Ceramics

The Ghost School

Closeup of one of the vitreous china sharks circling the dense swarm of Herring. Made as part of a John Michael Kohler Arts/industry Residency 2015.

Closeup of the school of Herring showing the dense swarm of ceramic Herring that make up the school and the organic quality of the grouping. Made as part of a John Michael Kohler Arts/industry Residency 2015.

The Ghost School from another angle. The fish are all white to signify the depletion of so many small forage fish from our costal and inland waters.

Titled "Shark Chase," this is a linear grouping of the Shark and Herring installation.

This is a collaboration between Paul, the caster that makes this large flushable hospital ware sink, known as a "TV." His work station was near mine and he wanted to collaborate on a piece of artwork. He has been working at Kohler for nearly as long as I have been alive and is a master of the most diffucult pieces, and I was honored to be given this to work on. This is the result.

Stella is how Starry Flounders are sometimes referred to when accidentally caught salmon fishing in the Northwest. These common but oddly beautiful little flatfish are part of a very cool family of bottom dwellers .

This is a small dogfish sculpture made from tinted vitreous china In the Kohler Factory Pottery in Wisconsin. Made as part of a 2015 John Michael Kohler Arts/Industry Residency during the Kohler Strike of 2015

When grouped as individuals the tentacles take on interesting architectural forms with great potential for large scale sculptures

This is a table made from a Kohler sink, known by the workers there as a "Dog Dish," with tentacle legs joined and fired into one piece. The table has a glass top with a glazed white canoe bowl on top.

Detail of the Tentacle Table

This is a group of cast and carved stylized Cabezon, an interesting and beautiful resident of the Puget Sound near my home.

Small Pox (On the Salish Sea) In 1775 Bruno de Hezeta’s ship made the first recorded landing in what would become Washington State. Though the source can not be specifically identified it was not long after this that the disease small pox would decimate indigineous populations. It was not uncommon for tribes to loose half of their populations and as much as 80% in some areas.

Detail of Small Pox (On the Salish Sea)

This is one of a group of skulls cast and carved at the Kohler Factory in Wisconsin during an Arts/Industry Residency. This skull is detailed with tentacle designs and piercings.

THis mask was cast and then carved to create the tentacle details. The ability to carve the green ceramics was one of the great joys of discovering this medium for me.

Made in preparation for my residency and fired at Fern Street Pottery in Indianola this was I piece I did in preparation for my residency to familiarize myself with the medium.