License to Illuminate

A few pictures from "License to Illuminate" a collaborative installation between Guy (Mike) and myself. Above, our found figurine that has gone through a few changes...
The wolf chandelier alongside Mike's sculptures on an amazing Eero Saarinen table. Aaron Morse's work on the back wall (love it!)
A collection of 3-d scanned and enlarged wolf and pug heads, alongside Aaron Morse paintings.
Finally, a collection of 18 limited edition illuminated cups featuring scenes from taxidermy how-to manuals. The show is on view at Country Club until Dec. 19th. Click here for a lot more.

massive

3-d scan of a tiny, tiny flower from Dresden Germany. I have several of these small handmade flowers, and for over a year I have been debating on what to do with them. So, with grant money I recently received, I had one three dimensionally scanned and enlarged to almost 12" across. Here are the printouts - the ridges that move around the petals are actually the fingerprints of the woman who made the piece. Crazy. The flower on the right is a smaller printout, about 4" across. Time to start making molds.

in the studio

Guy (Mike) and I have been gearing up for a big installation at Country Club Projects. We have combined our skills to create one of kind pieces, mixing taxidermy with some intensive china painting. The work is inspired by French Palissy Ware, English Majolica, and Kaendler's work at Meissen. The installing begins early next week, so more photos to come.

industrial tile

I have been china painting this tile (on and off) for the last couple of months. It looks like the bottom to some sort of scientific scale, and is a beautiful piece of porcelain. I have been firing it over and over, adding a little more information every time, and making my lines nice and thick. I have a few more blanks to work with - these should be a nice addition to the cut paper pieces.
14" x 8" x 1", porcelain with china paint.

sewn curtains

I have been working on a new cut paper series - wall panel/scrims that are completely sewn together. This way the piece can be hung in multiple ways and places very easily. Some of the earlier cut paper works were double stick taped to the wall - and as a result were only installed one time. Plus, the sewn lines look so beautiful - with out a doubt worth all the hassle. Each panel will be at least 4x 8' - not quite sure if anything will go in front of them. This is the first segment I have finished - shown on the wall and in a window.

done and done

The two pieces I have been working on over the last couple of weeks. I love them - especially the blue and white version. Nice and crisp, but definitely different from what I set out thinking. The illuminated forms responds with what we have been doing over at Future Retrieval, and will ultimately be shown with that work.

one more time

Okay, so I have taken this idea a little bit further... I could be crazy, but it looks like it could turn out beautifully - yellow china paint with gold patterning. Mike and I have been on an illuminated kick - working together on pieces that reference medieval hunting scenes. Take a look here to see more. I decided to try my skills on a larger form - and this faceted wolf head is perfect. Stay tuned. (the post below seems so simple now)

part two

Finally, some progress. (see here) Now for step two - china painting. I have outlined a pattern of cut silhouettes across the face that seem to be flowing from the inside of the mouth. This is just one version in the works, but I really enjoy the way the thin lines of the marker look...

letterpress

I just bought a 10 x 12 Chandler and Price letterpress - and I am so excited! I have been working on a proofing press for a few years, but this is the REAL deal. I just want to thank Ralph for posting this on craigslist and for all the help getting it into the Uhaul. Turns out that 900 lbs of cast iron vs. 6 people is a tough battle to fight. I still cannot believe that this is in my studio, ready to go.

studio shot

Yesterday Guy and I started working on "Wolf Pack" - an idea we have for an overhead lighting fixture. So far so good - the only problem is that it is slipcast porcelain and almost 3 feet across. (Crazy!) Somehow we will get this into the kiln, glazed, and wired up, one step at a time.

big ideas

Guy and I have been tossing around some ideas the last month or so that we are pretty excited about. We have been sketching up some mockups that are combinations of our best work - strange ornamentation with exacting moldmaking, found objects, and animals. We scored this broken German figurine last week in Burlington, KY and started messing with it. More soon.

in the works

I am starting a huge new project - and have been going through my pattern collections to find just the right shapes. These new paper cuts are a cross between german silhouettes and pop/mod florals - in drab, office like colors. Should be interesting...

A Little too Loos

Candlesticks for a show opening tonight at Semantics Gallery in Cincinnati. Slipcast porcelain with hand applied flowers and vintage decals. 7" x 4.5" inches each.

