tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9246515665576612872024-03-05T22:03:04.312-07:00metal is clayworking through my obsessionsUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger67125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-924651566557661287.post-54144886554196811922022-05-25T20:59:00.002-06:002022-06-03T23:52:37.967-06:00growth is a radical/radicle act<p style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">Making a hand-built sculptural porcelain flower vessel: I made four short videos showing my process as I hand-built this form, and I’ve put them all on this post, in reverse chronological order. The piece was built over a 5-week period, to the constant background of news coming from the radio—I’ve shared more about my thought process, and the difficult sources that were my inspiration, at the bottom of this post. </p><p style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><br /></p><p style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">The final video, Part 4, shows me refining the form and details, and cutting away clay supports that have cradled the vessel over the last few weeks. The vessel is now loosely wrapped under 4 layers of soft plastic, and settled in for the long, slow dry before it can be fired. Scroll down for Parts 3, 2, and 1 to see how the form was developed. </p><p style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/q9ssH3l0pDU" width="482" youtube-src-id="q9ssH3l0pDU"></iframe></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: small;">2x speed. 🎶 Judson Crane "From The Earth"</span></div><p style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 15px;"><br /></p><p style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 15px;">Time is an essential component in building complex pieces like this; clay will soften as it is worked, and by breaking my work up into sessions of a few hours a day, it allows physical processes to occur in the clay. As it rests—the texture will stiffen, or set-up, re-gaining the internal strength it lost as I worked. However, I always have to balance water loss over time too, hence the plastic layers that you will see me using to protect all but the area that I am working on. Slightly stiffer and drier clay is more able to support the layers and features as I build upwards, and I constantly monitor how the clay feels or behaves to determine how much work I can do.</p><p style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 15px;"><br /></p><div><p style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">Reel 3, 2x speed: continuing to develop the form, refining features.</p><p style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><br /></p>
<p style="background-color: white; color: #0c0c0c; font-family: Helvetica; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="307" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/NbmejrHUN1g" width="457" youtube-src-id="NbmejrHUN1g"></iframe></div><p style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 13px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: center;">🎶 Mark Mothersbaugh "Pearl"</p><p style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><br /></p><p style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">Reel 2, 4x speed: tools, lines, and bumps of clay—landmarks that help me sculpt to the right height, imagining water in the bowl, and the fall lines that flowers will follow, thinking about how they will relate to openings—fenestrations—in the final form. </p><p style="text-align: left;"></p><p style="text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="306" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Hz3j76VoopI" width="457" youtube-src-id="Hz3j76VoopI"></iframe></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Apple Color Emoji"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">🎶</span><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: small;"> </span><a href="http://audionautix.com" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue";">audionautix.com</a><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: small;"> “There You Go”</span></p></div><div><p style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">Reel 1, 2x speed: first four days of slowly developing the base form and the internal scaffolding for details. </p><p style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><br /></p></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="306" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/c0Ev_IpVcyc" width="461" youtube-src-id="c0Ev_IpVcyc"></iframe></div><p style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: "Apple Color Emoji"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">🎶</span> Mark Mothersbaugh "Refreshing Pint"</span></p></div><div><br /></div><div><p style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">Background:</p>
<p style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">I started this piece on March 3, 2022. It felt trivial to make against the sound-track of heart-break that came with the hourly news, as we learned of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. I was planning to start something new that day, and this piece emerged. It came from thinking about what it takes for us to learn and grow as individuals—the barriers, risks, and rewards embedded in the psychology of behaviour change. I was wishing, hoping, that somehow minds might still be changed. My mind went back in time, to the research base at the heart of my former work in public health, and my hands went into clay. A random, 15-year old newspaper headline showed up under the piece, from a newspaper section about “Real Life”: lifestyle, health, home, work-life balance—all the usual chaff—except when it isn’t, if “usual” has been capriciously taken away from you by an act of war. The working title and concept for this piece is “Growth is a Radical Act”. There’s a (misspelled) biologist’s pun in there—a radicle is the embryonic root emerging from a seed, but what I am saying is that strength lives in choosing to engage, acknowledging and learning from situations, choosing to find new options, and in dealing with mistakes: strength lives in showing others that we have the ability to change our minds, and grow. My intention is that the piece will be a functional sculpture: it could be filled with flowers in an act of commemoration, or renewal. Hopefully it will find somewhere useful to be, eventually. For now, #standwithukraine <span style="font-family: "Apple Color Emoji"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">💔</span></p><p style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Apple Color Emoji"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-family: Helvetica; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">To see </span><span style="font-kerning: none;">more from my studio, please visit me on <a href="https://www.instagram.com/metalisclay" target="_blank">instagram</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/metalisclay" target="_blank">twitter</a>, or <a href="https://www.facebook.com/christinepedersenart/" target="_blank">Facebook</a>.</span></p><p style="font-family: Helvetica; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><br /></p><p style="font-family: Helvetica; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">You can see a portfolio of finished work here:</p><p style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Apple Color Emoji"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></p><p style="font-family: Helvetica; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><a href="https://christinepedersen.art">https://christinepedersen.art</a></p></div><div><br /></div><div><span style="font-family: "Apple Color Emoji"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"><br /></span></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-924651566557661287.post-75416429867765543492022-02-09T15:40:00.007-07:002022-03-25T09:54:11.955-06:00<p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="text-indent: 18px;">Over Christmas 2021, I had a little moment and bought myself a gift: <a href="http://christinepedersen.art" target="_blank">christinepedersen.art</a> —a <a href="https://christinepedersen.art/about" target="_blank">new web-site</a>. I’ve been watching <a href="https://get.art/en" target="_blank">this project</a> evolve for quite a while, and was thrilled to see that .art was offering an easy to use pop-up <a href="https://get.art/en/popup-website-builder" target="_blank">artist site builder</a>; I finished writing all the descriptions and up-loading my images yesterday. And so today I can relax, just a little, write a blog post…</span></span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhWvxGaVbfsnGnCQEGy3TWzF23L0CHFXkjKf6934gI4Wo_Y9z-cblyLz-CxbuJVEpCEHmCyQTdi2SiyMAzCIff3tkDJPV3VUAl3QhM-oxA9oS0PGLzdujZwXX7zvw41POI5AleHmX4Nh3XSEJo0M8KwJCdCGVD2ZY2B5Zt4FeuN0zIzpBqFU30pI767pQ=s1960" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1486" data-original-width="1960" height="243" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhWvxGaVbfsnGnCQEGy3TWzF23L0CHFXkjKf6934gI4Wo_Y9z-cblyLz-CxbuJVEpCEHmCyQTdi2SiyMAzCIff3tkDJPV3VUAl3QhM-oxA9oS0PGLzdujZwXX7zvw41POI5AleHmX4Nh3XSEJo0M8KwJCdCGVD2ZY2B5Zt4FeuN0zIzpBqFU30pI767pQ=w320-h243" width="320" /></a></div><span style="font-family: verdana; text-indent: 18px;">OK, back to work! All the not-actually-making-new-art-jobs truly take a huge amount of time. There's shooting photography and <a href="https://www.youtube.com/c/ChristinePedersen" target="_blank">video</a> - then editing the photos and video (including <a href="https://youtube.com/shorts/J0tpBgMfmGc?feature=share" target="_blank">new #shorts</a> on Youtube), maintaining the written statements and documentation, and making social media posts...and if I’m lucky to write some show applications and send work out into the world, I might even have a rare chance to scrub up for an afternoon and share a glass of something nice with you in a gallery!</span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-indent: 18px;"> </span><p></p><p><span style="text-indent: 18px;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">And I’m not complaining about any of it (even when I want to drop-kick my computer off a bridge after I've been on it for days. OK, so that bit does tend to suck...) But I’ve worked really hard to create this creative life, where these are my tasks that I have to work at, always trying to do them better, so that people can find and SEE me on-line, as a working artist. Because all these extra jobs mean that I am actually making and sharing new art-work. It’s a struggle sometimes, and I don’t tend to ever really go off-duty—there is always a piece of metal that I can <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CY18qLuPDWl/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link" target="_blank">work on</a>, or a <a href="https://youtu.be/Hz3j76VoopI" target="_blank">damp clay edge</a> that I might need to adjust...and a <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CXJtbKxv58V/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link" target="_blank">work in progress photo</a> that I really want to take. All the other jobs naturally emerge and evolve as I make a new piece. I've dropped a short video I made below, and I hope you’ll go take a look at the <a href="https://christinepedersen.art/works" target="_blank">new on-line portfolio</a>. Let me know what you think—thanks! </span></span></p><p><span style="text-indent: 18px;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="450" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/_WWCMKz6aWQ" width="436" youtube-src-id="_WWCMKz6aWQ"></iframe></div><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span><p></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-924651566557661287.post-9159481735694859272021-12-03T12:27:00.005-07:002021-12-03T16:41:22.362-07:00<p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Currently editing short “making of” videos for “Fire In The Belly”, the metal and clay sculpture I collaborated on with ceramic artist <a href="https://robindupont.com/index.html" target="_blank">Robin DuPont</a>. The piece is on show at the Alberta Craft Council gallery in Edmonton as part of the <a href="https://event.auctria.com/da608716-7cda-4b87-8768-006fd2082e52/">Craft Collaborations