deirdre hawthorne’s sunprints

Deirdre Hawthorne, an artist residing in Northern Ireland, creates exquisite cyanotypes on paper as well as ceramics. Sir John Herschel (mathematician, chemist, astronomer, inventor, photographer, botanist) discovered this photographic printing process in 1842 as a means to reproduce notes and diagrams, as in a blueprint. I have never seen the technique used on ceramics. The surface has to be porous to absorb the chemicals, so Deirdre uses her delicately thin bisque-ware. The results are ethereal, a landscape captured on a three dimensional form.

Deirdre’s prints on paper feel like watercolor paintings, gestural brush strokes of juicy color.

i love mud

How inspiring is this Australian company, from their catalogue graphics to their product? I am enamored, and have been for a very long time.

all images are from mudaustralia.com

samantha robinson handmade porcelain

All photographs are from Samantha Robinson's website

I first saw Samantha Robinson's work in the Anthropology catalog, and loved it immediately. The patterns on her functional porcelain pieces are wonderful, a lovely combination of ethnic and vintage-inspired images.

Designed by Laura Baxter, Samantha's website is lovely as well, completely matching her work.

I have been admiring Australian ceramics for quite some time, and after finding Samantha's work, feel like I need to go visit the country. So many incredible ceramists, some of which can be seen on Melbourne's Potier website, recommended to me by one of the buyers I met at the NY Gift Fair.

ceramic feelings

A ceramic artist from Belgium makes stoneware “feelings”, a collection of 99 of them. I picked these four, which represent my range of emotions over the past few days. Please visit ArtMind on Etsy for more of the expressive “matryoshkas”.

the ladies of D'Arceau-Limoges

My mom has an amazing eye, and discovers treasures at her local Thrift Stores frequently. I feel like she should be on Antique Road show, she’s that good. The plate above is from D'Arceau-Limoges’ Women of the Century series, which mom rescued for a few dollars. I love the concept of showing fashions through time, but the execution of the illustrations is just not my style. There is something off about the proportions of the ladies. But I do love the orange outfit, and the attitude, of this flapper. And the typography on the front and the back is fantastic.

the porcelain room by edmund de waal

“In a quiet but resolute way, [Edmund De Waal] has begun to reshape our sense of the history of modern ceramics and the possibilities of the form.” ~The Times

colors and shapes of jars ceramics

Images courtesy of Jars Ceramics

Founded in 1857 by Pierre Jars, Jars Ceramics continues to create modern, functional and stunning tableware. The shapes and glazes are an inspiration and I love the company’s philosophy:

Jars France Ceramics’ unique tableware concept combines authentic simplicity and contemporary design for every day use. While preserving their legacy of hand craftsmanship and high quality materials, Jars products are in perfect harmony with modern lifestyles.

intricate, and open, spaces

Photograph courtesy of  Joan Lurie. 

Yesterday I visited a surprisingly spacious new gallery at 47 Bergen Street in Brooklyn, NY. Located in an old, freshly renovated  warehouse building, Muriel Guépin Gallery is a treat. The openness of the space, and the friendliness of the staff, encouraged me to spend quite a lot of time there.

I  examined the work of Joan Lurie, shown above, for quite some time. Ms. Lurie works with porcelain and paper clay. The forms start out on the wheel, to be built upon with layers of paper clay and then cut into to create windows into the interior. Porcelain is notorious for not doing what one wants it to do, but Ms. Lurie has developed a technique that thoroughly controls this finicky material. Her works are a study of architectural and organic spaces. The surface is a soft, skin-like matte white glaze with small crazing. I was quite taken in.

Image courtesy of Paula Overbay.

I was mesmerized by the work of Paula Overbay, whose layers of color and dots took me  on a celestial journey.

Image courtesy of Arpie Gennetian Najaran.

The work of Arpie Gennetian Najaran, a fellow RISD Alum, is what originally brought me to the gallery. Her collages of original drawings, string and found printed matter are full of light, dance, and joy. Thank you, Arpie, for leading me to a wonderful exhibition.

ethereal ceramics by helen felcey

Helen Felcey creates beautiful, organic pieces made primarily out of slip-cast bone china (porcelain) or basalt. She allows the material to move in the firings, gently guiding it toward the shapes she intends. Lovely.

galerie besson

Galerie Besson in London exhibits the work of some of my favorite ceramists, here are a few whose porcelain work I find especially inspiring:

Margaret O’Rorke

Alev Ebüzziya Siesbye

Priscilla Mouritzen

All images are from Galerie Besson

one day, a china cabinet from floor to ceiling, like this one...

