face it

"My work is primarily figurative. I like story and detail." Page Candler

in her south kentucky studio, page candler takes slabs of clay, cuts shapes freehand and builds a variety of functional and decorative art. she then pinches the facial features into the vase, each one with a unique personality. grouped together, the vases make a rather interesting statement.

link via ample sanity

the whole is greater

"I try to make my art reflect the peace and harmony off the beautiful environment of the Teton Mountain Range. I choose to live in the midst of beauty, and try to create lyric vessel forms which reflect the sublime quality of this fabulous place." Lauri Thal

the collaborative relationship between lia kass and lauri thal demonstrates that the whole is greater than sum of its parts. kass and thal, already talented and acclaimed artists in their respective media (fine art painting and hot glass), have created a captivating body of work that combines lia's beautiful drawings with lauri's sandblasted sculptural bowls and vases. simply stunning. graceful. textural.

choreographing a different kind of dance

"I want viewers, when seeing these pieces, to write their own stories; creating metaphor and allegory for and from their own lives." Milon Townsend

self taught glass artist milon townsend studied dancers in new york city for ten years - those intense studies are apparent in the details on the figures that grace the vessel above (click here for more pictures of this vessel).

though not vessels, you won't want to miss townsend's deco series - simply sublime - the sculptures look like ethereal figures dancing to their own private music. oh, to be there among them...

townsend's art glass sculptures, goblets, martini glasses and vessels are clean, crisp, collectible and in addition, this talented artist has written books about flameworking, marketing and philosophy; produced eight technique focused videos; taught at several well respected institutions and continues to write columns for three periodicals. i wonder what's next?

toby scores again! thanks for the juicy link.

splash!

"Drawing inspiration from age old Venetian glass techniques coupled with my own playful interaction with glass as a material, I work with geometric and organic shapes and colors to create whimsical new glass forms. Utilizing my delicate hot glass skills and passion for the material, I add character and unique personality to each piece I create." Jen Violette

jen violette's animated vases capture the speedy splash of liquid droplets in brightly colored glass. her work reminds me of another artist who also delights in preserving the drips and drops, the splishes and splashes, the specks and spots. fun.

shapely solution

david coddaire's oversized 'tall iron vases' have people personality. offering a shapely solution for artfully displaying flowers, some stand almost five feet tall with curvaceous human silhouettes, dusty-pigment patinas, sizzling energy and generous, smiling mouths. i wonder how this rambunctious bunch of ranunculus would look in one of coddaire's iron vases? very sexy.

corsetry

"I am utilizing the culmination of formal elements and aspects of allusion of corsetry and garters to express sensual softness. My flower boats and vases suggest beauty holding beauty and my boxes, intimacy holding the intimate." Kristen Kieffer

cor·set n. - close-fitting undergarment worn to support and shape the waistline, hips, and breasts.

the corset helps to emphasize a curvy figure by reducing the waist, thereby exaggerating the bust and hips. for some women it is a positively painful experience, but studio potter kristen kieffer has found a way to make corsets sexy again. her corset-shaped flower boats are suggestive, feminine, intimate and rich with soft, sweet curves. try one.

many thanks to amy crawley for this delightful find.

puzzled

"Our everyday life is a compound of private, social and political events. Some are insignificant; some are hard to shake off, leaving a deep mark. Consciously and subconsciously I draw my inspiration from those events and channel them into my work. My work is my way to connect with the world. I’ve always had trouble expressing myself with words. My language is clay. I create words on the potters’-wheel, and then combine and shape my sentences by hand. " Lilach Lotan

lilach lotan pottery is the seamlessly blended work of team-in-life partners lilach & ron lotan.

this body of work has a roughness i like and the puzzle bottle fit my mood today: puzzled by life and the rough edges of a world gone crazy.

toby goldsmith's been quite a dear, sending along links like this...thanks so much toby.

playful design

"I draw from a belief that modernism does not mean minimalism, that contemporary does not forsake tradition, and that technology does not abandon people and senses." Tord Boontje

dutch designer tord boontje is a player. no, not THAT kind of player - he's a family man. a daddy even. but the man combines a highly developed sense of play with impeccable design skills to create wondrous, playful, colorful, artful items for house and home. the laser cut, metal floral fancies above are actually jar covers - place over any old jar and you have an instant fabulous vase. i think i'm in love!

boontje doesn't stop there - his die-cut, tyvek (yes, the stuff they use to make envelopes) floral lamps and garlands are enchanting and he recently wowed the design world by transforming empty wine bottles into stylish glassware- don't miss it.

curiosity rules

"I am an artist who delights in creating forms that celebrate the texture and color dimensions of both traditional and non-traditional materials and techniques." Colin Schleeh

curiosity gets the best of canadian artist colin schleeh. curious to see how thin he could make a vessel that would hold water, his impossibly thin wood vases are the result. simple. elegant. unadorned. flexible and paper thin, he waterproofs each piece with clear resin. while you are on his site, don't miss the bowls he fashions from 35 mm film - equally beautiful and unusual.

plush

"By parodying sumptuous upholstery and rich textured fabrics which even when old and sagging suggest comfort and luxury, I use porcelain to make functional pieces for the home such as jugs, vases and lamp bases and bowls." Sarah Grove

sarah grove's translucent porcelain vessels remind me of the deep cushions of my grandmother's couch - the plush fabric of old, stuffed upholstery. her teapots, vases, mugs, jars are also deceiving. they look like i could squoosh them...sink in and stay awhile. sarah speaks about the contrast between the "soft pillow forms of the fabric and the cold, unyeilding nature of the porcelain" here. mmmmm....well done.

harvard grad

"My farm house and much of the furniture inside was made entirely from lumber cut from the surrounding woods. During the winter, I was warmed twice. First by the act of cutting and spitting wood, then by burning wood for heat." Tom Harvard

tom harvard is a farmer first. though talented artist comes a very, very close second. farming since the 1970's and turning wood since 1997, he carves and paints each piece with the same quiet, patient determination that kept his farm alive for years. the verdigris ikebana vases above are quite clearly a labor of love. beautiful.