fund-raising auction</a>—40 artists have collaborated on one of a kind pieces. See more images on the <a href="https://www.instagram.com/albertacraftcouncil/" target="_blank">@albertacraftcouncil instagram feed</a>, or visit <span style="color: #dca10d;"><a href="http://www.albertacraft.ab.ca">www.albertacraft.ab.ca</a></span></span></p><p style="font-size: 13px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="338" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/9WX-fhgBxGE" width="482" youtube-src-id="9WX-fhgBxGE"></iframe></div><p></p><p style="font-size: 13px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><br /></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">I’m always curious about how other people engage with all the delicious digital documentation that we have available to us—what impact does it have? How do other people use documentation for their own design process, and is it even necessary to them? I take a lot of video and stills as I work, for 2 key reasons: so that I can share more of the studio process, and because I find I learn a lot by looking through the camera. I think framing images on a small screen helps me to see shapes and character differently, and it has become an important design tool alongside the trusty pencil and paper. I love referring to the photos as I work but, interestingly, I struggle to edit the video while I’m still hands-on with the materials. I usually go back to the video to see what I did, and now, with Fire In The Belly all finished, it is inspiring me to think about future work too. So great to find my brain already designing the next piece... </span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">😎🥳</span></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-924651566557661287.post-90203743435853203052021-11-12T12:03:00.007-07:002021-11-12T12:47:08.126-07:00fire in the belly: it's what makes us get up and make art every day<p> </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-WYwZGCF2xyA/YY6v9DvXxfI/AAAAAAAAJNQ/KmmsG6s7VOELudruuK5SBKopI6EBL7FJgCLcBGAsYHQ/s1280/0R9A7597.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Rounded wood-fired porcelain jar with multi-coloured wood ash-glaze deposits, rests on a small foot-ring, with curved sculptural brass and bronze forms wrapped around the shoulders and top opening, front view." border="0" data-original-height="961" data-original-width="1280" height="480" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-WYwZGCF2xyA/YY6v9DvXxfI/AAAAAAAAJNQ/KmmsG6s7VOELudruuK5SBKopI6EBL7FJgCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h480/0R9A7597.jpeg" title="Wood-fired jar by Robin DuPont, with sculptural metal-work by Christine Pedersen." width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><p class="p1" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 13px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: center;">Fire In The Belly. Wood-fired porcelain jar with sculptural metal crown, by Robin DuPont and Christine Pedersen.<br />Height: 40 cm.</p></td></tr></tbody></table><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">“Fire In The Belly” —introducing @robindupontceramics and my piece for the Alberta Craft Council “Craft Collaborations” fund-raising auction. The auction is now open, with 38 artists presenting 31 unique new pieces <span class="s1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;">🎉</span>. I’ve been really looking forward to seeing what everyone else has been making—you can find the auction catalogue <a href="https://event.auctria.com/da608716-7cda-4b87-8768-006fd2082e52/aa6cd270-8751-11e9-a741-3fcfcb35cbb0" target="_blank">here</a>.</span></p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-RgJB3dIVuoI/YY6wPHK5IlI/AAAAAAAAJNY/IZpw5yISAjI9WjB6x_w7l7oagyOEutcQQCLcBGAsYHQ/s1280/0R9A7603.jpeg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Rounded wood-fired porcelain jar with multi-coloured wood ash-glaze deposits, rests on a small foot-ring, with curved sculptural brass and bronze forms wrapped around the shoulders and top opening, viewed from the side." border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="1280" height="240" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-RgJB3dIVuoI/YY6wPHK5IlI/AAAAAAAAJNY/IZpw5yISAjI9WjB6x_w7l7oagyOEutcQQCLcBGAsYHQ/w320-h240/0R9A7603.jpeg" title="Wood-fired jar by Robin DuPont, with sculptural metal-work by Christine Pedersen." width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Robin’s wood-fired ceramic jar is coiled and pinched porcelain, with natural ash-glaze from pine, fir, oak, and black poplar ash. My sculptural metal crown is recycled brass and bronze, made by hammer-forming, raising, and repoussé, with hand-chased line-work. The metal is finished with oxidizing patina, heat patina, and wax.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span></p><p class="p1" style="font-size: 13px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><br /></p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"></span></p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Each piece in the auction has an artist statement, it’s really informative to hear other people’s experiences as they challenged themselves to develop a new idea, and use their skills to develop a collaborative work with another artist.</span></p><p class="p1" style="font-size: 13px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">The title for Robin’s and my piece piece, “Fire In The Belly”, speaks to the drive and desire that artists have to make, and to the intensity that we bring to sharing ideas. </span></p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">I’ve got loads more pictures and video to share on making the metalwork--and showing it installed in the home. Please follow along here, and on instagram with <a href="https://www.instagram.com/robindupontceramics/" target="_blank">Robin</a> and <a href="https://www.instagram.com/metalisclay/" target="_blank">me</a> to see more from our studios. <a href="https://robindupont.com/index.html" target="_blank">Visit Robin’s web-site</a> to learn more about his kilns and process.</span></p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Find Facebook pages here for <a href="https://www.facebook.com/robin.dupont.52" target="_blank">Robin</a>, and <a href="https://www.facebook.com/christinepedersenart" target="_blank">myself</a>.</span></p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: 13px;"><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">I better get editing some video! </span><span class="s1" style="font-family: verdana; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;">🔥</span></p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: verdana; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;"><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"></p><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-QG7SuCcvRYI/YY63Fab6pSI/AAAAAAAAJNg/ctMQXhqJ4M4IU-308aYNKYrJUBTeELRmgCLcBGAsYHQ/s1280/0R9A7611.jpeg"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="1280" height="480" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-QG7SuCcvRYI/YY63Fab6pSI/AAAAAAAAJNg/ctMQXhqJ4M4IU-308aYNKYrJUBTeELRmgCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h480/0R9A7611.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDfXDvP5a6Waub2vbuZass0onSFqkjlrN1uoKbdXmhBGNeSIQZjoNPDgx9PFhU-3DZxU_QtqimJ38DU56xx_ztU5SCLxXvrBTUWJNa_su5gInDnsNXhG2A8j8ySMzVOI-i0IryKTFhiE0/s1280/IMG_5207.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="1280" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDfXDvP5a6Waub2vbuZass0onSFqkjlrN1uoKbdXmhBGNeSIQZjoNPDgx9PFhU-3DZxU_QtqimJ38DU56xx_ztU5SCLxXvrBTUWJNa_su5gInDnsNXhG2A8j8ySMzVOI-i0IryKTFhiE0/w400-h300/IMG_5207.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><span class="s1" style="font-family: verdana; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;"><br /></span><p></p><p class="p1" style="font-size: 13px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-924651566557661287.post-87106180331570185932021-08-16T12:12:00.004-06:002021-08-16T12:21:26.975-06:00<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-TtbaTwVhJxc/YRqnnb2J7QI/AAAAAAAAJI0/nFSbHB4zrK4okkcNdEXmtE2lBo5N6zNzwCLcBGAsYHQ/s1200/Christine%2BPedersen_Open_porcelain%2Bvessel.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="901" data-original-width="1200" height="480" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-TtbaTwVhJxc/YRqnnb2J7QI/AAAAAAAAJI0/nFSbHB4zrK4okkcNdEXmtE2lBo5N6zNzwCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h480/Christine%2BPedersen_Open_porcelain%2Bvessel.jpeg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">“Open Vessel”, 14” long, Southern Ice porcelain. <br />Survived the
bisque firing—phew—now ready for a high temp firing to mature the clay. </span></td></tr></tbody></table><p>Everything takes time…make, dry, fire, fire again. And there’s a lot of sampling. Some pieces will unfortunately fail, but they all provide information. All this process tries to make next time go better, to feel more informed. But these are raw materials and their character changes, even with refined minerals, making ceramics a pretty harsh teacher. It's a journey, and to quote Tony Nadal, tennis legend Rafa Nadal’s uncle/coach: “Stay humble, stay hungry”.</p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZrkUgbwCNmwlV2vu7UIszJY5qG8Ne3LtRBzS_eVNQ5dVBFix4IJhZL5dukrj6_0etVpb8gwmLVycm6BW8YkWLR_9nBWsMyg0mEC9zd2p0izXwEzFToOX4HrWexeFnBh4c6mIrgqMsCYg/s1200/Christine+Pedersen_Skiff.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="905" data-original-width="1200" height="482" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZrkUgbwCNmwlV2vu7UIszJY5qG8Ne3LtRBzS_eVNQ5dVBFix4IJhZL5dukrj6_0etVpb8gwmLVycm6BW8YkWLR_9nBWsMyg0mEC9zd2p0izXwEzFToOX4HrWexeFnBh4c6mIrgqMsCYg/w640-h482/Christine+Pedersen_Skiff.jpeg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">The sample: “Skiff”, un-glazed sculptural porcelain vessel, cone 10 fired, and ready to go out in the world. </span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-x1OpVThPELU/YRqow2jlg8I/AAAAAAAAJJA/eZPOp1IMzOUbnHXZxCF8ijqSceLrOG1AgCLcBGAsYHQ/s1200/Christine%2BPedersen_kiln%2Bshot.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1200" height="480" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-x1OpVThPELU/YRqow2jlg8I/AAAAAAAAJJA/eZPOp1IMzOUbnHXZxCF8ijqSceLrOG1AgCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h480/Christine%2BPedersen_kiln%2Bshot.jpeg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Skiff—deep in the kiln, in amongst endless glaze tests, on the bottom
shelf of the last glaze-firing. That orange sample in the centre is
