Current artist statement as of: Spring 2014
I'm not going to try to dazzle you with a bunch of deep meaning and noble purpose. I make ceramic sculpture and pottery because it feels good, it let's me put a lasting mark in time and it's simply in my blood. Being born into a family of ceramic artists, I just kind of fell into it. The pieces I make are predominantly dictated by my current mood and nonsensical delusions that go through my head on a daily basis. Artists are like valves in which ideas flow. We process what we see and regurgitate it. Current events, social issues, the environment, history, art, love, sex, tenderness, color, texture, form, mood and everything we know and experience in life is chewed up and spit out. At times I have no clue where the meaning lies. Other times the ideas have deep personal value. People will often tell me what a particular piece means to them and I figure that's part of the process. Narrative work needs to let the viewer come to conclusions on their own and at times I've learned something about myself by what others see in the sculptures. As an artist in a long line of clay people before me, I just have to keep making work that feels good and hope it gives something to the viewer to think about.
EDUCATION:
Humboldt State University 1989 -1994, BA in Art
San Jose State University 2003-2005, single subject credential in Art
TEACHING:
Santa Cruz High School, ceramics instructor 2003 - present
San Lorenzo Valley Charter School, 1995 - 2002
Santa Cruz Mountains Art Center, Ceramics classes, workshops and demonstrations for adults and children 1998-present.
San Lorenzo Valley High School, spring semester of 1999
Fall Creek Home School, taught ceramics 2001-2002
AFFILIATIONS:
Members of the Santa Cruz Mountains Art Center (since 1997), 9341 Mill St., Ben Lomond, CA 95005 (831) 336-3513. www.mountainartcenter.org/
Member of the ACGA
PUBLICATIONS
500 figures volume 2, Lark Ceramics Book
SHOWS AND EXHIBITIONS
*There were a lot of street fairs and some gallery shows we did in the early years that I don't have records of.
California Clay Competition, The Artery, Davis CA April/May 2014
8 from ACGA, Davis Art Center, April/May 2014
ACGA Clay and Glass Show, Palo Alto CA 2012, 2013, 2014
Art on the Green, August 1-3, 1996, 1998, 2000, 2002, Coeur d’Alene, ID
Art on the Square, July 10-11, 2010, Madison WI
“Bellevue Festival of the Arts” (formerly: Rest of the Best), July 1996 - 2012 (Craft Cooperative of the Northwest), downtown Bellevue, WA
Capitola Art & Wine Festival, September 1996-1998, 2009, 2010 (Capitola Chamber of Commerce), the Capitola village, CA
Contemporary Crafts Markets, November 2002 – 2011 (Contemporary Crafts Market), Santa Monica Civic Center and Fort Mason, San Francisco, CA
“Critters”, August-March, 2008 & 2013, Stewart Kummer Gallery, Gualala, CA
Danville Fall Crafts Festival, October 2003 & 2006 (MLA Productions), Danville, CA
Danville Fine Arts Faire, June 2003 & 2008 (MLA Productions), Danville, CA
Glasshoff Ranch Studio Sale, 2006, 2008, 2010, Suisun, CA
Featured Artist, July-August 2013, Guardino Gallery, 2939 NE Alberta, Portland, OR 97211
“Funky Fodder: A Family’s Clay work for the New Millennium”, April–May, 2002, Guardino Gallery, 2939 NE Alberta, Portland, OR 97211
Humboldt Artisans Crafts & Music Festival, December 2007-2009, (HUMARTS), Eureka, CA
Los Altos Rotary Arts Festival, May 2008 - 2012 (Los Altos Rotary Club), Los Altos, CA
Marin Arts Festival, June 1999 - 2012, Marin Civic Center Lagoon Park, CA
Mill Valley Fall Arts Festival, September 2001, 2003 – 2006, 2009 Historic Old Mill Park, Mill Valley, CA
