Roman Holiday at SOFA 2018

booth #B30 Maria Elena Kravetz Gallery
NOV 1-4, 2018 NAVY PIER

This is my second year showing at SOFA in Chicago! I am excited to meet the visitors, reconnect with my fellow artist friends and show my new series of sculptures. Roman Holiday was inspired by my Rome residency this year, where I spent a month researching and visiting the many archetypes and personas embedded in the architecture of this multilayered city. Boundaries between ancient and modern blur and figures from the past take on contemporary twists. Stop by and say hello if you are in the Chicago area!

Surrealist Totems from Ojai are ready for spiritual deployment

I had a blast teaching my Surrealist Totems workshop in Ojai! it was great to share my knowledge with an amazing group of students at the Beatrice Wood Art Center, a place filled with the spirituality of many dedicated artists and thinkers. I was also lucky enough to stay in the room of Joseph Campbell, the godfather of Star Wars! His deep scholarship on mythology is very inspiring and I’m sure his ideas are already permeating my subconscious.
Looking forward to teaching there again next year!

3rd Saturday at Blue Line Arts–this Saturday!

Blue Line Arts invites you to come to their 3rd Saturday Art Reception to meet the artists and discover the the world of ceramic sculptures, pottery and wall art on display. Find my piece in the show Off Center in the Coker Main Gallery! This is a exhibit of an International Ceramic Art Competition where artists from all over the world share their vision of ceramics.
Saturday, July 21st, 6-8:30pm
Featuring a LIVE Performance by The Capital Dance Project

Join us for wine, beer and light refreshments. This is a great opportunity to support the artists in your community who have their work on display in the gallery. There is always lots of free parking and the event is free!

C.R.E.T.A. residency exhibition in Rome!

I am very pleased to be working in Rome, Italy this month and showing work inspired by this incredible city! The reception for the exhibition of works was at Palazzo Delfini and it so much fun to say hello to everyone who stopped by! Here are some thoughts about my wonderful experience living and working in Rome:

The archetypes and personas displayed in Rome’s museums join me on the daily tram commute, shopping at the market, walking their dogs in the morning, drinking with friends at night. 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.

This collection of pieces 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 her mediterranean excursions. Another pair, a poodle and a patrician from another century, instead of scheming in machiavellian moves, now delight in taking selfies and showing off their power curls.

I encourage viewers to find a harmony between the inner and outer self, to let sublimated ideals come to the surface and find a rhythm within history and with other beings. My figures express hope for the future, exploring the fundamental narratives which provide a release from fleeting fears and tribulations and instead offer a sense of an enduring delight in life.

https://www.cretarome.com/exhibitions

The other Daphne, stoneware, glazes, stains, 2018Pegasus visit, stoneware, stains, glazes, 2018

Surrealist Totems Workshop at Beatrice Wood Center For the Arts

I am very excited to announce my upcoming workshop in Ojai, CA at the Beatrice Wood Center for the Arts! I will be demonstrating and leading students through an exploration of personal iconography to create ceramic sculptures which reflect the unique qualities of each maker.  The workshop will be held in beautiful Ojai, California, an idyllic nature space, which inevitably inspires a nourishing and centering spirit within everyone. The Beatrice Wood Center is a great museum, gallery, workshop and library space, transformed from the former studio and abode of Beatrice Wood, an artist said to be the Mama of Dada. She was a great experimenter, with inexhaustible curiosity and wonder and I am looking forward to channeling this wonderful energy in September!

Saturday & Sunday, September 15 & 16, 2018
11:00 am – 4:00 pm

Cost $275. per person ($250. for members)
Includes a light vegetarian lunch

Registration is open and there are still a few spots left. Reserve your space today!

http://www.beatricewood.com/workshops/surrealist_totems.html

Ceramics in Los Angeles

I love this article in the LA Times, discussing the growing impact of clay in the art world. Also happy to see Fahrenheit 2018 mentioned as one of the clay shows to check out in the area, where one of my pieces was chosen by the great Patti Warashina. It’s a great exhibition and I hope many eyes get to see it before it closes July 22nd!

 

Fahrenheit 2018 Bienniel

http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/arts/la-ca-cm-ceramics-clay-art-20180425-htmlstory.html

Workshop update–Fantastical Creatures were a fantastic success!

I am so thrilled to meet an amazing group of creators and share my approach to clay this past week. I couldn’t have asked for more engaged and enthusiastic workshop participants. A bit nostalgic about leaving San Miguel de Allende but looking forward to bringing the Mexican energy into my own studio.

Here are some snapshots of our process and pieces ready for the kiln.

Looking forward to my next visit to San Miguel!

Showing personal work examples on the first day.
Hardworking students!
Face demo!

2018 SF Flower and Garden Show

San Francisco Flower and Garden Show at Cow Palace, April 4-8, 2018

#8 Crescendo of Calm in Chaos

Happy to complete another successful collaboration with garden designer Iftikhar Ahmed of Treeline Designz, who created this urban sanctuary to encourage an inward journey of meditation and contemplation. My sculptures loved being surrounded by thriving plants and gorgeous greenery. The garden even received a gold medal at the show! I had a blast meeting so many wonderful show visitors and am inspired to create more landscape projects.