incredible, going to be seeing a lot more of that colour…</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /> <br /><br /><p></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-924651566557661287.post-23782656054765293902021-08-01T20:44:00.000-06:002021-08-01T20:44:03.204-06:00Pool: making simple jigs to build a porcelain and metal sculpture<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="445" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/oC28JZBdSOE" width="603" youtube-src-id="oC28JZBdSOE"></iframe></div><br />I made this video for the <a href="https://www.makeanddo.ca/" target="_blank">makeanddo</a> virtual film festival at <a href="https://ceramic.school/the-ceramics-congress/" target="_blank">The Ceramic Congress</a> 2021. It's an intro to the cheap and quick ‘jigs’—workshop devices that hold parts for you—that I made to give myself some extra hands while building “Pool”, a porcelain and metal sculpture. The sculpture is still a work in progress, I keep working on other projects and sneaking back to it, good thing that metal-work is so patient!<br /><br />You can <a href="https://youtu.be/6Bwf0-cEErY" target="_blank">watch the whole film festival on Youtube</a>. The film was edited by the very talented—and insanely productive—Carole Epp at <a href="https://www.musingaboutmud.com/" target="_blank">musingaboutmud</a>. Thank you Carole, awesome job! 🙏👏<br /><p></p><p>Follow along with me in the studio <a href="https://www.instagram.com/metalisclay/" target="_blank">@metalisclay on instagram</a></p><p> </p><p>#ceramicsculpture #porcelain #themakingof #organicceramics #contemporaryporcelain #crunchyporcelain #contemporaryporcelainvessel #ceramiclife #pinchypinch #contemporaryceramicvessel #studioceramics #canadianceramics #benchpeg #benchtips #intheworkshop #wip #inthestudio #metalwork #canadianmetalsmith #vmaamember <br /><br /><br /></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-924651566557661287.post-91454753478160369862021-04-13T22:11:00.001-06:002021-04-13T22:39:13.733-06:00Beaux Arts sculptural metal exhibition now open at Il Centro Art Gallery, Vancouver.<p>The Beaux Arts exhibition, curated by Angela Clarke at Il Centro Art Gallery, Vancouver, was developed with the <a href="https://www.vancouvermetalarts.com/" target="_blank">Vancouver Metal Arts Association</a>. The work of nineteen artists is included, and I am very honoured to be one of them. Huge thanks and kudos to the volunteer members of VMAA who have managed to organize and install a professional show under the current incredibly difficult conditions. </p><p style="text-align: left;">To quote from <a href="https://italianculturalcentre.ca/events/exhibits/beauxarts/" target="_blank">Il Centro’s web-site</a>:<br /></p><p style="text-align: left;">As the first exhibition in our Charles Marega 150 celebrations series Il Museo at Il Centro presents Beaux Arts: An Exhibition with the Vancouver Metal Arts Association. This exhibition features the sculptural metal art form both large and small. Entitled Beaux Arts in honour of the artist style of which Charles Marega was an interpreter, this juried show integrates traditional metal work with non-traditional styles and elements, true to the Beaux Arts form. Throughout the exhibition space there is a continuous juxtaposition of traditional and non- traditional aesthetics and materials. In addition to beautifully wrought metals in full scale sculptural size there are also opulent pieces of wearable art, jewelry that is ornamental but conveys significant social commentary. Then there are those ephemeral pieces which are created from found objects. Washed up on the shore, smoothed out, weathered and rough-hewn for a lifetime at sea, these mystifying pieces of unknown origin are brought to life again as a result of the artist’s hand and eye which sees their true beauty and conceives in them a new- and surprising-functionality.<br /></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-AZJOEi1mov4/YHZmZAQLInI/AAAAAAAAI8U/-0O3IEn1h-EZMi7wlfWHcSiwmuvhrwvBwCLcBGAsYHQ/s1280/Christine%2BPedersen_The%2BStandard%2BIris.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="854" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-AZJOEi1mov4/YHZmZAQLInI/AAAAAAAAI8U/-0O3IEn1h-EZMi7wlfWHcSiwmuvhrwvBwCLcBGAsYHQ/w427-h640/Christine%2BPedersen_The%2BStandard%2BIris.jpeg" width="427" /></a></div><p><span style="font-size: small;">Detail shot of The Standard Iris, a 23” tall wall-mounted aluminium iris petal. </span><br /></p><p style="text-align: left;">My piece, All About Iris, has three large wall-mounted sculptural
metal petals. The petals are made by hammer-forming, forging, repoussé,
and chasing. </p><p></p><p style="text-align: left;">There will be lots more pictures, video, and content to share over the coming weeks--the show is a partner exhibition in the <a href="https://craftedvancouver.com/craftspeople/vancouver-metal-arts-association-2/" target="_blank">Crafted Vancouver Festival</a> May 1-25, 2021. </p><p>Beaux Arts exhibition runs April 8 - June 30, 2021.</p><p>Map to <a href="https://italianculturalcentre.ca/contact-us/" target="_blank">find Il Centro Art Gallery</a><br />3075 Slocan St<br />Vancouver BC</p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-924651566557661287.post-81640936123887008782021-04-05T13:40:00.015-06:002022-06-04T00:04:54.098-06:00the cracks are how the dark gets out<p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-size: small;">The Cracks Are How The Dark Gets Out: contemporary porcelain vessel, part of my ongoing Fenestrations series. 2020 was definitely a year when the dark could get stuck inside, and as other recent life experiences have taught me, it is necessary to seize the light. <br /></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-size: small;">I haven’t published the Fenestrations series works - yet: I want to develop a show opportunity for them. Somewhere where we can walk through the whiteness, and let the light do the talking, rays and shadows completing the forms. This is a short video introducing a favourite piece from the kiln in 2020. </span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-size: small;">No doubt about it, all this isolation is tough on everyone. I’m spending my time making, and learning: making my own studio videos, and doing more self-promotion in a time when there are so few live show opportunities (find me on instagram and twitter <a href="https://www.instagram.com/metalisclay/" target="_blank">@metalisclay</a>). Artist statement follows. Hope you enjoy, and please get in touch to find out more about available work, thanks. <br /></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/-nz9pCyIris" width="498" youtube-src-id="-nz9pCyIris"></iframe></span></div><p></p><p style="margin-left: 40px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">"The Cracks Are How
The Dark Gets Out" by Christine Pedersen. <br />Southern Ice porcelain fired
to cone 10 in oxidation. <br />Ash glaze, clear glaze, stains. 16 cm high, by
20 cm wide. 2020.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-size: small;">From the Fenestration series artist statement:</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-size: small;">The openings--fenestrations--are fractures or disruptions in the surface. I create the fenestrations as I pinch, working with their outlines to add punctuation marks to the form, re-directing light, forcing a conversation between inside, and what is left out. <br /><br />Due to the fairly unorthodox, and fairly forceful, making process I use to develop highly textured--crunchy--porcelain surfaces, other tiny fractures in the clay may appear during the high temperature firings, as the forms shrink and vitrify. Flowing ash glazes will always find and document these--the firing process adding its own bonus features. <br /><br />I choose to make textured, crunchy surfaces primarily because I love them. Noting how they echo the journey of clay--the destructive interaction of water with rock...the weathering... all those freeze-thaw cycles, erosion, and dispersion...to create degraded rock that we harvest and refine as clay. Which is then permanently, chemically, changed through firing. All this with me knowing that my process may induce what might otherwise be thought of as defects. <br /><br /></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-size: small;">Music is "Gold" by Rob Simonsen (copyright free).</span></span></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-924651566557661287.post-19362248221280114912020-12-07T22:49:00.005-07:002020-12-08T12:46:57.675-07:00moving forward through making<p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQ0MbQJDfysbszlBMQovtJJTtrgI9MnoKEKZQQZnzWZEMFb5li3awVyHLXGuDATvs47UVHOlSvwKcVIHtdkFcOreN8V7HH6DqOFNS2KWxj715ZtSt9e3iRwjtf_ENeVWk9kioIkN_nkjg/s1280/Christine+Pedersen_14kY+CM+wedding+ring.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Christine Pedersen 14kY gold band" border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="1280" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQ0MbQJDfysbszlBMQovtJJTtrgI9MnoKEKZQQZnzWZEMFb5li3awVyHLXGuDATvs47UVHOlSvwKcVIHtdkFcOreN8V7HH6DqOFNS2KWxj715ZtSt9e3iRwjtf_ENeVWk9kioIkN_nkjg/w640-h480/Christine+Pedersen_14kY+CM+wedding+ring.jpeg" title="Christine Pedersen 14kY gold band" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">One - lovely - gold ring...for C & M. 14k yellow gold. <br />Commission. Christine Pedersen.</span></span><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p><span><span> </span></span><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-size: small;">December 2020: the last month of a very strange year, a year full of deep reflections. <span>I’ve been working away designing and building new work, even though shows were so limited, because it takes a lot of time to create complex pieces and I want to be ready for 2021! The garden was fantastic this year due to the gardener’s spending a lot of time in it: a stay-cation reflecting on life and the universe, grateful to be able to walk and run in our neighbourhood.</span> I’ve also started to share <a href="https://www.instagram.com/metalisclay/" target="_blank">my studio life on instagram</a>—it’s been a really useful way to stay in touch with friends and see fantastic hand-made original work by fellow makers. OK…it’s actually been hard to stay focused, there is just so much beautiful hand-made work out there! It’s been such a joy to make some new friends on the way, especially
while we are all dealing with such reduced contact with each other.<br /><span> </span>You can find a huge number of Canadian fine craft artists and galleries on the <a href="https://citizensofcraft.ca/" target="_blank">Citizens of Craft</a> web-site, and they've collated lots of provincial fine craft organisations and galleries who have <a href="https://canadiancraftsfederation.ca/buy-canadian-craft-online/" target="_blank">online markets this year</a>. Here’s <a href="https://citizensofcraft.ca/profile/christine-pedersen" target="_blank">a link to my profile</a> too. Alberta Craft Council has started the huge task of getting member work uploaded for on-line shopping, with <a href="http://www.albertacraft.ab.ca/the-gallery-shop" target="_blank">fine craft from all over Alberta</a>.<br /><span> </span>Sending you every best wish for a safe and restful season, and fingers crossed that we’ll be back to sharing much more in real life again soon. Visit me <a href="https://www.instagram.com/metalisclay/" target="_blank">@metalisclay on instagram</a> to stay in touch and see more from my studio. I hope you get something hand-made this Christmas, cheers!</span></span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrMmvb8lWkTiHzKtyF8Lv1oZdO_fA1lz7-dt6H2MTUnizALMYVE3JZJ0tq0bAFdMHoCKQVcwAuPjOyWoxiCVKIsf48HGnT9RiubdKZeLdF_NrqA0RGEy_v-Dxk1kT1dfYF6h2shhrmDtE/s2048/HolidayLogoColour.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1982" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrMmvb8lWkTiHzKtyF8Lv1oZdO_fA1lz7-dt6H2MTUnizALMYVE3JZJ0tq0bAFdMHoCKQVcwAuPjOyWoxiCVKIsf48HGnT9RiubdKZeLdF_NrqA0RGEy_v-Dxk1kT1dfYF6h2shhrmDtE/s320/HolidayLogoColour.png" width="320" /></a></div><br /> <p></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-924651566557661287.post-14476270988129045612020-09-25T09:00:00.005-06:002020-09-25T10:28:49.327-06:00Work now showing in Calgary at ACC's "Making: A Career in Craft"<p><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Making: A Career in Craft is now open at the Alberta Craft Gallery, Calgary, in cSpace (the former King Edward School). Show runs September 19 - November 7, 2020 </span></span><br /></p><p>Cory Barkman and I are showing a small Plum Blossom screen, and I have three new chased and repousséd flower pendant necklaces. See more images <a href="https://www.instagram.com/metalisclay/" target="_blank">here</a>.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-03Sl0RqoWMU/X24aN32EM1I/AAAAAAAAIo4/Rq4l0mshUgMzztxF4tZs010rMGYP-tdJQCLcBGAsYHQ/s1926/Screen%2BShot%2B2020-09-25%2Bat%2B10.24.38%2BAM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="616" data-original-width="1926" height="204" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-03Sl0RqoWMU/X24aN32EM1I/AAAAAAAAIo4/Rq4l0mshUgMzztxF4tZs010rMGYP-tdJQCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h204/Screen%2BShot%2B2020-09-25%2Bat%2B10.24.38%2BAM.png" width="640" /></a></div><p><br />Artists have contributed background writing for the show, sharing aspects of what they have learned from a career dedicated to making their art and fine craft work. I found it a really interesting read, and a great way to connect with some artists that I do not know personally:<br /></p><p><a href="https://issuu.com/albertacraft/docs/making_exhibition_guide_2" target="_blank">Making: A Career in Craft Exhibition Guide</a></p><p><a href="http://www.albertacraft.ab.ca/current-exhibitions/" target="_blank">Alberta Craft Council</a> also have a fabulous Craft Collaborations exhibition running - unique pieces made by member artists working together, available via an on-line auction - <a href="https://event.auctria.com/273e0966-b68f-4e7e-94d6-4a265a1213ed" target="_blank">see the artwork here</a><br /></p><p>The "Making" group exhibition first opened on February 1, 2020 in the Feature Gallery in <a href="http://www.albertacraft.ab.ca/contact-the-acc/" target="_blank">Edmonton </a>...And then sadly had to shut down pretty much straightaway because of you-know-what. </p><p> I had two pieces of chased and repousséd metalwork on show in Edmonton: one is, frankly, cute and adorable (shown in the catalogue), the other is (still!) vaguely terrifying... <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Christine Pedersen. Run. Detail of a portrait study in brass, made by chasing and repoussé. </span></span></td></tr>