Photographed by Gregory Krum, at Nymphenburg.

shape, color, texture

This past Saturday I participated in the RISD Holiday Alumni Sale, always an inspiring event filled with unique creations from the very talented RISD community. It is a day of reunions and catching up with friends who gather from all over the country.

This year, I was impressed by the work of Alexandra Fallon, a furniture maker and a ceramist. Alexandra creates stunning slab-pressed and pinched tableware, her shapes ranging from tiny votive holders, to extra large gorgeous bowls. The table set with these pieces will transport you to the South of France or a rustic Tuscany garden.

I love the irregular forms Alexandra comes up with. She chooses a beautiful variety of textured clays to work with, the colors ranging from red to brown to golden to creamy white.

For more information, visit Alexandra’s website, Source & Tradition.

bison australia’s envious color palatte

I love this color palette from Bison Australia Ceramics, it's just so tasy, as is the tableware they produce.

Read more about this fantastic little company here.

throwing demo at nymphenburg

At Nymphenburg, craftsmen and craftswomen throw all the plates, vases and bowls by hand on a water-powered potter's wheel. I love the foot-trimming machine shown in the last image! Watch the full video here. All pieces are stamped with the Nymphenburg mark and the potter's initials.

hella jongerius, imperfections and idiosyncrasies

My friend Lauren told me about Hella Jongerius and her Jongeriuslab. Hella creates things that make her (and me) happy, here is what she writes about her B-set, pictured above:

"Somewhere in every home, there is a chipped and broken plate that exudes memories of Granny from the fine lines of its crazing glaze. Ultimately it is the damaged plate with its imperfections and idiosyncrasies that is treasured rather than the dazzling, pristine service. Hence, Hella Jongerius has consciously created irregularities in her porcelain-deformed dinner service that deviate from the ‘ideal’ form."

Above, the B-set is stored in the Royal Tichelaar Makkum factory.
Available on line in their shop.

paola navone's architectural tableware

Paola Navone's "Taste" tableware for Reichenbach reminds me of old European elegance, a set my grandmother would surely love. The precision and control of the architectural broad edges add a modern touch. When set on the table, the spaces between each piece become equally important, and sculptural.

at wannekes

Curated by interior designer Tanneke Neessen, the porcelain items on the Wannekes webshop are exquisite, and fun. 
1. Dolly salt  & pepper shaker: designed by Ross McBride for Normann Copenhagen
2. Sweetheart teapot: designed by Christian Ghion for Gaia & Gino
3. Coquetier Douillet, émaillée brillante: designed by Catherine Lévy and Sigolene Prebois for Tsé & Tsé
4. Water carafe: designed by Aldo Bakker for Thomas Eyck

ceramics 101: k is for kaolin, p is for porcelain

Kaolin, also called "china clay", is a soft white clay that is an essential ingredient in the manufacture of porcelain. It is named after the hill in China (Kao-ling) from which it was mined for centuries. Samples of kaolin were first sent to Europe by a French Jesuit missionary around 1700 as examples of the materials used by the Chinese in the manufacture of porcelain.

Porcelain, also called "china" due its origins in that country, differentiates itself from earthenware and stoneware by its white color, its nonporous surface, its strength and, when very thin, its translucency. Porcelain is a mix of kaolin and feldspar, which vitrifies (becomes glass-like and water proof) at a high temperature, around 2280_F to 2640_F. Depending on the type of kaolin used, the color of the porcelain will vary from a creamy-white, to a cool-white, and the final piece will have a bell-like ring when struck.

I prefer using porcelain because of its soft and sensual feel when fired to a high temperature. On many of my pieces, I leave the outside unglazed, so the material's smooth surface can be appreciated with each use.

The above letters K and P are created by Jessica Hische and posted on her Daily Drop Cap blog.

quiet, soft beauty of Hyejeong Kim's ceramics

All photographs are from potspots.com

There is exquisite subtlety in Hyejeong Kim's work. Each piece beckons to be touched, and used, the simplicity and softness of the glaze accentuating the sensuality of the form.

angela cunningham

Like an O'Keefe painting, Angela Cunningham's work unfolds and envelops. The controlled detail of her pieces is mesmerizing.

Angela Cunningham and Cliff Lee will be showing at the Philadelphia Museum of Art Craft Show, Nov 11th-15th, 2009. Click here for more details.