ICFF 2009

A couple weeks ago, Non Fiction Design participated in ICFF in New York. We did it all - the patterned floor (anti-fatigue flooring spray painted with a Morris style pattern) and making of each object, the signage, furniture - to packing up, driving, installing, talking, deinstalling, driving back. It is amazing to think about everyone who displayed and attended the show.
(prop books provided throughout the show by my brother Ben)

Minimal

I am currently in a show - "No Gallery Left Behind" - Reed Gallery, University of Cincinnati, DAAP. This is my take on minimalism - using the floral cutouts I am fond of with different tones of white and cream paper.
Each strand is sewn together with gold thread. Handcut paper, 65" x 48".
Once I installed my piece, Guy reacted to the work with this beautiful line drawing - highlighting the movement of the patterns.

Small Favors IV

My Small Favors piece - year #3. An annual show at The Clay Studio of work sized to fit into a 4" cube. I took the rapid prototyped tiny Wolfie and added floral eyes and base. My realistic china painting skills are improving- I have been secretly practicing in my studio.
"Small time Spring" porcelain, china paint, luster. Smaller than 4".

blue and white - test #1

A new tile series I am working on... The tiles are slipcast porcelain and are 20" long by 9" high. Each tile is around 5 lbs - so they are nice and thick. More to come.

KCAI

This porcelain tile with china paint is off to the Kansas City Art Institute Art and Design Auction. It happens every two years and I am flattered to be asked to donate work again. KCAI is an amazing place where I received the best education possible - and will always support them in any way I can.
"Wander" porcelain tile with china paint and screenprinted enamels, 8" x 10", 2008.

paper curtains

I recently made curtains for the living room using pieces from my cut paper collection. They are lovely in the morning, when the sun comes into the room and casts shadows on the floor.
Hand cut backed paper, staples, strands range from 6-8'.

porcelain forest

Turns out the small wolfie head fits perfectly on this twisted protobird... And, looks even better with a flashy floral ball siting in a porcelain forest.
"Ornamental Masked Wolfie", porcelain and gold luster, 8" x 12", 2009.

duck

I just found this in my photos and realized I have never shown it. From my Dresden residency last summer...
"Floral Growth" porcelain with hand applied flowers, 11" x 7", 2008.

currently working on....

This wolf head. It was a plaster cast from a 3-D printout of a smaller plaster wolf head I found in an antique mall. I have been carving away, changing the angles into hard lines. It will be nice with some sort of floral garland... More to come.

Polka Dot Mops

We have been using this red china paint at Non Fiction - but I am just now realizing how amazing it is... The dog is transformed, seeming like it has been dipped in plastic. I put many, many layers of surface on before trying out the red - and I love it. The added ants and flower eyes seem to help.
Porcelain, china paint, plaster base. 5.75" x 7", 2009.

Dazzle

"Dazzle Pattern" porcelain tile with china paint and luster. 12" x 16", 2008. This is the maximum amount of line work I can do on one piece with a steady hand...

the turkey pigeon

Inspired by the work in Dresden, this is one of my favorite new pieces.
7.5" x 9.75", slipcast porcelain with hand applied flowers, 2008.

Non Fiction Design - new work

We just had our first solo show at The Clay Studio in Philadelphia - "Shakespeare Wooden Minnow". A ton of work went into the show - and I could not be happier with the result. Check out the Non Fiction blog to see more images, before and after.

garland

I have been working on paper garland using die cut atoms, molecules, and snowflakes - and sewing them together with red thread. This is partly for Non Fiction and also a test for a larger version I am working on for our show next month. More pictures coming soon.

The Faculty Show

Work from The Faculty Show at the University of Cincinnati - DAAP. Guy and I both put in pieces from this summer - as well as a progression of Non Fiction ideas using the Protobird. Pretty fancy...

a couple more

More pieces from Dresden.
"His Master's Voice"
7" x 5.5", green and white porcelain

"Swamp Rat"
10" x 4", green and white porcelain.

Back from Dresden

Our residency in Dresden went WAY too fast - but as a group we made a ton of work. I managed to get several pieces onto the plane, and the rest is on the way back to Columbus care of FedEx. Here is my best piece...
"Flowered Eyed Mops" 11.5" x 7.5", porcelain, 2008.