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-924651566557661287.post-9640095245895444192019-07-01T14:45:00.003-06:002019-07-01T14:51:18.994-06:00Chinese Plum Tree Screen selected by SNAG for JAMS Vol. 2Cory Barkman’s Chinese Plum Tree Screen - which included hand-made bronze flowers by yours truly - was included in the Society of North American Goldsmith’s Jewelry and Metalsmithing Survey Vol. 2. The picture I submitted (to be found on p.180) shows a smaller project we made at 31 x 21 x 2 inches; Cory’s work is usually custom-built to suit a specific location.<br />
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I previously posted a <a href="http://christinepedersen.blogspot.com/2017/12/cory-barkmans-chinese-plum-tree-coming.html" target="_blank">detailed description of making the bronze flowers</a> using the ancient techniques of chasing and repoussé, and I will be making more bronze flowers soon. Hopefully there will be some left over for jewellery this time - more details to follow!<br />
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Check out Cory’s functional sculpture at <a href="http://corybarkman.com/">corybarkman.com</a>, and please <a href="http://christinepedersen.blogspot.com/p/contact-me.html" target="_blank">contact me</a> if you are interested in exploring a project idea.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">ISBN 978-0-9988002-2-6</span></td></tr>
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Order from: <a href="https://www.snagmetalsmith.org/resources-opportunities/jams/" target="_blank">https://www.snagmetalsmith.org/resources-opportunities/jams/</a><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Copyright Cory Barkman, 2018. Image: Christine Pedersen.</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">She said “yes!”. It’s such a joy and a privilege to be asked to make that special ring—and this was an intriguing project right from the start: our bride-to-be had chosen her diamonds, was totally ready to have her custom betrothal band commissioned, and wanted to have no part in the design process. Just wow! The whole idea of that made me smile so much - how exciting would that be? Just waiting for that shiny surprise… </span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">1</span><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">4k Palladium white gold cast betrothal band, with 3 princess-cut diamonds. Christine Pedersen, 2018. </span><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Presented in hand-made ring-box, designed and built by Kelo Designs of Calgary.</span></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Kudos to Alex, the groom-to-be, for leading this wonderful task, and giving me some really good ideas about what Ali </span><i style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">didn’t</i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> like—that was such a strong way to start a design process for you both. And cheers for the family brainstorm where I got to know Ali more as a person through all of you: we imagined what sort of ring we might create—something that could fit her personal style, plus we figured it might end up going horse-riding ;) Thank you all for collaborating, getting ring sizes, and sharing your inspiration.</span><br />
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<i style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: orange;">Congratulations to Alex and Ali - wishing you both love, long life, and happiness. Thank you so much for inviting me to create your ring. </span></span></i><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #cc0000;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #444444;"><span style="color: #444444;"><span style="color: #444444;"><span style="color: black;">Ring by Christine Pedersen, fabricated with the excellent Edward and Sharon Soye at</span></span> </span></span><a href="http://precisionring.com/" target="_blank">Precision Jewellery, Calgary</a>. </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Check out the ring-box <a href="https://www.kelodesigns.com/" target="_blank">here</a>.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><i>Design and images copyright Christine Pedersen, 2018.</i></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #444444;"><span style="color: #444444;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Please <a href="http://christinepedersen.blogspot.com/p/contact-me.html" target="_blank">contact me</a> </span></span></span><span style="color: #990000;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">to discuss your c</span></span><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">ustom jewellery commission.</span></b></div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-924651566557661287.post-74339316083891876862017-12-15T14:25:00.000-07:002019-06-26T23:35:48.837-06:00cory barkman’s chinese plum tree: coming into bloom, one flower at a time.<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">On his <a href="https://www.facebook.com/cory.barkman.7" target="_blank">facebook page</a>, industrial artist <a href="http://corybarkman.com/" target="_blank">Cory Barkman</a> has been sharing the journey to design and create unique hand-made furniture and fittings for a contemporary Chinese tea-room. I am going to describe more about bringing the Chinese Plum Tree screen installation into bloom, as I have the slightly scary task of making the 500 chased and repousséd bronze flowers.</span></span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Chased and repousséd bronze flowers - overlaid to create the feel of the finished Chinese Plum tree branch, loaded with spring blossom. Christine Pedersen. 2017.</span><br>
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<span style="font-size: small;">With so much work necessary to create all the pieces, Cory has faced a serious problem - how to find enough hours in his working life to make it all: "Sometimes jobs are bigger than ourselves, and the sheer volume of work needed is more than one person can feasibly or efficiently achieve on a good timeframe”. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">Cory and I have worked on a previous major project - the <a href="http://christinepedersen.blogspot.ca/2016/10/theres-beauty-in-recycling.html" target="_blank">“Return” tree sculpture for Alberta Beverage Container Recycling Corporation</a>, with <a href="http://jeffdeboer.com/" target="_blank">Jeff de Boer</a>, as part of his <a href="http://lexm.ca/" target="_blank">LEXM</a> artist collective. As Cory says about LEXM: “It means that together we can finish an art work more quickly, and we get to draw from each other’s experience in solving problems - we may find a better, or more aptly suited solution”. And of course, with large complicated pieces, Cory continued “…working together also allows each of us to grow independently, our individual contributions benefit the team, and we carry forward the experience of making the piece in all of our tool-kits."</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Process shot: 4 different sized flowers per sheet of die-formed bronze. Christine Pedersen. 2017.</span></td></tr>
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<span class="s1"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">As an artist who specializes in chasing, this is a fabulous opportunity for me to really go deep with a particular form and explore technique: every hammer blow is a choice, the weight and angle determine every nuance of the flowers’ character. It is also physically very demanding, and I make 4 complex curled flowers, or 6 open-form flowers each day. Eventually, each flower will have taken around an hour to complete.</span></span><br>
<span class="s1"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">Cory’s hand-carved walnut and aluminium screen is 12 feet long and 5 feet high, and he estimates we will need around 500 blooms for the layered and highly detailed form he has designed. As I write, I have made approximately 350 flowers.</span></span><br>
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<span class="s1"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">Read more...</span></span></div>
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</div><a href="http://christinepedersen.blogspot.com/2017/12/cory-barkmans-chinese-plum-tree-coming.html#more">Read more »</a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-924651566557661287.post-17288110543104311272017-10-24T21:24:00.002-06:002017-12-08T21:18:44.469-07:00makers allowed out for one weekend only!<div style="text-align: center;">
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: purple;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><a href="https://calgary.makerfaire.com/about/" target="_blank">Calgary Maker Faire</a> <span style="color: black;">Oct 28 and 29, 2017. </span></b></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Update:</span><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://makezine.com/author/calebkkraft/" target="_blank"> Caleb Kraft</a> of <a href="https://makezine.com/" target="_blank">Make Magazine</a> shot this <a href="https://www.facebook.com/makerfaire/videos/10154805954637687/" target="_blank">video from the LEXM booth</a>* on October 29, starring Kat McLean and me doing all the talking.</span><br />
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*Video: If you don't use Facebook, <a href="https://makezine.com/2017/10/28/live-updates-maker-faire-calgary/" target="_blank">use this link</a> to see lots of videos from Calgary, at <a href="http://makezine.com/">makezine.com</a>. To find LEXM, scroll down to video #13 - you will see Cam Farn's huge red-headed sculpture appear behind the presenter.<br />
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Calgary Maker Faire was a lot of fun - <a href="https://calgary.makerfaire.com/makers-exhibits/" target="_blank">hundreds of makers</a> offering show and tell, and loads of hands on opportunities. Might sound crazy, but I think already know what work I want to show in the LEXM booth in 2018 :)<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-k0UE9Ovxa8M/We_yggFkIrI/AAAAAAAAHMo/Yss-OE9fmU0-hFkUkuBrBLwNl2bqJRPGgCLcBGAs/s1600/lexm%2Bcomposite%2Bimage.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="576" data-original-width="720" height="512" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-k0UE9Ovxa8M/We_yggFkIrI/AAAAAAAAHMo/Yss-OE9fmU0-hFkUkuBrBLwNl2bqJRPGgCLcBGAs/s640/lexm%2Bcomposite%2Bimage.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Images: top row, L to R - Reinhold Pinter, Christine Pedersen, Cam Farn.<br />Bottom row, L to R - Jeff de Boer, Cory Barkman.</span></span></td></tr>
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October 28/29, 2017: I will be demonstrating <a href="http://christinepedersen.blogspot.ca/search/label/chasing%20and%20repouss%C3%A9" target="_blank">chasing and repoussé</a> as part of the <a href="http://lexm.ca/" target="_blank">LEXM</a> team of master makers and emerging artists. We will have an exhibition of one of a kind works, commission pieces (with thanks to our wonderful clients who have loaned them for the occasion), and jewellery and metalwork for sale.<br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Calgary artist Jeff de Boer and his <a href="https://armet.ca/" target="_blank">Armét Canada</a> team are launching their <a href="https://armet.ca/gearing" target="_blank">Gearing kinetic jewellery </a>line with a fabulous <a href="https://www.facebook.com/Armet-Canada-113945565892414/" target="_blank">20% off show special</a>. </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">And you can literally try your hand at designing a piece of jewellery with their interactive design tools - come and crank some gears!</span></h4>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Links to some of the LEXM featured makers:</span></h4>
