Midsummer Dreams

Summer is definitely here and my pieces are frolicking across the country! Kansas City has Dogota for the 14th Contemporary Figurative Art Show. There was a live-streamed opening on July 2nd and the show runs through August 24th.
 Hilliard Gallery
1820 McGee St.
Kansas City, MO. 64108
You can read about the show and see other artists featured here:
In Exeter, my piece won best in show and quickly found a new home! You can read about it here on the CarriageTowne News:
This is the show description:
Such magic lies in warm summer nights where tiny fireflies flicker in the backyard, competing with the vast silver web of constellations overhead. Why go to bed when summer doesn’t sleep? This month share your visions of summer nights for everyone to see.
The second piece at SAA, Muse of White Mountain, has found a new home as well! She was made on the West Coast and now will be living in Manchester, NH. I am very pleased to know she will bring serenity to this corner of the world.
June 27 – July 30, 2021
130 Water Street
Exeter, NH 03833
603-778-8856
Gallery hours:
Wednesday-Saturday 10am – 5pm
Sunday 1pm – 4pm
Stay cool and hydrated out there!

Summer Updates

The days are heating up–both outside and in my studio! Summer in New Hampshire is beautiful and I am constantly amazed at all the life singing around me.

I am very pleased my piece “Here was a Bee” was selected to be in the Attleboro Arts Museum national juried exhibition Real or Imagined and received the Juror’s Award! The Juror, Clare Bell, is the Senior Director of Exhibitions at Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum and she chose six artists out of the more than 70 exhibiting artists.

REAL OR IMAGINED will be on view in the Museum’s Ottmar Gallery from June 16th to July 15th, 2021.

In lieu of a reception, a virtual artist talk will be held on Zoom on Friday, June 18th from 6:30pm – 7:30pm, EST. This event is free and open to all. Register here to receive a link to the talk:

https://zoom.us/meeting/register/tJ0lcOqsqjgiHtQo1VFtSZ4LASiau0d63_Vv

Selections from the exhibition along with images of the six Juror’s Award winners will appear on this site by June 22nd.

Attleboro Arts Museum, 86 Park Street, Attleboro, MA 02703

I am also very happy to finally have a kiln again! Over the winter, my shelves filled up with greenware, patiently waiting for months to be fired. I have already done several firings in my new front-loading kiln and it is good to get the full studio flow going again. Here are some works in progress from my new Forest Dweller series!

This shaman is one of 16 wall pieces for the annual invitational FourSquared show at the Arc Gallery in San Francisco. FourSquared is a unique exploration of the works of sixteen Bay Area artists. Each of the artists has produced sixteen small works, presented in sixteen clusters giving the audience the experience of sixteen micro solo exhibitions. All works priced under $600.

EXHIBITION:  August 28 – September 25, 2021

OPENING RECEPTION:  Saturday, August 28th, 7-9PM

More updates coming–the Forest Dwellers have many secrets to reveal.

Stay cool and hydrated!

April News

The opening reception at the Fountain Street Gallery fantastically exceeded my expectations considering the complexities of pandemic social events. We had a wonderful crowd of visitors and many of my much-missed friends came! The gallery is open Saturday and Sunday 12pm- 4:00 pm and by appointment. Good news! – the exhibition has been extended until May 2nd and there will be a gallery hop with the other art spaces in the building on Saturday 4/24 from 2-3:30pm. I will be there! It is a free event but the viewers have to register. Here is the link to the eventbrite: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/saturday-gallery-hop-tickets-150231894641
The spring is here! my new kiln is still on its way and my studio is filling up with a lot of new works for the upcoming 4 squared exhibition at the Arc Gallery in SF in August.

Spring happenings!

Though snow still crunches under my feet as I go for my daily walks in the woods, the wind brings air filled with spring aromas of growing things. The irresistible change of seasons has begun! The snow is slowly melting, the birds are happily chirping, the days grow longer, and the squirrels are mating with abandon. I’ve been enjoying the rural rhythm of our new home in New England, working in the mornings, taking a midday forest bathing break, then returning to the studio until the sun goes down. My shelves are filled with new woods dwellers as they patiently wait for my new kiln to arrive at the end of this month.

