My People Plates
"Generations"
I am still working on creating ceramic works that represent my interest in the rich substance and compositional beauty of old photographs that I possess. I inherited them from my grandparents and am the keeper of the family photos. Some subjects of the photos are known and some are unknown to me. Most of these people have lived their lives and are gone or have grown much older, but their vitality and presence in life is still visible in these photos.
I have been interested for years in finding ways to create art work using them as inspiration. I found a technique that I could use to represent these photos on my pottery and found that the images also worked with my decorating style. The images I have created on my pottery are simplified representations, but as I work with each image, I find I feel a connection to the person(s) whose photograph I'm observing, the event that they are part of, and the place and time where they are. I have loved getting to know them through recreating these moments in time. I plan to continue this effort because each photo represents another person to honor, remember, and relate to and because the making of each piece adds something that is meaningful to my life experience.
About Me
My Specialties
I am a multi media artist in that I paint with oils, make silk scarves, and pottery, though I am mostly known for my colorful pottery and silk scarves.
My pottery work is mostly functional in that I create cups, bowls, vases and other useful pieces. I work with a low fire clay and use underglazes and a china paint ink. My process involves four firings. All my work is hand crafted and one of a kind.
Artist Statement
In the variety of media with which I have worked, my objective has been to make things as beautiful and as full of life as I can make them be. I love working with color, and in oil painting, I enjoying exploring the relationships between colors and the movement that line, color, and form create. I work in a quick and loose way, applying lots of paint, experimenting and discovering as I go.
My work with pottery and with silk painting offers me an opportunity to make something people can use and enjoy. In pottery work, I endeavor to create pieces that feel good to hold and are decorated in a way that is colorful and cheerful
My Biography
I have had a lifelong interest in art and in creating art. I have been pursuing this interest in earnest since my retirement from a teaching career in 2001. I have explored various forms of artistic expression throughout my life and have worked successfully with multiple forms of artistic media, including oil painting, ceramic art, drawing, and the painting of silk scarves. I have taken numerous painting and drawing classes at San Joaquin Delta College, have shown at various local exhibitions. My work is on display at the Elsie Goodwin Gallery in Stockton and The Lodi Community Art Center.