Dresden Porcelain Factory

For the last two weeks I have been working at Dresden Porcelain - a very fine manufactory in Germany. Myself and three other artists have been given access to their slip (which beats anything I have ever used) and several of their historical molds. It has been amazing - we have been working like dogs trying to use every minute we have in the factory. Here are a couple of work in progress images...The double Mops head with the tiniest flowers available - I want to cover everything with them.
Buckminster Rooster vase
My shared drying area with Mike - our end of the week lineup.

Publication is okay

I am really excited to be part of Fragiles, a touring show of porcelain, glass, and ceramic that started at Design Miami last December. Since then it has been shown in Kortrijk Belgium, and the next stop is Dubai in the United Arab Emirates. An amazing book has also been published, featuring my work and a collaboration with Guy. Curated and produced by Gestalten, in Berlin. Definitely worth checking out - there are some amazing artists represented.

Double Protobirds

They seem to work better in pairs...
porcelain, decals, luster, china paint, 2008.

3-D bird

Mike's bird from the 3D printer - I glazed it, added some chrome holes (or polka dots), and filled them with Non Fiction Fire Ants. Looks better already.
porcelain with decals, 7.5" x 5.5", 2008.

Small Favors

My piece for the annual Small Favors show at The Clay Studio in Philly. Each piece is built to fit into a 3.75" inch clear cube. The back of the tile fits into the cube, and extends out from each side.
"Architectural Folly" porcelain, screenprinted enamel, 2008.

non ficiton - the site

Non Fiction Design is now up and running! A collective effort with some amazing artists - we are making porcelain lamps, invasive species dinnerware, wallpaper swags, and more. The website is: nonfictiondesigncollective.com

NIGHTSTAND

NIGHTSTAND(detail)

Bedside light made from porcelain and hand hammered wet factory brick - comes with a removable enameled restaurant china cup - Flicker light direct wired through brick.
8.5" x 8" x 4", 2008.

non fiction

This is what I have been up to lately. A collaborative effort with Rebecca Harvey called non fiction.
Check out the blog - we will be uploading new images over the next couple weeks...
Here is a sneak peek from the blue bricks series

the karmann ghia

A perfect match. Floral pop wallpaper and Guy's ghia. Studio shot, 2008.

floral pop wallpaper

Hanging chains of hand cut paper sewn together. Each chain approx. 10' tall and 6" wide. Overall size 10' x 10.5'. Plastic beads, tacks, paper, string, and hooks. 2008.

pachyderm architecture

This is from a new tile series, inspired by the brick factory pieces. The tiles are too big for my photo table, so this is the aerial view. Terra cotta with white slip and silkscreened enamels.
22.25" x 7" x 1", 2008.

small tile

8" x 10" porcelain tile with china paint. 2008.

sneak peek

A close up image of a piece in the works. Hand cut paper and hydrostone wallpaper.

I thought this was a fox....

Another large wall tile - I did my best to preserve some of the white space, which is pretty hard for me. Multiple layers of silkscreened enamels and china paint. 12" x 16". Porcelain, 2007.

another batch

I am keeping with the taxidermy theme of the previous vinyl posting. The two seem to go hand in hand - I am using Mike's collections and art, and letting my patterns fall right into the background. Laser cut vinyl, sizes variable. 2007.

new wall tiles

12" x 16" porcelain tiles with handpainted and silkscreened enamels and china paint, 2007. Will be available through the shiny squirrel in November.

cups and ovals

Pictures of new cups and oval plates - silkscreened glaze and enamel on restaurant china. 2007.

vinyl wall pieces

I am in the process of turning several of my cut paper pieces into vinyl wall stickers; so that they are easy to set up and take down, and accessible to more people. I turned my studio yesterday into a fake room set up and took some "interior" shots.
Eames chair, tag board, molding, vinyl, taxidermy. 8'x12'.

brick factory

These are images from a short residency this summer at the Belden brick factory in Sugarcreek, Ohio. I used red brick without holes, and silk screened onto the surface using enamels and colorants from the factory. Each brick has carved notches and can be hung on a wall, or just placed around the house.

letterpress

I just bought a letterpress (an old sign press) at the Ohio State Fair of all places, and it is amazing. I have started carving linoleum blocks, and printing on paper similar to the way I am doing my plates and tiles. The best part is being able to add layer on top of layer, and turn the foreground into the background. Here are some of the first prints...

new plates

I have been silkscreening plates and cups like crazy this summer, getting ready for Renegade Chicago, September 15 and 16. (sharing a booth with Guy Michael Davis)

spring green cont.

