead.
Actually I may be contemporary in a social sense - a pot with two woman getting married!
3 comments:
I am (have been) enjoying your journey with Steven Hill. It is interesting to see the conflict between his helping you find your own expression and the push to be something else! Trying to pull the real you out of your work sometimes seems like over-riding the natural expression. (Not sure I am saying what I am thinking!)
I appreciate you sharing your journey--lots of food for thought. I like your cut-outs.
Well I wanted to add some more to my comment - but I see that I can't do that without removing it. See previous commnet.
Glad you are enjoyng the blog - it is really helping me with my work. Steven is very good at not imposing his ideas on you, but instead draws out your own ideas. Now what to do with them!
In the journey workshops you get to choose what you want to get out of it. So the journey is different for everyone.
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