Elegant, yet playful pottery for everyday use
Chance led me to the Renwick Gallery in Washington DC this week where I went through the exhibit of Michael Sherrill’s work. It was amazing. He has moved his focus from utilitarian work thrown on a wheel to ceramic, metal, glass sculptural pieces. All were done with explicit detail and professional appearance. In speaking with him he was modest, contemplative and completely involved in his creative ideas.
Here are some images:
I visited the National Gallery of Art in Washington, DC this weekend and had a great time looking at the artwork. I only spent an hour there and another one in the Hirshhorn and though, I enjoyed every minute of it, it wasn’t enough time to see and admire all the art work I wanted to check out.
Recently, I have been interested and researching Dadaism and Surrealism and found great works of art representing both of these artistic periods. I pictured a few of them in this article, but there were 2 Max Ernst works that I am very interested in. they are in fact, stuck in my head right now. His work is distubing, but amazing at the same time.
What type of artwork is inspiring you nowadays?
Matt
I am part of the RVA Clay Studio Tour this year. They have been doing it for 4 years now, but his is my first time participating. All my work is going to be out and available for purchase. Both my electric low fire earthenware dinnerware and my wood/salt fired porcelaneous stoneware will be for sale.
I will have snacks and drinks for your pleasure along with the pottery and ceramic vessels available for purchase.
TJ Edwards will be joining me for the sale and he will have pottery and sculpture that he makes down Route 5 in New Charles. His work is beautiful and also available for purchase.
I hope to see you there!
Matt
I bought a straw bale and dug out the middle of it with a chainsaw. Then I planted several tomatoes and a couple peppers and filled it in with soil and compost. I finished by covering the dirt and plants with some of the loose straw for mulch. So far my plants love it and are growing like weeds. No weeds have grown yet, which is better than my normal ceramics planters.
WordPress has revised how the website can be created, so I am in the process of making a store. I’m very excited that I can have a full store set up soon. Don’t hold your breath as soon may not be too soon, but I’m still excited.
Part of my remaking this store is in response to my applications to NCECA and local stores this summer as well as my applications to a couple fairs/markets. I hope I get in and can make enough artwork for them all.
So far, I’m going to have a solo show next March. I’m currently selling at the Pop-Shop by Jo Louise, which is very exciting. The women that work there are some of the best salespersons I’ve ever met. Thank you so much, to them.
-Matt
Here is the Library of Congress music player with a good bluegrass tune added. Go there and listen to old time music.
I just got turned onto “The Anthology” by Harry Smith, which led me to the Library of Congress to try and hear more old music from the 20’s. Enjoy
http://www.loc.gov/jukebox/recordings/detail/id/10008/autoplay/true/
December 1 &2 I was the guest artist at Pocahontas State Park. The current CCC Museum was once a craft building built for the community to make arts and crafts in 1939. A wood kiln was built as well on the grounds to support pottery making.
Each day I threw pottery and did a hand built workshop where the students made pinch pots and worked on different techniques such as rolling coils, attaching slabs, creating textures and making handles for cups.
The rangers did clay workshops with children and built a fire near the kiln. The made smores in the afternoon and talked to people walking or hiking by.
The weather was overcast, but being in the woods and making pottery outside was very cool.
I enjoyed all the volunteers that helped out and the park rangers who participated in making the event a success.
Maybe, next time the weather will be nicer and there will be more people. Either way I would love to work there again. What a great time.
I made a few commissions and pulled them from the kiln last week.
The ones I didn’t sell immediately I took to a work shop I did this past weekend at Pocahontas State Park. What a great time we had, but more on that in a post tomorrow.
There are three different series created and shown here. I’m very excited in them and will tweak them a bit in the next round. The new ones are the bees, macro imagery and the redbud flowers.
I hope you like…
My friends Mike and Alex have fired their woodfired kiln at Tree Hill Pottery in Varina, Va which is just south of Richmond, VA off of Route 5, down on the James River.
I have been reading about the area and have found it has a historical connection with pottery. Back in the late 1700’s potters from New England and New York relocated along the James River, dug clay from large deposits located there and made utilitarian ware on location. They then sold it in the Richmond, VA area.
In one article listed in Ceramic Review, Thomas Jefferson purchased pottery from the area.
This historical information is very interesting to me and the pots they made are quite beautiful. For some reason, I really like thinking about these things. When I get a chance I’m going to go dig clay.
Soon I’ll post some pictures from the latest firing.
I like the sound of this title. It makes me think of a horror movie title. I know I’m reaching with that one, but I have a vivid imagination.
Here are a few cups I just photographed from my last firing.
It is quite an assortment of different designs. The Gnomes and the songbirds are for a commision, but the others are for sale.
contact me at hardwickhandmade@gmail.com if you are interested in purchasing them.