heather mae erickson ceramics

let’s all glide into the weekend on the smooth and minimal stylings of philadelphia clay artist heather mae erickson. heather’s porcelain work revolves around the past, present and future, and how decorative art comes into play within a functional table setting. heather was kind enough to send me some new work that isn’t up on her website yet either!

see a lot more beauty and contact heather on her website.

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landscape teapot

ooh i like the sculptural intricate curves on the handle and lid of this landscape teapot from most excellent designer patricia urquiola for rosenthal. i enjoy her designs a lot.

it’s $269 and it’s at moss by special order.

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reina mia brill knitted wire and ceramic sculpture: let’s chat!

when my cool friend burt came back from the acc show in baltimore, he told me that he really enjoyed the ceramic sculpture collection of new york artist (and recent donor to locks of love) reina mia brill. of course when i looked at it i went a little nuts. i love the clever combination of color and form, all the intricate detailing and facial expressions and most importantly the freedom these pieces give to my imagination when i look at all of them. let’s have a chat with reina mia and find out a little more!

q: where do you live, and where do you create your art?
a: i live and work in a remote section of the bronx in new york city called city island. i like to call it the mythical island in the bronx because in all the 10 years i lived in manhattan i never heard of this place. my boyfriend dan grew up here and we are living in the actual house where he grew up. city island is a very unique place… it is an old fishing village trapped in time. my studio is in the basement with two windows at ground level where i say hello to all stray cats, birds and even snails that come and visit me.

q: what is your background, and did you study art formally?
a: i have an mfa from san diego state university in jewelry and metalsmithing which was where i got started knitting wire. i made hand-knitted wire jewelry for five years out of graduate school. i never was really happy making jewelry, it just seemed practical at the time. so in 2001 when i received a $7,000 fellowship from the new york foundation for the arts i decided to finally ditch making jewelry and do what i always wanted to — make sculpture. i also hold an undergraduate degree from fit (fashion institute of technology) in accessory design which is why my creatures are always very well accessorized.

q: so, why wire and clay? and how did you get to that place of combining the two (along with several other materials)? have you always worked in multiple mediums?
a: up until last year i only worked in knitted wire over a stuffed fabric covered armature. all the hand sewing was killing me. i wanted to be able to make work quickly. working in clay is not quick but it is quicker than sewing by hand. now i am able to build the figures faster and more sculpturally. after the pieces have been glazed i will embellish all the clothing and sometimes the bodies as well in knitted wire.

q: these pieces are exquisitely detailed and must be very labor intensive. (without giving away any secrets of course!) can you tell us a little about the techniques you use?
a: i first start with a drawing usually found in one of my sketchbooks. the figure is then hand-built in a low fire clay and glazed with underglazes. i use two very old-fashioned knitting machines to knit the wire. one is a sock-knitting machine from 1923, the other is a big double bed passap machine from 1960. i can create beautiful dimensional patterns off of the passap machine which i usually use for the clothing. the sock-knitting machine creates a sinuous knitted tube that i like to use as skin covering. i knit with very thin gauge coated copper wire that has been coated with a polynylon coating for color. once the figure has been fired i determine which areas are to be covered in wire. sometimes it is just the clothing and eyes and other times it is the entire creature. the knitted wire is stitched to the clay body by hand and then tacked with an epoxy resin.

q: i see a common thread of expressive human emotions as well as physical animal traits in these characters. did it come naturally to blend the two?
a: i have been drawing since i was a kid. my dad and i used to play these creature drawing games together. we would start with a blank piece of paper and then one of us would draw the first creature. the next person had to draw a creature interacting with the one on the page. we would keep drawing until the page was filled up trying to make the most outlandish creatures.

q: what is the price range of your collection?
a: i offer a wide range of prices. on the low end i do creature illustrations framed in knitted wire as well as wearable creature brooches. these works sell for $95 to $250. my standing and wall sculptures start at $275 and increase in price depending on the size and the labor involved. two figures i made for an exhibition in poland last year stood just under 5 feet. they each sold for $10,000 but i spent 6 months creating them.

q: what is your inspiration for these works? do you have a message you want to send through these pieces?
a: i do lots of sketches. i will study people, usually children on the street for a variety of poses. children’s faces are the most fun to watch for their devious little expressions. the animal/human imagery has just come naturally. when i study human faces, so many are very similar to animal faces. animals, however, offer a wider array of eyes, ears, feet and mouths to come up with my own species of creature. my work does not have a message. i love that it makes many people laugh and smile and remember their childhood. other people are scared by my work and that’s interesting too. the work is open to individual interpretation.

q: where can we go to see your collection in person? are you exhibiting in any current or upcoming shows?
a: i am currently in three exhibitions around the country. the first is called contemporary repetition at the long beach island arts foundation in new jersey. it’s on view now through june 16th. the second is called contemporary crafts at the jrb gallery in oklahoma city. the show just closed but the work might still be there for a little while. the third is a traveling exhibition called fiberart international 2007. this show opened last year in pittsburgh and will be traveling through 2009. currently the show is in charleston, west virginia through june 22nd at the clay center. this show is accompanied by a beautiful catalog as well. i also show work regularly in new york at the eclectic collector in katonah and mano a mano in bronxville. i will be selling my work myself at the following craft shows: the niada conference in las vegas at the show and sale on july 27th; the doll and teddy bear expo in washington, dc august 9th and 10th; and back again in dc in november for the washington craft show. in 2009 i will be at acc baltimore in february and most likely craft boston at the end of march.

thank you reina mia (and thanks to burt for the great tip)!