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<a href="http://jeffdeboer.com/" target="_blank">Jeff de Boer</a></div>
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<a href="http://corybarkman.com/" target="_blank">Cory Barkman</a></div>
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<a href="http://www.c77.ca/" target="_blank">Cam Farn</a></div>
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<a href="http://goldbergarts.com/" target="_blank">David Goldberg</a> (check out <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0325183/" target="_blank">David's IMDB profile</a> too!)</div>
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<a href="http://caseyhughes.com/" target="_blank">Casey Hughes</a></div>
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<a href="http://jaworenko.design/" target="_blank">Eddie Jaworenko</a><br />
<a href="http://mycreativeworks.ca/" target="_blank">Chelsea Dyck</a></div>
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-924651566557661287.post-39012471466239290652017-10-09T14:01:00.000-06:002018-09-18T22:57:28.708-06:00The Crafted Dish: gluten free bread recipe<div style="text-align: center;">
<i><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Celebrating National Clay Week 2017, new cookbook The Crafted Dish goes on sale online at <a href="https://www.thecrafteddish.com/" target="_blank">thecrafteddish.com </a></span></span></i></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Canadian Thanksgiving - a perfect day to dish up a new cookbook benefiting <a href="http://thestop.org/" target="_blank">thestop.org</a><a href="https://www.blogger.com/null"><span id="goog_1635341938"></span><span id="goog_1635341939"></span></a>, an organization that works on many aspects of food security and building community. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">The Crafted Dish is full of recipes submitted by clay artists, with the food served on their gorgeous hand-made dishes. Creating the book was a zero-cost project, with all of the work done by a fantastic team of volunteers, lead by Carole Epp (she of the excellent clay web-site <a href="http://musingaboutmud.com/" target="_blank">musingaboutmud.com</a>). Go SEE some of the recipes - if only the <a href="https://www.instagram.com/thecrafteddish/" target="_blank">Instagram feed</a> was scratch and sniff... </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">My contribution to the
crafted dish is a gluten-free nut butter cookie recipe (hint: if you
don’t tell anyone it’s gluten free, they won’t care, they’re good
cookies). I offer a grateful nod to all the other cookie recipes I have
ever read because I modified and substituted, and went through lots of
trial and crumbly error (though even the errors got eaten), until I
built a working recipe. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">The
same is true for my home-made gluten free bread recipe: I made a lot of
bread-flavoured bricks on the way to developing a successful recipe,
and learned a lot from other cooks. Please share this recipe freely, please do not add any copyright or other restrictions - thank you, and enjoy!</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjv1jkMQ-Il8QW-2Ig0RmJvowrOmizTIouXzAie3RDgqZoIUSO1ZVHgXx0DAdFwAKfwDXhZGKyGxtVZxvlNI758JDwBSCh17bGFBA1Dg6poZMnjeUn6-bRyt3KR5lFEvm-U50Q7SuExFus/s1600/0R9A0840.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="853" data-original-width="1280" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjv1jkMQ-Il8QW-2Ig0RmJvowrOmizTIouXzAie3RDgqZoIUSO1ZVHgXx0DAdFwAKfwDXhZGKyGxtVZxvlNI758JDwBSCh17bGFBA1Dg6poZMnjeUn6-bRyt3KR5lFEvm-U50Q7SuExFus/s640/0R9A0840.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Gluten free rye-style loaf, baked in a cast-iron pan with heavy fitted lid. Served warm with butter, love, and lots of tea.<br />Hand-made tablewares by Christine Pedersen. 2017.</span></span></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">Ingredients</span></b><br />2 ½ cups boiled cooled water<br />2 tsp yeast<br /><br />5 cups total in the dry flour mix:<br />2 cups whole oats<br />1¾ cup brown rice flour or whole-grain creamed rice cereal<br />¾ cup sorghum flour<br />¼ cup psyllium husk<br />¼ cup buckwheat flour (for a rye-like flavour, or swap out for more sorghum for a fluffier loaf)<br /><br />2 ½ tbsp honey<br />2½ tbsp apple cider vinegar<br />1¾ tsp Salt<br />3 tbsp olive oil<br /><br /><b>Optional ingredients</b> - can add these without affecting flour:water quantities:<br />1 tbsp dried egg white, if available<br />1½ tsp caraway seeds for a rye-bread style flavour<br />½ cup sunflower seeds<br /><br /><b>Directions</b><br />Boil water and allow to cool.<br />Turn oven on to very low or keep warm setting to prove the loaf.<br /><br /><b>Make water/honey/yeast mixture:</b><br />Pour 1½ cups into jug and allow to cool to body temperature<br />Add 2½ tbsp honey into jug and dissolve<br />Add 2 tsp dried yeast and dissolve<br />Keep mixture warm and allow to stand for 20 mins (until frothy)<br /><br /><b>Prepare the baking pan: </b><br />Preferable to use a heavy saucepan with lid, butter and dust with rice flour. Or a large loaf pan (grease and line aluminium pans with baking parchment)<br /><br /><b>Make water/egg/vinegar/salt mixture:</b><br />To remaining 1 cup water add and dissolve…<br />1¾ tsp salt<br />2½ tbsp apple cider vinegar<br /><br /><b>Mix flour</b>: add all the flours (and any optional ingredients) to a large mixing bowl and run through fingers to mix and aerate:<br />2 cups whole oats<br />1 ¾ cups brown rice flour<br />¾ cup sorghum<br />¼ cup buckwheat flour<br />¼ cup psyllium husk<br /><br /><b>Mixing the dough:</b><br />Add 3 tbsp olive oil to well in mixed flour.<br />Add all wet ingredients to flour (yeast mix and water/vinegar/salt mix).<br />Mix with a spatula - will appear very wet and sloppy initially, don’t worry! No need to mix constantly, take breaks; after about 5 minutes mixture will have become very thick and formed a dough-ball.<br /><br /><b>Proving:</b><br />Butter pan and place in oven to warm, add small handful rice or sorghum flour to dust inside a buttered pan (no need if lined with parchment).<br />Turn the dough into the baking pan.<br />If cooking in a saucepan: turn oven OFF, cover with pan lid, place into oven on middle shelf.<br />If cooking in a loaf pan, cover with a moistened clean tea towel or dish cloth, and stand on top of the warm stove.<br />Leave for 50 mins to prove, loaf will rise somewhat but not like a wheat loaf.<br /><br /><b>Baking:</b><br />Turn oven on to 400F.<br />Place pan on middle shelf and bake for 50 mins. Loaf will have a light golden colour. (Next time you try the recipe - cook loaf for a bit longer, or slightly hotter, 420F, to darken/thicken crust).</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Allow loaf to cool for a few minutes before turning out onto a wire rack. Try not to cut into the loaf for around half an hour so that the crumb can set ;) </span><br />
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<b><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">A few important recipe notes: </span></b><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">1. This GF bread recipe was developed at 3500 feet above sea level. If you live below this, you might want to decrease the yeast, may need a little less cooking time, and should cook at 400F to limit the crust becoming too cooked or overly thick. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">2. A general principle that I work with for gluten free breads is a 2:1 ratio for dry ingredients:water. Experiment with different flours within these parameters and develop a tasty recipe that works for you. This also means you can make a 4-cup loaf easily by just scaling everything down a bit.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">3. I have been making a decreased carb bread by increasing the amount of psyllium husk in the recipe. I have used up to 1 cup psyllium husk successfully. Drink additional water if you experiment with this, you will be getting a large dose of seed fibre, and it needs extra moisture to work its magic through your intestines.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">4. I try to increase the protein (and therefore nutritional) content of the bread by using dried albumen in the mix. If you can get it, pre-mix this into the flour mixture. Wet egg whites sold in the carton work fine too, but you will need to adjust the amount of water you will be using to keep the dry:wet ratio mostly the same.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">5. Do experiment with adding spices, dried fruit, nuts, and seeds. Or making rolls instead of a loaf - this recipe will create a wide variety of options. Makes a great pizza base - dip fingers in olive oil and spread dough thinly onto the largest size cookie tray, or split between two trays.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">6. There is an <a href="http://www.bbc.com/travel/story/20160920-secrets-of-the-soda-bread-masters" target="_blank">excellent article on soda bread from the BBC</a> - GF flour mixtures translate really well into soda bread recipes.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Happy eating.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-924651566557661287.post-24229133239130108922017-09-09T23:01:00.000-06:002017-09-21T17:01:22.838-06:00narrative jewellery: tales from the toolbox book launch<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">For every piece of jewellery I make there is a story. It can be simple, just a note on the “why?” that led to the forms and textures, or the feeling that I want to remember. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Sometimes the single idea that could become a piece, conceived way before the act of making, can become so over-whelming that I need to write a whole new reality for the jewellery to exist within. That’s how it was for “Pull”, the first piece of jewellery in a body of work that became the <i>ReFind Collection</i>*. It caused me to look at materials in my home, especially the things that were routinely thrown away, very differently. It was like waking up to realize I just hadn’t been paying the right kind of attention to all the “stuff” in other areas of my life; realizing that maybe jewellery could be linked to something as obscure as industrial-scale food-processing and packaging—if I allowed my mind to receive the information, differently. </span><br />
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-lf5HRfL_LY0/WbTDWfQj4JI/AAAAAAAAHFg/42ed25ZHLDYAxfDiaATNd_RHRnvxmOeQACLcBGAs/s1600/Narrative%2BBook%2Bcover_large.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="688" data-original-width="632" height="640" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-lf5HRfL_LY0/WbTDWfQj4JI/AAAAAAAAHFg/42ed25ZHLDYAxfDiaATNd_RHRnvxmOeQACLcBGAs/s640/Narrative%2BBook%2Bcover_large.png" width="586" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I am very honoured that my necklace has been included in <a href="http://www.markfenn.co.uk/" target="_blank">Mark Fenn’s</a> new book, Narrative Jewelry: Tales From The Toolbox, to be released on October 28, 2017. There is a <a href="http://www.narrative-jewellery.com/" target="_blank">website</a> for the book, and all of the contributing artists and their web-sites will be listed there. The book is available for pre-order from Amazon.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Not surprisingly, I can’t wait to read my copy… For all of the reasons that a piece of jewellery becomes special to us—why we fall in love with one thing, but not another, for the stories that we hear from makers, and the stories we will make-up for ourselves, as wearers.</span><br />
