European Ceramic Context 2010


Well the website doesn’t have all the info yet, but I could wait to share the news of an amazing ceramic opportunity in 2010. Three extensive exhibitions with the best of European contemporary ceramics, workshops, lectures, masterclasses and artist residencies will take place on the island of Bornholm September 2010! Could it get much better?
From their website:
European Ceramic Context 2010 forms part of a biennial symposium for European contemporary glass and ceramics on the island of Bornholm in Denmark. Through comprehensive exhibitions, workshops, master classes, lectures and an artist in residence program, an opportunity will arise to discuss and present the best of contemporary European ceramics today. All 27 members of the European Union as well as Iceland, Norway and Switzerland will be participating.European Ceramic Context 2010 is organizing a conference that will spotlight and discuss current themes in contemporary European ceramics. Lecturers and speakers will be among the leading theorists, curators and artists within the field of ceramics. The conference will take place at the Glass and Ceramic School on Bornholm.European Ceramic Context 2010 is organizing a number of Master Classes, that will be open for enrollment to all professional ceramic artists who wishes to extend their knowledge or seek inspiration and challenge for their daily studio-practice. Master classes will be taught by accomplished instructors and professional artists.
European Ceramic Context is organizing a series of artist residencies in collaboration with Res Artis, a world wide network of artist-residencies and residential art centers. Selected artists will be given the time and space to develop a new project or body of work in ceramics. Artists will be working at Svaneke Gaarden, Møbelfabrikken and The Glass and Ceramic School for a period of approx. 6 weeks. During the residency artist will be asked to work on a given theme, to be presented at the ECC2010 conference at the end of their AiR session.
More details will be forth coming so bookmark the site and start booking your time off and flights!

Margaret Matsuyama

Nothing makes my day like when readers send lovely emails which end with links to their websites and blogs. There are only so many hours in the day to get things accomplished and hours it seems get eaten up in front of the computer, either productively or otherwise…so when people can help to direct me to gorgeous art to share with you guys it completely makes my day.

When Margaret Matsuyama contacted me I was immediately drawn to her work. (You likely get a sense by now that I’m a bit partial to figurative work, it’s my weakness.) But seriously how sweet are these?


Not only are they charming, they pack a good punch in terms of subject matter. Here’s a bit from Margaret’s artist statement:

“Art acts as a crossroads between my varied interests, and the different sides of my identity. I am drawn to work evoking childhood experience and the repression of identity when it does not conform to social norms. I am also interested in exploring the subtle differences of identity, and its fragility or impermanence.”


For more insight into her work and more images of other pieces check out her website, and of course you should become a follower of her blog as well! (Oh and make sure you make the little guys dance on the home page of her website, hours of entertainment!)

Studio Open House


URBAN FOREST DESIGN STUDIO
WILDWOOD POTTERY
Christian D. Barr & Enzien Kufeld
June 26 – July 6
10am – 9pm
(For those willing to make the trip out we will help you by covering your GST.)
Approx. 115 km west of Edmonton on Hwy16(9km west of Wildwood)turn South on RR102, 250m

Urban Forest Design Studio
Box 636 – Wildwood,
AB T0E 2M0 – Canada
Ph: (780) 325-2360
Email: [email protected]

Artist Talk – Gilbert Poissant

From the Canadian Clay and Glass Gallery:
“Don’t miss Gilbert Poisssant’s Artist Talk scheduled for 1pm June 28. This is a wonderful opportunity to connect with the distinctive vision of Gilbert Poissant and gain a fuller understanding of his intent and aesthetic. In a world enthralled with the virtual, Poissant has an abiding and profound attachment to and appreciation for his materials – he is grounded in the reality of “things”. Poissant has spent his professional life exploring all aspects of the discipline of creating ceramics. He is recognized for his contribution to public art. Poissant won a national competition for the realization of a work to adorn Quebec City’s “Ecole the Outremont Metro Station”. He was made a member of the Royal Canadian Academy of Arts in 2003 and was invited to participate in the international symposium, Barro de Americo in Venezuela. This is just a short list of his many accomplishments. You will most definitely enjoy connecting with this artist and his work prior to the official opening of “VARIATIONS ON DISCS, SPIRALS, AND XUANJIS”.”

Read more about Gilbert here or visit his website to see more work here.

Angels amoung us

Lately I’ve spent way too much time working on a new series of sculptural work that is filled with skulls, wanna be angels and the darker side of humanity. When I stumbled across Valerie’s work in her etsy shop Goodliving I was quite taken back. The serene beauty of her work, it’s speechless elegance spoke volumes to me about the emotions and aspects of humanity that I often try to capture in my own work. Here it was in front of me. Addressed from a completely different perspective and approach, and oh so beautifully rendered.


Each piece has such personality in their eyes. Such narrative in their stance.


Check out more of Valerie’s work here in her etsy shop.