My
current work involves the construction of forms using thin slabs of clay,
textured so
as to make the surfaces more dense and interesting. Rather than symmetry,
I aim for gentler, more relaxed forms. Each piece is one-of-a-kind. Of
late I've been making vases that echo feminine figures in stances of joy,
sorrow, nurturance, pride... The interiors are glazed so that the
pieces are fully functional, but on the outside surfaces I am using a process,
unusual for pottery, that makes possible nuanced but vivid color that can't
be achieved with high-fire glazes. Over a base of gesso, I paint with the
wonderful spectrum offered by gouache. An application of encaustic, heated
to the liquid state, is the next step. A blend of beeswax and resin, encaustic
is an ancient substance used by the Greeks to seal their ships and to protect
the painting on their architecture and statuary. As a final step, I use
a heat gun to melt away the excess encaustic and to set it into permanence.
The resulting coating is extremely durable, and it has a soft, warm luster
as well. In both these forms and these suraces, I feel that the pieces
are truly approaching my vision for them.