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<b><i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">*The ReFind Collection is still under development, and has not yet been shown publicly. I am seeking an appropriate exhibition opportunity that would allow me to present the full installation of source materials, intermediate jewellery forms, and finished work - please <a href="http://christinepedersen.blogspot.ca/p/contact-me.html" target="_blank">contact me</a> for further details. </span></i></b><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Details from the official web-site for the book: </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.narrative-jewellery.com/">http://www.narrative-jewellery.com</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Narrative Jewelry: Tales from the Toolbox</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Author Mark Fenn</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Foreword by Jack Cunningham, PhD</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Published by Schiffer Publishing</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Featuring 450 full-color photos and 241 of the world’s foremost narrative jewelry makers, this book showcases the best of what today's makers, ranging from newly graduated students to the luminaries of the jewelry world, have to offer us: jewelry that's designed to evoke a range of thoughts and feelings. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Do you have a piece of jewelry that offers a story? </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">What story does the jewelry we own or desire tell?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Why are you attracted to some pieces, but repelled by others? </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">The answers unfold in this contemporary compendium, also featuring a foreword by jewelry professor and expert Jack Cunningham, PhD, and text by artists Jo Pond and Dauvit Alexander (The Justified Sinner). </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">The makers and images selected for this book are a broad representation of the genre of narrative jewelry, and offer a fascinating look for anyone who wears, collects, or has an interest in jewelry or design.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">ISBN: 978-0-7643-5414-4</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Size: 9" x 12" - </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Illustrations: 450 colour images</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Pages: 304</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Binding: Hard Cover</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Guide Price $60.00 - £46.37 </span><br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-924651566557661287.post-64327949972878916962017-05-15T11:36:00.000-06:002017-05-19T13:32:55.440-06:00#GroundsForDiscovery - a series of unlikely events, and how science and art work together beautifully<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">This begins about 110 million years ago with the death of an 18-foot long armour-plated ‘lizard’, some time after it had enjoyed a large salad.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Six years ago the fossilized animal re-surfaced at Alberta’s Suncor Millennium Mine, as an excavator dug down to recover the bituminous remains of prehistoric plants and animals in the tar-sands layer. The <a href="http://tyrrellmuseum.com/" target="_blank">Royal Tyrrell Museum</a> </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">and <a href="http://www.nationalgeographic.com/magazine/2017/06/dinosaur-nodosaur-fossil-discovery/?utm_source=Facebook&utm_medium=Social&utm_content=link_fbp20170512ngm-nodosaur&utm_campaign=Content&sf78275986=1" target="_blank">National Geographic</a> </span>hail the dinosaur fossil as the finest specimen of its kind in the world—it is the best preserved, with armoured plates and even some skin tone visible. It is also the oldest dinosaur ever found in Alberta.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-eAsWUWUb7mI/WRke_RPl-2I/AAAAAAAAGmo/xu6_Ur81h38nY090-OZG8e0kcC5ZWYZQQCLcB/s1600/IMG_0413.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-eAsWUWUb7mI/WRke_RPl-2I/AAAAAAAAGmo/xu6_Ur81h38nY090-OZG8e0kcC5ZWYZQQCLcB/s400/IMG_0413.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">As yet un-named nodosaur fossil. Photo: Kristi Van Kalleveen. #GroundsForDiscovery</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">See the nodosaur fossil up close in this <a href="http://www.nationalgeographic.com/magazine/2017/06/dinosaur-nodosaur-fossil-discovery/?utm_source=Facebook&utm_medium=Social&utm_content=link_fbp20170512ngm-nodosaur&utm_campaign=Content&sf78275986=1" target="_blank">beautifully photographed essay from National Geographic</a>, published in the June 2017 edition.</span><br />
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</span> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">All of the Grounds For Discovery exhibit fossils were accidentally discovered during mining and excavation work in Alberta. As the <a href="https://royaltyrrellmuseum.files.wordpress.com/2017/05/g4d-factsheet2017.pdf" target="_blank">Tyrrell specimen fact sheet</a> indicates, some of the fossil animals are very close to complete. However, the tail end of the nodosaur was too damaged to recover, and a new species of 60-million year old pantodont, a bear-like mammal, had only a skull, a paw, some vertebrae and arm bones.</span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> The Tyrrell invited Calgary sculptor <a href="http://jeffdeboer.com/" target="_blank">Jeff de Boer</a> to work with museum scientists: using their understanding of the animal forms, Jeff was able to design steel wire sculptures that could support and complement the fossil remains, and give the specimens a new life. </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisMX5gwVc6ubuRx1Rn4T8N6VWvpr04qZJtyiK4aydfv96LIJU8bHYBYVVKshxHi7YdNjl2Bpdn-gzllmA_beaiFhU2fHm2vBsHURCvnFdu0Vu4c1JWIFQgdnKweEgiRmELAuxJ4ybm3dQ/s1600/IMG_8226.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="571" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisMX5gwVc6ubuRx1Rn4T8N6VWvpr04qZJtyiK4aydfv96LIJU8bHYBYVVKshxHi7YdNjl2Bpdn-gzllmA_beaiFhU2fHm2vBsHURCvnFdu0Vu4c1JWIFQgdnKweEgiRmELAuxJ4ybm3dQ/s640/IMG_8226.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Front L-R: Les Pinter, Kelly Hofer, Jeff de Boer, Dinosaur Curator Dr Donald Henderson, Christine Pedersen, Tyrrell exhibit designer Colin Hnetka. Back row - a new genus and species of pantodont.</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">In January 2017, Jeff assembled his project team… 3D creature designer <a href="http://www.c77.ca/about.html" target="_blank">Cam Farn</a> modelled scientifically-guided animal forms which were CNC-milled in polystyrene. The full-size foam animals received a flame-resistant hard coating that allowed individually hand-formed steel parts to be tack-welded into position. <a href="https://www.kellyhofer.com/" target="_blank">Kelly Hofer</a>, Les Pinter, and I had the privilege of working with Jeff, and being mentored in the design and building of the steel-wire sculptures.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEcCJnap_Dqvx1ObltW3qUCpemfHbBXPDyzhxnFMHNTYZ1vwNhjJGGKlde24e0vREoq84T15b3HtjDU4nGEx7yYNUJqpaaOZ6qDyZ2FFha51QrlvaUozhG_ItlHrrgHcfHvN7IhhnCHzU/s1600/IMG_1525.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEcCJnap_Dqvx1ObltW3qUCpemfHbBXPDyzhxnFMHNTYZ1vwNhjJGGKlde24e0vREoq84T15b3HtjDU4nGEx7yYNUJqpaaOZ6qDyZ2FFha51QrlvaUozhG_ItlHrrgHcfHvN7IhhnCHzU/s320/IMG_1525.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jeff de Boer with pantodont steel wire sculpture in process.</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">The sculptures were cut apart to release the foam materials, and all the steel sections deep-welded back together. Metal joints were hand-ground back to a beautiful smooth finish. </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-j5KQDULj5OU/WRnGrRD66DI/AAAAAAAAGnQ/-nQ5OLdxopk7xsPzcSISfpHDlm6dDS_MwCLcB/s1600/0R9A0469%2B%25281%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-j5KQDULj5OU/WRnGrRD66DI/AAAAAAAAGnQ/-nQ5OLdxopk7xsPzcSISfpHDlm6dDS_MwCLcB/s400/0R9A0469%2B%25281%2529.jpg" width="266" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Close-up on the finished pantodont paw: cast fossil bones are supported within the powder-coated steel sculpture.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ZnEC9OSriJQ/WRnPV_-w4RI/AAAAAAAAGnk/ZNW44b_5UcQTtNbz249H_o2Y4m7S4I1SQCLcB/s1600/IMG_8158.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ZnEC9OSriJQ/WRnPV_-w4RI/AAAAAAAAGnk/ZNW44b_5UcQTtNbz249H_o2Y4m7S4I1SQCLcB/s400/IMG_8158.jpg" width="328" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ricardo Miranda, Alberta Minister for Culture and Tourism, with Tyrrell Executive Director Andy Neuman<br />
and Millie - the as yet formally un-named new nodosaur.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-y-Jz1NWoKaY/WRnPVjKJJ6I/AAAAAAAAGng/Fzy0aqNHo24oDQzMYhP3BZd47O9QK78VgCLcB/s1600/IMG_8160.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="425" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-y-Jz1NWoKaY/WRnPVjKJJ6I/AAAAAAAAGng/Fzy0aqNHo24oDQzMYhP3BZd47O9QK78VgCLcB/s640/IMG_8160.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A rear-view and cross-section of the nodosaur specimen - very unusual in having such volume and depth in the fossilized remains - including the vegetation in its intestines! The detailed wire-work sculpture hints at the armoured outline of the animal, and the massive scale of the overall fossil as it was discovered, lying on its back.</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">May 12, 2017, 2pm: the Tyrrell unveiled their new exhibit, <a href="http://tyrrellmuseum.com/exhibits/grounds_for_discovery.htm" target="_blank">Grounds For Discovery</a>. </span>The museum and installations are world-class, gorgeous to experience. There is something else at play here…unspoken…every atom of concrete glass plastic metal used to create plinths, cases, museums, and art-work is as old as the atoms that built the original animals, and their fossils. Materials harvested, refined, re-arranged by us - for now - into new forms to show-case the life on this planet; it is a glorious enterprise in that we are driven to build beautiful, meaningful things in our application of science and art. </span><br />
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<i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">It is a huge thrill to have a small part in this fabulous collective enterprise: thank you to the Tyrrell for reaching out to artists to help tell the story; and to Jeff for his commitment to expand the community of makers with the skills to take on these projects (go LEXM!).</span></i><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Lots more pictures...</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://www.kellyhofer.com/" target="_blank">Kelly Hofer</a> has published a <a href="https://photos.google.com/share/AF1QipOEjIRXlFhuhxF_3HkRIV_z1jQQS9qruCDBnpGAqB8BiafU2ZIgcSALFceLs1l2ow?key=VzA3ZlozWXRwbW15dGk0d2loU1pHckdyXzdVVWRB" target="_blank">huge collection of behind the scenes shots</a> as we made the sculptures, and from opening day at the Tyrrell.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Yes, you can see that the nodosaur had salad for lunch... Fabulous <a href="http://www.nationalgeographic.com/magazine/2017/06/nodosaur-3d-interactive-dinosaur-fossil/?utm_source=Twitter&utm_medium=Social&utm_content=link_tw20170515ngm-nodosaurinteractive&utm_campaign=Content&sf78996170=1" target="_blank">National Geographic 3D tour of the fossilised nodosaur.</a></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-924651566557661287.post-37061230040056294892017-02-07T13:28:00.000-07:002017-05-22T11:28:55.831-06:00twenty: a love story<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">“Twenty” was a complex piece to make<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> real<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">;</span></span> it started <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">by</span> sharing in a dream… What <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">is</span> the<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> client</span> imagining? <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">What can they see and </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">feel?</span></span><br>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">And there it was in my hands, the finished piece: thick, lush, textured, a golden and hefty gem-set brass carabiner, with my thumb flicking that addictive gate-wire! The imagined carabiner had a haptic, emotional identity before material, or sketching. It came to life through our massively powerful human ability to transmit the idea of The Thing between us. Everyone’s a maker when they choose to spend a moment visualizing the thing made, finished, right there in front of them. It’s a delicious first step. And it sends the real-world maker off to find the right tools…</span><br>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">And</span> there’s the rub: the idea of the thing isn’t enough to make it real, because there’s still all the mess and details and skill of the making. That’s where the maker or artist chooses to fall into <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">building</span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> </span>the dream.</span><br>