Meanwhile I have exciting news: my next three-person exhibition will be at the Fountain Gallery in Boston. The show runs March 31 through April 25 with the opening reception during SoWa First Friday Art Walk: Friday, April 2 | 5:00–8:00PM

https://www.fsfaboston.com/upcoming-exhibits#block-yui_3_17_2_1_1574373466330_28088

My sculpture was also selected for the Artsy Online Exclusive Exhibition. The Show opened on Monday, March 1st and will be on view until April 30th.

Hope you are safe and powering through the last few weeks of cold. Looking forward to seeing you in person at my Boston exhibition opening!

Last post of 2020–Certain About Uncertainty and new studio!

Even though we have been put on our ear, it has still been a prolific year and I am very grateful for it!
Among the tumult of all the changes this year, I led my Adventures in Clay classes until February. I also hosted five themed zoom presentations related to my work. I participated in 7 wonderful group exhibitions in the Bay area and also in Chicago. I produced a whole new series of works incorporating handblown glass elements in preparation for my solo exhibition, Certain About Uncertainty at Abrams Claghorn Gallery in Albany, CA. Because of the pandemic this exhibition has moved online and goes through January 15th. Browse my pandemic pieces here:
In November we moved to the East Coast’s rural area one hour north from Boston! I am enjoying my new studio and almost finished sculpting my first piece, The Siren, inspired by the woods that surrounds us. As I am writing this, snowflakes descent gently behind the windows. White blanket is covering the surroundings to regenerate life for a fresh start.
I am looking forward to the new adventures of 2021 and wishing you healthy, happy and safe New Year!

Paper Dreams at Abrams Claghorn Gallery

Eternal Transformation is now on display!

https://abramsclaghornshop.com/collections/paper-dreams/products/paper-dreams-natasha-dikareva-eternal-transformations

Paper Dreams” is an invitational group exhibition at the lovely Abrams Claghorn Gallery in Albany, CA. The artists in this show have been asked to provide glimpses into their studios and their sketchbooks following the process from inspiration to the finished work of art. In my case, it’s a little maquette next to the final version of my sculpture.
This piece is a part of the Shell Dweller series which explores the notion of security in an insecure world. This imaginative creature expresses the immediate urge to hide when the news of yet another disaster reaches us. Despite her escapist tendencies, she continues to communicate her experience through the surface of her shell, telling the story of her encounters and the places she visited.

Visit the virtual gallery and give the gift of art this holiday season!

SF Open Studios Gold Virtual Event–October 8, 4-8pm PT

This year I am pleased to open my studio to visitors from all over the world.

www.artspan.org/sfos

Join me virtually at SF Open Studios: Gold event on October 8 from 4-8pm to see where the magic happens!

This virtual event is free and open to all. It is a wonderful opportunity to ask me questions about my work and practice and experience California’s Bay Area art scene from wherever you are. Tune in from your corner of the world and register now!

See you soon!

Joie De Vivre and Visions in Clay

Joie de Vivre: Artist Talk and Virtual Studio Visit
Sunday August 23, 3-4pm PT (6-7pm ET)
***

I was scheduled to teach a workshop in San Raphael, France in September but we all know what happened to the world. Being nostalgic, I want to share with you the experience I had during my first artist residency in Vallauris also in the south of France.
Imagine you are at the French Riviera in September. You start your day swimming in the waters of the clear Mediterranean sea, hiking in the surrounding hills or taking an excursion to the nearest medieval town. You enjoy French culture and fresh, delicious cuisine. Already seems like paradise, right? And for me it was all of that plus my favorite activity – sculpting with clay.
During the month of my artist residency there I produced 21 pieces! Want to hear about my amazing experience at Vallauris, an ancient town known as a center of French pottery and ceramic arts and a place where Picasso produced more than 3 thousand ceramic works? I’ll show you the images of his and other French artists’ works who inspired me there. Also, you will get the insights from such places like Antibes, Nice, Cannes, Grasse and Saint-Paul-de-Vence.
Join me Sunday, August 23, 3-4pm PT
Zoom: https://sfsu.zoom.us/j/92326679956?pwd=Y3padllPRE9VMFVIUjBiYWw4b3lnQT09 
This event is FREE, I will also show what has been growing in my studio and we’ll have a Q and A session at the end.
 
