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.