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/wohoFJVI6K0/0.jpg" frameborder="0" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/wohoFJVI6K0?feature=player_embedded" width="320"></iframe></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">This is the "making of" video for a commission celebrating a 20th wedding anniversary. My client proposed a decorative working carabiner, set with gems honouring the birthdays of his five family members (from left to right: emerald, fire citrine, peridot, Canadian diamond, aquamarine).</span><br>
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<i><b><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Keep reading for more on process and music…</span></b></i><br>
<a href="http://christinepedersen.blogspot.com/2017/02/twenty-love-story.html#more">Read more »</a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-924651566557661287.post-57856959414465611622017-01-30T23:43:00.000-07:002017-02-27T15:49:14.519-07:00the mane event this March...<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Whoa! That's a very young me<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">with</span> my </span>skewbald bestie<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> and life-long inspiration...</span> <a href="https://secure.campaigner.com/CSB/public/archive.aspx?args=MTk3MjI2NzU%3d" target="_blank">Read a feature article</a> in the Okotoks Feb 2017 C<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">u</span>ltural newsletter.</span> </b></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Want to talk horse all evening AND learn to sculpt a horse-head in clay? Sounds like a great way to spend time to me! I am really looking forward to teaching this course - starts March 16, 2017, and you can <a href="http://www.okotoks.ca/discover-okotoks/things-do/community-events-calendar/equine-clay-sculpture-christine-pedersen" target="_blank">register through the Town of Okotok’s website here.</a></span></span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Punk, Jazz, and Classical: ponies with attitude! Christine Pedersen. 2016.</td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">You will spend four 2-hour evening classes making your sculpture, after which your piece will dry, and then be fired for you. During the final 2-hour class, you will decide whether to use paint or glaze to decorate your finished horse-head. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">This course is for anyone who would like to sculpt with potter’s clay. No experience is necessary—just bring your enthusiasm,<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> and </span></span>pictures of horse-heads that you find inspiring. </span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I will cover all of the important techniques for hand-sculpting</span></span>, and you will be able to purchase some clay tools during the class. I will help you to develop your composition and build character into your piece, and for those with some clay experience, we can increase the challenge as much as you would like.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Although the course is focused on the horse-head, the style of your piece can be as literal or abstract as you wish, and you will make your sculpture as simple or challenging as you want in the time available. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">We will work in the fun and stimulating environment of the artist’s studio upstairs at the lovely <a href="http://www.okotoks.ca/town-services/town-directory/okotoks-art-gallery" target="_blank">Okotoks Art Gallery</a>. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Hope to see you there :)</span></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-924651566557661287.post-77383447761267690662017-01-10T13:21:00.000-07:002017-01-10T13:27:46.071-07:00Return goes to the Core...<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><i>Return</i> tree sculpture is on show at <a href="http://Return tree sculpture is on show at the Core, TD Square, in downtown Calgary, from Jan 8 - 29, 2017 as part of their waste reduction month." target="_blank">the Core</a>, TD Square, in downtown Calgary, from Jan 8 - 29, 2017 as part of their waste reduction month.</span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-iUoqoE9Nag8/WHU_I9HGayI/AAAAAAAAGdg/pkpeN2iqaxEU7G_EXDyej2WCLhuUPXu0gCLcB/s1600/0R9A6980.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-iUoqoE9Nag8/WHU_I9HGayI/AAAAAAAAGdg/pkpeN2iqaxEU7G_EXDyej2WCLhuUPXu0gCLcB/s640/0R9A6980.jpg" width="426" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Close-up on the hand holding the root-ball - the<i> Return</i> tree sculpture is approximately 12 feet tall overall.</span></span></span></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><i>Return</i> was commissioned by <a href="https://albertadepot.ca/news/waste-reduction-week-is-in-full-bloom-at-cf-market-mall/" target="_blank">Alberta Depot</a> in 2016. Designed and built by <a href="http://corybarkman.com/" target="_blank">Cory Barkman</a>, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/christinepedersenart/" target="_blank">Christine Pedersen</a>, and <a href="http://jeffdeboer.com/" target="_blank">Jeff de Boer</a>.</span></span><br />
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-924651566557661287.post-68291218502983482002016-10-17T17:01:00.000-06:002017-12-15T14:58:00.596-07:00there's beauty in recycling<span style="color: #444444;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><i>Return</i> tree sculpture on show<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> at </span>Centre Court in Market Mall, Calgary, Alberta. October 17 - 23, 2016.</span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://albertadepot.ca/" target="_blank">Alberta Beverage Container Recycling Corporation's</a> (ABCRC) new sculpture celebrating the beauty of recycling has just been unveiled...</span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-r1qzAibvHmg/WAVLLG9GCmI/AAAAAAAAGXY/bFOwW1frK80VyCCtCxNmIxdHU-CzaQYIQCEw/s1600/0R9A6991.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-r1qzAibvHmg/WAVLLG9GCmI/AAAAAAAAGXY/bFOwW1frK80VyCCtCxNmIxdHU-CzaQYIQCEw/s640/0R9A6991.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Sheri and Angela from ABCRC with a tired but happy Cory and Jeff, and <i>Return</i> - a tree sculpture <br />decorated with materials from pop cans and bottles, milk cartons, juice tins, and every kind of <br />recyclable beverage container that can be returned to depots in Alberta.</span></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1oEHzUOFxOM/WAVLQz5YQqI/AAAAAAAAGXc/meP_yq4vDbka3RDNLE1yrrAytMvkqT_mwCEw/s1600/0R9A7000.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1oEHzUOFxOM/WAVLQz5YQqI/AAAAAAAAGXc/meP_yq4vDbka3RDNLE1yrrAytMvkqT_mwCEw/s400/0R9A7000.jpg" width="266" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Recycled containers grow <br />into Alberta flora</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><a href="http://jeffdeboer.com/" target="_blank">Jeff de Boer</a>, </span></span><a href="http://corybarkman.com/" target="_blank">Cory Barkman</a>, and I were invited to create an artwork that could help reinforce the beauty and value that comes from recycling beverage containers. Our challenge was to re-use containers from the bottle depot as key components of the piece, transforming the materials into something new.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Project <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">lead</span> and maker extraordinaire Cory Barkman <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">proposed</span> a tree to <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">capture</span> the vision: "<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">So many Albertan's recycle, and the hand makes it clear that by our direct involvement in recycling we are consciously taking responsibility for how we use the earth's resources". <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">The tree is supported by a human hand, and Cory added "</span>The hand shows that such life and beauty is a precious thing to be cared for, and recycling is a way to say <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">'</span>Thanks, we like it here and want to stay longer<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">'</span>". Trees also live very much longer than people, and Cory concluded that "As this beauty takes root within us, our actions begin to bear fruit and <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">the tree</span> branches become far reaching both to the earth, and to those who live <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">o</span>n it</span>". </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">F</span>oliage, fruit, and flowers decorating the tree were my challenge.<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I</span> drew inspiration<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> from</span> Alberta flora, with poplar-shaped leaves, and species of violet, forget-me-not, heather, daisy, and<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">,</span> of course, our Alberta provincial flower - the wild rose. There are many coloured berries, and larger fruits—our domesticated apples, pears, and grapes—all made from recycled pop, juice, and milk containers and lids.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Jeff de Boer</span> worked closely on the tree<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> </span>with Cory and I and - as always - <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">solved so many problems, made so many parts, <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">and made the project happen<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> (whilst<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> finishing up his<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">herd</span></span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> </span>of <a href="http://calgaryherald.com/business/local-business/new-airport-terminal-showcases-calgary-through-art-retail-and-design" target="_blank">gorgeous <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">sculptures</span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> in</span> the new</a><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><a href="http://calgaryherald.com/business/local-business/new-airport-terminal-showcases-calgary-through-art-retail-and-design" target="_blank"> international terminal at Calgary International Airpor</a><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><a href="http://calgaryherald.com/business/local-business/new-airport-terminal-showcases-calgary-through-art-retail-and-design" target="_blank">t</a>).</span></span> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Building</span> connections between p<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">eople, as we<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">ll as helping to build<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> their</span></span> skills, has always been integral to Jeff's artistic practice<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">, </span>it is part of how he chooses to build art. </span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">The tree sculpture has new and recycled materials, and we hope it will be enjoyed for many years. Eventually, all materials are returned for re-use or will be recycled - including the artists! The tree is a reminder that everything we use is just a part of a much larger life-cycle, and it is our choice to reduce, re-use, recycle, and finally, to <i>return</i>.</span></span><br />
