Owl & PussycatHand-built ceramic sculpture, fired, glazed, with cold finishes; assemblage with assorted findings (e.g. copper, antique sewing machine parts, etc.); mounted on a stained Hemlock base.
400mm high x 370mm wide x 165mm
This figurative piece plays on the well-known poem “The Owl and the Pussy- Cat” by Edward Lear (see full poem here). Two distinctly engaging characters lounge in a ceramic boat amidst a fanciful setting… evoking feelings of love, marriage, and joy — “in a world that has no sorrow, suffering, or obstacles.” (Commission)
The WAVE Artists’ Studio Tour has been put on “pause” this summer due to precautions re: COVID-19… but here’s a short video piece to let you see what I’ve been up to (click here to see the YouTube profile).
Not Every Day is Carnival Hand-built figurative ceramic sculpture, stained and fired; cold finishes and varnishes; on turned wooden base.
590mm high x 270mm diameter
The irony in this piece is intentional. Masks used in Venetian carnival (which ends with the celebration of Lent each year) often made reference to the “Plague doctor” masks worn as part of a protective suit beginning in the 17th Century. The original masks featured a hollow, beak-shaped nose, typically stuffed with herbs, straw, and spices designed to keep out the foul odours that were thought to spread infection.
Knock, knock. Wall-hung, hand-built figurative ceramic sculpture, fired with cold finishes and varnishes; with assemblage (wooden drawer with knob and brass door knocker).
235mm high x 175mm wide x 145mm deep
Being woke is no joke… be prepared when life comes a-knocking!
Anemone Anne Wall-hung, hand-built figurative ceramic sculpture, fired, with cold finishes and varnishes.
320mm high x 190mm wide x 105mm deep
Mandy Manatee Wall-hung, hand-built figurative ceramic sculpture, fired, with cold finishes and varnishes.
255mm high x 140mm wide x 105mm deep
Sandy Starfish Wall-hung, hand-built figurative ceramic sculpture, fired, with assemblage (a starfish acquired in New Zealand), cold finishes and varnishes.
255mm high x 130mm wide x 97mm deep
Ursula Urchin Wall-hung, hand-built figurative ceramic sculpture, fired, with assemblage (sharpened, up cycled bicycle spokes), cold finishes and varnishes.
300mm high x 160mm wide x 140mm deep
These four pieces are the beginning of an open series titled ‘Seagals.’ The faces are approximately life-sized. Each piece features a different “sea-creature” (sculpted, natural, or assembled from up-cycled materials) — why a sea creature? Because our seas need our attention and protection! Inspiration for the look and feel of these is drawn from the “bathing beauties” of the 1920s, with colouration reflecting the work of portrait illustrators of that time (e.g. Władysław T. Benda).
Known Unknowns Hand-built figurative ceramic sculpture, fired; with cold finishes and varnishes; assemblage with pieces of carved deer antler (the walrus tusks); on stained wooden base.
480mm high x 290mm diameter
This intentionally ironic piece mixes Neoclassical styling with an environmental message regarding the precariousness of global oceanic warming and “at-risk” species — mermaids and walruses. Conventional cautions apply: “Never look a mermaid in the eyes.”
Fabrica Hand-built figurative ceramic sculpture, stained and fired; assemblage with antique sewing machine flywheel, industrial wooden spindles, and metal buttons; cold finishes and varnishes. (A selection of miscellaneous buttons is provided for optional display purposes).
820mm high x 560mm wide x 270mm depth/diameter
Fabrica is from the Latin fabricare “to make, construct, fashion, build,” with reference to a feminine noun suggesting “art, craft.” This sculpture is my homage to the many women (and men) I have known who love sewing and who have created fashionable as well as functional clothing for themselves and those they love.
Five years ago this month, a figurative ceramic sculpture of mine made its debut at an art show at The Cre8ery in Winnipeg. It was titled ‘No Regrets‘ and featured an elderly gentleman with two wise Latin maxims, “tempus fugit” (“time flies”) and “carpe diem” (“seize the day”), spelled out in repurposed Scrabble™ tiles (mounted on up-cycled steel bicycle spokes) rising like carefully composed thoughts above his head.
To be honest, I was never completely happy with the original stain/finish on this piece… it somehow seemed just a bit too dark and somber and morose for the title ‘No Regrets.’ A gal’s allowed to change her mind, eh? After now living with this wise-yet-solemn figure for five years, it was now time for a facelift (along with a suitable re-name) — I’m pleasantly chuffed about both the updated persona and the overall result — “Put on a happy face…“
