Ceramics

MARIA BALLADON CON LE STELLA

MARIA BALLADON CON LE STELLA is the companion piece to ST. JOHN THE MOSACIST and represents the young cousin and muse of St John the Mosacist. Like ST. JOHN THE MOSACIST, MARIA BALLADON CON LE STELLA is a 24” x 24” ceramic and stained-glass mosaic wall hanging. It consists of a single piece of hand built and raku fired paper clay made by the artist and somewhere between 900 and 1000 pieces of individually cut squares of stained glass scavenged from the donated glass boxes of the Ann’s Choice Stained Glass Club. Also, as in the case of St. John the Mosacist, the story of Maria Balladon Con Le Stella has been woven from whole cloth. ( 2022) ($325)

Quarantining

As we enter week six, (or is it seven?) of staying at home, sheltering in place or self-quarantining and contemplating the economy, the pandemic and the civil unrest it seems that the days are starting to run into each other in a kind of grey fog. Is today Tuesday? When was the last time I was out of the house? What did I fix for lunch yesterday? QUARANTINING is an emotional response to the current situation. Unlike SAINT JOHN THE MOSAICIST it is a minimalist piece using only six pieces repurposed from a couple of uncompleted projects and a drab palette. It may also be an unfinished piece with the potential, like life, to brighten considerably. (2020) (24” x 24” x 2”) ($150)

MORNING SONG

If you listen carefully, and perhaps with a little imagination, you can hear the dawn being greeted when you study MORNING SONG, a hand built, raku fired paper clay sculpture that is part of the “Avianus Abstractus” Series. (2019) (14 ½” x 9” x 8”)

Aftermath #2

Aftermath #2 WM

AFTERMATH #2, like AFTERMATH #1, was seven years in the making. The main body of the piece is part of a tree limb shattered by Super Storm Sandy in 2012. The only work done to it was wire brushing it to remove dirt and evening the bottom. The base is unglazed bisque fired paper clay. While the original inspiration for AFTERMATH #2 was cleaning up after Sandy, the final impetus to finish it was the images of the Bahamas after Hurricane Dorian. (14” x 8” x 7”) (2019) ($225)

MAGMA in Kent State’s Emerging Glass Exhibit

Kent State

I am very pleased to announce that jurors Davin Ebanks and Benjamin Johnson have chosen my stained glass/paper clay wall hanging MAGMA to be part of the “Emerging Glass” Show which will be held in the Payto Gallery, part of the Center for the Visual Arts at Kent State University, 325 Terrace Drive, Kent, Ohio 44242 from September 4, 2019 through October 4, 2019. It is particularly gratifying to be part of the “Emerging Glass” Show because MAGMA was one of only 15 pieces chosen for this national juried show from over 160 entries from glass artists across the country.

HESITATION, DEJECTION, and REVULSION accepted at the Fe Gallery

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

I am very pleased to announce that three of my hand built, raku fired paper clay sculptures from the “Cognitive Emotions” Series: HESITATION, DEJECTION, and REVULSION have been accepted into the “Pattern and Abstraction” Show at the Fe Gallery, 1100 65^th Street, Sacramento, CA 95819. For this national juried show, only 54 pieces were selected from 784 entries, and I am honored to have had three of the 54. The Show will run from June 2, 2019 until July 26, 2019.

ATTICUS PAINE GALLERY

I am very pleased to announce that five of my pieces DARK MOON RISING, a smoke fired/raku wall hanging, its companion piece HIGH MORNING SUN, ORACLE, a mixed media/found object sculpture, REQUIEM FOR A MUSE, a raku fired paper clay assemblage and THE GREEN MAN: WINTER SOLSTICE, a mixed media sculpture will, along with work from other members of the Cheltenham Ceramics Collective, be part of the Opening Exhibition for the Atticus Paine Gallery. The Atticus Paine Gallery is located at 107 Central Avenue, Cheltenham, PA 19102 and the Exhibition will run from June 2, 2019 until July 7, 2019.

GMO #37

GMO # 37 is a mixed media sculpture using a found object and hand built raku fired paper clay. Somehow, using a purely natural object (a piece of yew root), and something completely manufactured (paper clay), seemed the appropriate way to depict a “genetically modified object”. GMO #37 is part of a series of mixed media sculptural pieces I’m going to be concentrating on this year. For want of a better title, I’m calling it my “Look What I Found” Series.

Prelude

PRELUDE, part of my “Look What I Found” series of sculptures using found objects and hand built paper clay elements, draws upon my “Rim of Fire” series for its inspiration. The pieces in the “Rim of Fire” series use stained glass and paper clay fired together to depict the early moments of a volcanic eruption. PRELUDE, as its name implies, is of an earlier moment: the clouds of ash are rising but the eruption has not started. PRELUDE is composed of distorted Styrofoam, handmade paper clay, resin, underglazes, and acrylic and enamel paints.

Skepticism in the 311 GALLERY – ABSTRACTS MATTER SHOW

I am very pleased to announce that jurors Kim Balentine, Cheryl McCardle, and Jenna Webb have invited my hand built Raku fired paper clay sculpture SKEPTICISM into the 311 Gallery show “Abstracts Matter”. SKEPTICISM, part of my “Cognitive Emotions” Series will be on display at 311 Gallery, 311 West Main Street, Raleigh NC 27601 from February 28, 2019 until March 30, 2019. There will be an opening reception from 6 until 9 pm on Friday, March 1^st.

John Fansmith

Artist