Mountain Art Guild’s Annual Art Show, June 2000 - 2003, Loma Prieta Community Center, Los Gatos, CA
Mountain Artists’ Rendezvous, July & August 1999, 2001, 2002, (Art Association), Jackson, WY
Numerous Shows 1998 -2014, (participant in several gallery exhibits), Santa Cruz Mountains Art Center, Ben Lomond, CA
Palo Alto Arts Festival, August 2006, 2009 – 2011 (MLA Productions), Palo Alto, CA
“Positively Stoneware”, Spring 1998, Guardino Gallery, Portland, OR
The Renaissance Pleasure Faire, Fall 1995, 1997, 2003, (The Renaissance Corp.) Novato, CA and Gilroy, CA , 2006 –2013 (Playfaire Productions)
"Prime Time" 2014 Santa Cruz Mountains Art Center, Ben Lomond, CA
Sacramento Arts Festival, October 2000 & 2010 (American Arts Festivals) Sacramento, CA
“Sculpture Is…” June – July 2006, (Pajaro Valley Arts Council), Sierra Azul, Hwy 152, Watsonville, CA
“Santa Cruz Clay”, Bargetto Winery, May, 2004-2013 (Local Potters), 3535 N. Main, Soquel, CA 95073
Santa Cruz County Open Studios, October 2001-2005, 2009-2012 (Santa Cruz County Cultural Council), home studio in Boulder Creek, CA
Tempe Festival of the Arts, December 1995 – 1998, December 2002 –2003 (Mill Avenue Merchants Association), Tempe, AZ
Oregon Country Faire 1995
Student Exhibition, Humboldt State University 1994
Created and produced the Santa Cruz Sentinel’s Annual Triathlon trophies 2003-2006.
CURRENT GALLERIES
Guardino Gallery, 2939 NE Alberta, Portland, OR 97211 (503) 281-9048
Many Hands, 510 Bay Ave., Capitola, CA 95010 (831) 475-2500
Stewart – Kummer Gallery, P.O. Box 1139, Gualala, CA 95445 (707) 884-3581
Taos Blue, 101 Bent St. Suite A, Taos, NM 87571 (575)758-3561
Pence Gallery, Davis CA
I'm not going to try to dazzle you with a bunch of deep meaning and noble purpose. I make ceramic sculpture and pottery because it feels good, it let's me put a lasting mark in time and it's simply in my blood. Being born into a family of ceramic artists, I just kind of fell into it. The pieces I make are predominantly dictated by my current mood and nonsensical delusions that go through my head on a daily basis. Artists are like valves in which ideas flow. We process what we see and regurgitate it. Current events, social issues, the environment, history, art, love, sex, tenderness, color, texture, form, mood and everything we know and experience in life is chewed up and spit out. At times I have no clue where the meaning lies. Other times the ideas have deep personal value. People will often tell me what a particular piece means to them and I figure that's part of the process. Narrative work needs to let the viewer come to conclusions on their own and at times I've learned something about myself by what others see in the sculptures. As an artist in a long line of clay people before me, I just have to keep making work that feels good and hope it gives something to the viewer to think about.
EDUCATION:
Humboldt State University 1989 -1994, BA in Art
San Jose State University 2003-2005, single subject credential in Art
TEACHING:
Santa Cruz High School, ceramics instructor 2003 - present
San Lorenzo Valley Charter School, 1995 - 2002
Santa Cruz Mountains Art Center, Ceramics classes, workshops and demonstrations for adults and children 1998-present.
San Lorenzo Valley High School, spring semester of 1999
Fall Creek Home School, taught ceramics 2001-2002
AFFILIATIONS:
Members of the Santa Cruz Mountains Art Center (since 1997), 9341 Mill St., Ben Lomond, CA 95005 (831) 336-3513. www.mountainartcenter.org/
Member of the ACGA
PUBLICATIONS
500 figures volume 2, Lark Ceramics Book
SHOWS AND EXHIBITIONS
*There were a lot of street fairs and some gallery shows we did in the early years that I don't have records of.