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 Visions in Clay
Looks like we are in a drought again… and my Rainman was selected for the Visions in Clay national exhibition in Stockton, CA.
Show runs September 3 through October 9.
Virtual reception, September 3, 5:30-6:30pm.
Artist Talk with Nancy Selvin: September 17 • 12:30-1:30pm
Let me know if you would like to attend and I will send you a Zoom link to the openings!

Made in Rome: artist talk and virtual studio visit June 28!

La Ragazza con Gelato, stoneware, stains, 2018
To say I got inspired by Rome during my art residency in 2018 is an understatement. I treasure every moment of my month there, and the memories will definitely last for a lifetime! Every day, as I worked in the studio, my work was infused with the spirit of ancient Roman archetypes, Renaissance and Baroque museum masterpieces and local contemporary energy. Everything is so interconnected, layered and mixed in this ancient city. Living this deep in history, the boundary between the distant past and the commonplace daily life dissolves.
The collection of pieces I’ll be presenting is inspired by the antique history and mythology of Rome intertwined with everyday contemporary activities. A lion wanders around with someone who used to be Cybele in a bygone age, but now the lion has his freedom and no longer has to pull her carriage, while she tries on sunglasses and dreams of mediterranean excursions. Another pair, a poodle and a patrician, no longer interested in machiavellian schemes, now delight in taking selfies and showing off their power curls.  A Pegasus finally arrives to visit a poet who had been waiting for millenia to be reunited with his swiftly traveling brother.  The arc of the poet’s thoughts and dreams finally reached the Pegasus and provided a bridge to our world.
Join me for the artist talk and virtual studio visit on June 28th. Along with the fruits of my labor from Rome, I’ll be showing images of and telling stories about the masterpieces I was inspired by. Looking forward to sharing this amazing experience with you!
June 28th, 3-4pm PT

Colossus of Constantine in the Courtyard of the Palazzo dei Conservatori

Pegasus Visit, stoneware, stains, 2018

 

I am also pleased to announce that I will be featured by Pence Gallery in Davis, CA at the Rare Birds exhibition. Two pieces  were selected for this show by the art director and curator Natalie Nelson.
Exhibition runs: Jun. 2-Jul. 2, 2020
As of June 2nd, Pence Gallery is open for appointments from Monday to Friday, 10 AM – 5 PM.
Please call 530-758-3370 to make an appointment.

https://www.pencegallery.org/Exhibits_2020/06_jun/rare_birds.html

Here is also a link to the video I made for this exhibition: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Si-zZcwWJ8&t=29s

Early Bird Brings Lucid Dreams
7x7x4 inches
glass, porcelain, china paint

2020

Face to Face: Harnessing the Virtual

We’ve made it through two months of quarantine! Adjusting to the new distancing measures, I started hosting virtual studio visits. I had my misgivings about dealing with zoom meetings but it turned out to be stimulating and fun so I will continue to invite and talk about my work with virtual visitors. The next visit will be May 24th, 3-4pm PT. I will be sharing a series spanning the last decade, from Shell Dwellers to Escapists, looking more in-depth into this particular body of work. Showing images and my actual sculptures, I’ll talk about the development, inspirations, techniques and concepts behind my works and share with you what is growing in my studio. We’ll also have Q&A session at the end of this event. Looking forward to seeing you through the screen!

Face-to-Face: Artist Talk & Virtual Studio Visit, part 2

Zoom: https://sfsu.zoom.us/j/94085889585?pwd=aElyNVd5LzNZZHdhRmFkeXg5NHFQQT09

promotional video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KY_bHSOfHCQ&feature=youtu.be

Meet the new owners of my diptych I Found My Pearl in San Francisco! Megan and Andrew told me they can’t go to the ocean right now but this piece will bring the ocean to them. I am happy to know my work is helping people make it through the challenge of shelter-in-place.

I am also happy to report that the Serenity Exhibition at UCSF Women’s Health Center on Sutter Street in San Francisco has been extended until September.

Stay safe and be healthy!