Tile Workshop with Cory Winn

"Birth of Athena"  8 x 4 in.
 A couple times this summer I have taken tile workshops with Vashon Island artist Cory Winn.  She makes truly exquisite and intricately patterned pottery, objects, tiles and tile installations.  Influenced by early English arts and crafts and medieval illustrations, Cory's work is meticulously crafted and then glazed using the cuerda seca technique.

Cuerda seca, (Spanish for "dry cord") is essentially a wax resist line painted to separate the water-soluble glazes.  It is an ancient technique that can make crisp patterns and multiple colors on fired terracotta sing!
 
Cory is a great teacher and I am quite taken with the whole process.  You know you are having fun when minutes turn to hours and an afternoon has flown!

My tile at left celebrates the cerebral birth of Athena, Goddess of wisdom, daughter of  Zeus and the Titan Metis.

When Zeus heard the prophecy that a child Metis bore would usurp his thrown, Zeus tricked Metis into turning herself into a fly and promptly swallowed her.  She was however already pregnant with Athena and nine months later Zeus experienced the mother of all head aches. When he could no longer stand the pain, Prometheus (or Hephaistos, according to some) struck the head of Zeus with an axe, and from his crown Athena sprang, clad in armor and already the embodiment of heroic endeavor.    


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Image
Delighted to show with these Fine Art Print Artists! Quartermaster Press and invited guests at the Hardware Store Restaurant on Vashon Island Nov 5-30, 2021.
Read more

Let's All Dance

Image
The Vashon Heritage Museum has hosted the award winning exhibit "In and Out, Being LGBTQ on Vashon Island" since June of 2019.  Originally slated to run until March of 2020 it's been on exhibit until this week, September 6, 2021.   I'm honored to have been asked to create five window panels for the exhibit and be a part of the creative process envisioned by Deb Phillimore, Ellen Kritzman. Stephen Silha, Jesica De Wire, Bruce Haulman and the inspired advisory board they assembled. We all identify with the music of our time.  I asked friends to share the music they identified as significant in their lives, relationships and coming out story.  Their music inspired the monotype/collagraph prints with cut and printed wood sculpture that became the Let's All Dance window panels for the exhibit.  The panels were each 68 x 36 in. and titled (in the order above) Small Town Boy, The Band Played On, Let's All Dance, Anthem and Break Free. Here's a wonderful video and
Read more

Notable Show 2022

Image
The 2022 Notable Show at Vashon Center for the Arts Gallery opens Jan. 7. I've been working on angel myth as subject in paintings and monotype prints since early 2021. It's so satisfying to see work finally coming together. Michael, Angel of Strength, shown here, is the last of four oil paintings on canvas over panel for the exhibit.  My inspiration for these paintings and prints are Italian   Renaissance   artist   Fra Angelico’s “Technicolor” angel winged paintings of Gabriel, the Angel of the Annunciation and my sincere curiosity about the human need for answers and explanations .    Our love of the evolving narrative always intrigues me !
Read more