California Clay Competition, The Artery, Davis CA April/May 2014
8 from ACGA, Davis Art Center, April/May 2014
ACGA Clay and Glass Show, Palo Alto CA 2012, 2013, 2014
Art on the Green, August 1-3, 1996, 1998, 2000, 2002, Coeur d’Alene, ID
Art on the Square, July 10-11, 2010, Madison WI
“Bellevue Festival of the Arts” (formerly: Rest of the Best), July 1996 - 2012 (Craft Cooperative of the Northwest), downtown Bellevue, WA
Capitola Art & Wine Festival, September 1996-1998, 2009, 2010 (Capitola Chamber of Commerce), the Capitola village, CA
Contemporary Crafts Markets, November 2002 – 2011 (Contemporary Crafts Market), Santa Monica Civic Center and Fort Mason, San Francisco, CA
“Critters”, August-March, 2008 & 2013, Stewart Kummer Gallery, Gualala, CA
Danville Fall Crafts Festival, October 2003 & 2006 (MLA Productions), Danville, CA
Danville Fine Arts Faire, June 2003 & 2008 (MLA Productions), Danville, CA
Glasshoff Ranch Studio Sale, 2006, 2008, 2010, Suisun, CA
Featured Artist, July-August 2013, Guardino Gallery, 2939 NE Alberta, Portland, OR 97211
“Funky Fodder: A Family’s Clay work for the New Millennium”, April–May, 2002, Guardino Gallery, 2939 NE Alberta, Portland, OR 97211
Humboldt Artisans Crafts & Music Festival, December 2007-2009, (HUMARTS), Eureka, CA
Los Altos Rotary Arts Festival, May 2008 - 2012 (Los Altos Rotary Club), Los Altos, CA
Marin Arts Festival, June 1999 - 2012, Marin Civic Center Lagoon Park, CA
Mill Valley Fall Arts Festival, September 2001, 2003 – 2006, 2009 Historic Old Mill Park, Mill Valley, CA
Mountain Art Guild’s Annual Art Show, June 2000 - 2003, Loma Prieta Community Center, Los Gatos, CA
Mountain Artists’ Rendezvous, July & August 1999, 2001, 2002, (Art Association), Jackson, WY
Numerous Shows 1998 -2014, (participant in several gallery exhibits), Santa Cruz Mountains Art Center, Ben Lomond, CA
Palo Alto Arts Festival, August 2006, 2009 – 2011 (MLA Productions), Palo Alto, CA
“Positively Stoneware”, Spring 1998, Guardino Gallery, Portland, OR
The Renaissance Pleasure Faire, Fall 1995, 1997, 2003, (The Renaissance Corp.) Novato, CA and Gilroy, CA , 2006 –2013 (Playfaire Productions)
"Prime Time" 2014 Santa Cruz Mountains Art Center, Ben Lomond, CA
Sacramento Arts Festival, October 2000 & 2010 (American Arts Festivals) Sacramento, CA
“Sculpture Is…” June – July 2006, (Pajaro Valley Arts Council), Sierra Azul, Hwy 152, Watsonville, CA
“Santa Cruz Clay”, Bargetto Winery, May, 2004-2013 (Local Potters), 3535 N. Main, Soquel, CA 95073
Santa Cruz County Open Studios, October 2001-2005, 2009-2012 (Santa Cruz County Cultural Council), home studio in Boulder Creek, CA
Tempe Festival of the Arts, December 1995 – 1998, December 2002 –2003 (Mill Avenue Merchants Association), Tempe, AZ
Oregon Country Faire 1995
Student Exhibition, Humboldt State University 1994
Created and produced the Santa Cruz Sentinel’s Annual Triathlon trophies 2003-2006.
CURRENT GALLERIES
Guardino Gallery, 2939 NE Alberta, Portland, OR 97211 (503) 281-9048
Many Hands, 510 Bay Ave., Capitola, CA 95010 (831) 475-2500
Stewart – Kummer Gallery, P.O. Box 1139, Gualala, CA 95445 (707) 884-3581
Taos Blue, 101 Bent St. Suite A, Taos, NM 87571 (575)758-3561
Pence Gallery, Davis CA