A finished strip - 5'x 15' x 4". Layers of hand cut paper and sewing pins, 2007.

spring green wallpaper

Hand cut paper wallpaper (a work in progress).. close up image.

new tiles (long)

Slipcast porcelain tiles, with silkscreened enamels and hand cut decals.
16.5"x 4.5"x .5", 2007.

window display

9' x 5' x 2' , hand cut and printed paper curtains, hand and laser cut vinyl stickers, 2007.

collaboration

A collaboration with Guy Davis, porcelain slipcast vase with silkscreened enamels and china paint - 11.25"x 9"x 6", 2007.

my booth

Photo of my booth from Art Star, Philadelphia PA. 10'x 10'. Silkscreened restaurant china, slipcast scrolls and tiles.

more work

Images of pieces for the Art Star Craft Bazaar - in Philadelphia June 2-3.

"The Roar of a Lion" porcelain wall tile (close up).





Porcelain plates silkscreened with enamels and china paints

new work

This a piece that I have been messing around with in my studio. I have been trying to decide on a background - and then decided to just add more layers to the foreground...
biscuit and glazed porcelain - size unknown at this point

symmetry of a pattern

Hand cut paper wallpaper. 12' x 9'. Hung with double stick tape and a level.

Chewy the Dog

This is a piece for Small Favors II - a yearly show put on by The Clay Studio in Philadelphia, PA. The art has to fit into a 3.75" x 3.75" x 3.75" clear cube. Not as easy as it sounds! Silkscreened porcelain, magnets. (front and side view)

close up (deers and deers)

 

Just installed this piece on a cream wall - the vinyl decal shows up a lot clearer. I think the details in this shot are beautiful...
2007. 65" x 34". 16 slipcast porcelain tiles with silkscreened enamels and china paints. background - white laser cut vinyl.

"PaperWallpaper"

 

Porcelain and hand cut paper, 2007. Installed at the Cerlan Gallery in Louisville, KY. 7' x 9.5' x 8".

"Deers and Deers"

 

16 porcelain tiles with silkscreened china paint, enamel, and underglaze. Background - white laser cut vinyl scrolls.
Size 65" x 34". 2007.

Cut Paper Curtains

 

 

Hand cut paper curtains from cardstock - dimensions vary. Can be custom made to fit any window. Right now I am working on having curtains laser cut from plastic...

ornamental scroll

 

Slipcast porcelain, fired without glaze to temperature. 17" x 5" x 1". Just a one off cast at this point, will be part of a larger wall piece(coming soon).

ornamental scroll(close up)

 

"Auntie's Wallpaper"

 

Handcut paper and porcelain wallpaper. Maximum size 10'x10'. 2006.

close up and far away

 

floor tile design (lion)

Porcelain tile with silkscreened enamels and china paint, 2007. 6.5"x6.5"x.25"

"PaperWallpaper"(work in progress)

This is the "Work in Progress" piece. I am using brighter colors and covering each ceramic piece with paper... This makes the overall effect lighter, and the glaze that shows through makes a nice line. Porcelain and cut paper, 2007. Size ?

"Deers and Deers"

Part of a larger series of tiles (more to come). Each tile - 6.5"x6.5". Porcelain with silkscreened enamels and china paint. 2007.

"blue bird" tiles

Slip cast porcelain tiles with silkscreened enamels, 6.5"x6.5" each. 2006.

Close Up (toilet tank)

 

The Toilet Tank

 

An actual lid to a toilet tank. China painted surface, fired multiple times. Will this actually fit onto my toilet? I don't know. I think it might look better on the wall... 2006.

Work in Progress

 

Just something I am messing around with right now. Will post more pictures as this gets better and bigger - paper with porcelain pieces - with a cut paper pattern on top. Right now it is just on the floor on top of some butcher paper.

"Birds in Spring II"

 

Companion piece to Birds in Spring. Same everything.

Close up shot

"Birds in Spring"

 

10"x4"x.5". China paint and decals on porcelain. Sold.

"Birds in Fall"

 

Mike's favorite. This is hanging in our kitchen right now. Porcelain tile with decals and china paint. 13"x5"x.5"

"Wallpaper Bomb"

 

One of my favorite pieces. China paint on porcelain, 12"x 16". Sold.


Another version - 16" x 25".

"Black and White" closeup

"Black and White"

 

Handcut paper and porcelain wallpaper. 8'x4'x7".(in depth) The black overlay hangs about 6" from the background work.