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neha chandra picasso salt and peppers

i think these picasso salt and peppers from new delhi designer neha chandra are very pretty. i like how the pepper gently nests within the salt, creating a slightly different look every time you put them together. they were inspired by the works and forms of pablo himself.

i am not sure if these are in production but they would be a very graceful addition to a dining table if you ask me.

see more design concepts and contact neha here.

via designflute

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ewetube vases by lichen

looks like i am on a roll opining about things today and i shall continue with these fun felted merino wool vases, cleverly named ewetubes, from seattle designer brandon perhacs for his lichen studio. i love the funky shapes and color choices and how the test tube forces you to keep it minimal, arrangement-wise.

purchase these pieces at lichen’s supermarket shop, and see more funky felty things at the lichen website.

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re jin lee art and ceramics

i saw this simple and handpainted porcelain and dish set on cribcandy the other day and decided to investigate. such beautiful minimal design! turns out, new york-based artist re jin lee, or rj, is not just a ceramic artist but also a wonderful illustrator. and her strong linework is less minimal and more robust to me. a very fine combination if there ever was one.

see rj at her website or at her etsy and dawanda shops.

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lola chaise

i am enjoying the details of this lola chaise: the tufted upholstery with versatile color palette, the retro modern sensibility and the knee notch, for our comfort.

find them in single and double options at chiasso, and be sure to check out their blog too for other cool things.

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cake ceramics

although brooklyn’s cake is comprised of four industrial designers who work in a variety of materials, my eye naturally goes to their retro modern ceramic collection, and let me tell you i am liking it a lot.

the colors and shape of those cups are really perking me up too.

check them out at the supermarket and also see their website for more cool products.

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outline vase by mocha

i am enjoying the shape of this little porcelain outline vase from the folks at uk’s mocha.

purchase this piece for £29.95 (about us $60) and see many other cool things right here.

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michelle armas paintings: let’s chat!

the world connects us in mysterious ways. you know how last week i interviewed suzanne shade of the beholder? it was so funny because in her answers she mentions the work of graphic designer michelle armas, who is one of the artists her gallery represents. the funny thing is i had contacted michelle and asked her for an interview before my interview with suzanne was complete. call it six degrees of separation or odd coincidence, but without further ado may i present these engrossing oil on canvas works. when i look at them i think that i could be anyplace at any moment, moving closer and closer to the canvas. there are sweeping curves and jagged peaks and wispy lines and cool splotches of color that are harmonious and flowing and make me wish i was in a gigantic room using my peripheral vision to see all of them at the same time, my eyes greedily scanning the corners and walls so as not to miss one bit of it all. let’s have a chat with michelle and find out more!

q: where do you live, and where do you create your art?
a: i live in a house in atlanta, and my studio is the whole top floor, the master bedroom, but who needs a huge bedroom? i have lots of natural light, that is great for painting, and just a few steps from the kitchen, very important. my intern coco (below) is frequently working with me too.

q: what is your background, and did you study art formally?
a: i have a masters of graphic design in branding. i moved to new york after i graduated and worked in branding and i really didn’t like it. i was way stressed out, so to feel better i started painting, and it kinda grew from there.

q: do you have a favorite medium to use?
a: i love oils so much, so fluid, i even love the smell, it is like there is some serious science going on when i smell that oil. but, i am experimenting with acrylics now too, they dry so much faster, and since i layer so much, i can make a whole painting in a few days, it changes how the end product looks. very cool.

q: do you think your painting style influences your graphic design work, or vice versa?
a: i am so much a graphic designer, i start with a concept or a story first, then explore basic shapes that communicate the idea, however abstract. then when i have a clear voice, i let go and just create. that is how i design too. i can’t just say, oh i want to do some flowers. it will end up looking crappy.

q: what is the price range of your collection?
a: very inexpensive actually. canvases around $400-$600, with prints from $20-$30. but i do have another project that i will reveal soon, that involves textiles.

q: what is your inspiration for these works? do you have a message you want to send through these pieces?
a: my first series was inspired by science. i am a huge science person, i love the idea of cells upon cells working together to create a body, and bodies together, very special to me. also i love history, i read historical books all the time, so i was researching early biologists and their reactions to the discovery of bacteria and single celled animals. how wonderful, i thought, to learn about these things that are all around, and how that would trigger your imagination. i don’t send messages really, i like to just create a fantastical environment, a place to let your brain just go and dream.

q: can we go to see your collection in person anywhere? are you currently exhibiting in any shows or is there anything else meaningful you would like to include here?
a: i am participating in a show at the tinlark gallery in september with some very talented artists via little paper planes. i keep selling paintings, that is good, but that makes it hard to have a permanent exhibition anywhere when i don’t have a very large body of work.

say hi to michelle on her blog, view her graphic design portfolio here and see more work from her in her etsy shop and (of course!) the beholder.

thanks michelle!

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PURE settee and banquette

i LOVE this pretty and perfect air hazel settee as well as the fire cyrilla banquette by PURE. the company claims that this is green design, by using sustainable materials, working with local craftspeople and participating in fair trade with their international sourcing. sounds reasonable to me.

did i mention that i love these? the color, the embroidery, the elegant retro modern lines?

they’re $4418 and $4017 respectively, are available in nine luscious colors and with or without embroidery, and right here at structured green along with some other very cool furniture.

via ecosalon

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sarah thirlwell contemporary wood accessories

i love the contemporary handturned birch, ash and sycamore home and personal adornments with vibrant acrylic accents from uk artist sarah thirlwell. sarah uses sustainable timber and reclaimed acrylic to create these pieces, and her collection includes vessels, vases and jewelry.

sarah will be exhibiting at the liverpool design show from june 19th - 22nd, 2008. see her full collection and contact her on her website.

via cribcandy via designklub

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