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<b><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Links and more resources:</span></span></b><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">1. The <a href="https://albertadepot.ca/" target="_blank">Alberta Beverage Container Recycling Corporation</a> commissioned this artwork as part of a larger campaign - <i>The Beauty Of Recycling </i>- to raise awareness of the value in returning beverage containers<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">.</span> You get your deposit back, and the materials get re-used to make new things. See more details at <a href="https://albertadepot.ca/news/waste-reduction-week-is-in-full-bloom-at-cf-market-mall/" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">albertadepot.ca</span></a></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">2. Alberta Depot gave artists the theme of "Alberta flora" to inspire our designs. The <i>Return</i> tree leaves are shaped like those on our local poplars. I <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">consulted </span></span></span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">this excellent manual to learn</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span> more about Alberta trees, shrubs and wil<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">d-fruits: <a href="http://www.insideeducation.ca/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/TreeShrub.pdf" target="_blank"><i>G<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">u</span>ide <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">t</span>o <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">t</span>he C<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">o</span>mmon Native Trees and Shrubs Of <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Al</span>berta</i></a><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> by Inkpen and Van Eyk, Published by <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">The</span> Government Of Alberta.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">A</span>ll of the flowers <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">under</span> the tree are based on the colours and forms of Alberta wild<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">-flower species, though they are <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">o</span>bviously not to scale ;)<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> The reference<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">used</span></span> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">for</span> flower details is<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> </span><i>Wildflow</i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><i>ers </i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><i>Of The Canad</i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><i>ian Rockies</i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> by</span> George Scotter and Halle Flygare.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span> <br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">3</span>. Links to the <i>Return</i> tree artists: </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Cory Barkman - see amazing pieces of furniture, lamps, interior artwork and - of course - <b>robots</b> at <a href="http://corybarkman.com/" target="_blank">corybarkman.com</a> Find Cory on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/cory.barkman.7" target="_blank">Facebook.</a> </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Jeff de Boer - internationally collected artist, public art and art community builder, famous for armour for cats and mice. See pictures at <a href="http://jeffdeboer.com/" target="_blank">jeffdeboer.com</a> Find Jeff on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/JeffdeBoerSculpture/" target="_blank">Facebook.</a></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Christine Pedersen - thanks for checking out my blog, I'm on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/christinepedersenart" target="_blank">Facebook</a> too. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">4</span>. If you're out and about in Alberta, you <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">have probably</span> also seen <a href="https://albertadepot.ca/news/what-if-the-end-was-really-just-the-beginning/" target="_blank">gorgeous recycled metal flowers and foliage</a><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> featured on posters all over <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">the province</span>. These art<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">works </span>were <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">made</span> for Alberta Depot by Calgary artist <a href="http://www.sasha-foster.com/" target="_blank">Sasha Foster</a>. </span></span></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-924651566557661287.post-8808081936843972492016-09-18T22:40:00.000-06:002016-09-18T22:44:15.152-06:00get ahead!Really looking forward to teaching this course - you can register through the website <a href="http://www.okotoks.ca/discover-okotoks/things-do/community-events-calendar/equine-clay-sculpture-christine-pedersen" target="_blank">here</a>.<br />
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-gAi2wrf5MYE/V99kZ8LOU-I/AAAAAAAAGTo/MnxV3kFoWEgVV4w21QGqNwJfhkj2iOwRQCLcB/s1600/Fall%2B2016%2BArt%2BClasses%2B-%2BEquine%2Bposters.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-gAi2wrf5MYE/V99kZ8LOU-I/AAAAAAAAGTo/MnxV3kFoWEgVV4w21QGqNwJfhkj2iOwRQCLcB/s400/Fall%2B2016%2BArt%2BClasses%2B-%2BEquine%2Bposters.jpg" width="310" /></a></div>
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This is a relatively short course with four 2-hour evening classes to make your sculpture, after which your piece will dry, and then be fired for you. During the final 2-hour class, you will decide whether to use paint or glaze to decorate your finished sculpture. <br />
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This course is for anyone who would like to sculpt with potter’s clay. We will provide materials and instruction to get everyone successfully working with clay. For those with some clay experience, I will help you develop your composition and build character into your piece.<br />
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The course is focused on the horse, but your “look” can be as literal or abstract as you wish, and you will make your piece as simple or challenging as you want in the time available.<br />
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I will cover all the important techniques for hand-sculpting forms in clay in the fun and stimulating environment of the artist’s studio upstairs at the Okotoks Art Gallery. You might be surprised at just how much beautiful art is being made up there! ;)<br />
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Background: why a horse-head?<br />
Our subject matter - making a horse head study - was chosen because lots of grown-ups asked if they could have a class of their own after a very
successful children’s horse-sculpting course at Okotoks Art Gallery. Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-924651566557661287.post-48527651168842360062016-08-25T10:57:00.000-06:002016-08-25T15:17:23.353-06:00starting at the end<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I am just starting out on a major new project. It will consume the next 6 weeks of my life. Immersed in the design stage, I already feel the pull of The Resolution, the conclusion of it all because I - we - can see the finished thing: there is a drawing, materials have been selected. The endless chatter from design and detail and process has started, and sleep is broken.</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: red;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">PROJECT PICTURES<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">?</span> EMBARGOED FOR NOW… <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">T</span>hat doesn’t matter, this is all about the emotions of making stuff, less about the stuff itself.</span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">There is a cute meme that floats about on social media, regarding the artist’s relationship with a piece of work over the course of making it. In short, feelings go nuts and change a LOT, and it’s OK to stop reading now.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Or… Come on the journey. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I’m talking mainly about creating something new, possibly unknown to <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">me</span>, maybe completely out of <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">my</span> comfort zone—lots of different processes all needed at once, or maybe <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I</span> just don’t yet have full mastery of a particular skill. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">There are a lot of problems to solve in order to make something <i>new</i>—I think that’s part of the attraction, and definitely part of the reason I (we) end up on a massive emotions-rollercoaster (and <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">p</span>ossibly an unwelcome voyage of self-discovery). </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">The makers flow has a dynamic all of its own. For me, it seems to go something like this:</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: blue;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">1. This is going to be awesome, I am going to love making this!</span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: blue;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">2. Wait… I need to design more.</span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: blue;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">3. Can I actually do this?</span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: blue;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">4. I think this might suck.</span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: blue;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">5. I’m sure I have been working on this for too long…</span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: blue;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">6. Not sure if this still sucks and I am working really, really hard trying to make it suck less.</span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: blue;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">7. Hang on, I like how that bit looks.</span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: blue;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">8. Wow, this really could be awesome…</span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Commissions seem to be no more affected by this than new things I am trying to make for myself. In fact, commissions may be easier because at least there is a shared vision for that special something. Of course I really want the person to love their piece—I pour heart and soul into the job and it will definitely be couture, Made By Me, in the end. But on the maker-journey that series of steps often seems to spread out and loop over… Until I reach The End: </span></span><br />
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<span style="color: blue;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">9. This really needs to be finished. How do I know that it’s done? </span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Sure I’ve designed and laid out material specs, and I can almost reach out and touch the piece in my mind, but there is this intangible quality to constantly asking yourself as you work whether every detail has been developed appropriately, congruently… Enough. Has all that process resolved—finally—into The Thing?</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I’m at the top of the ride. Sitting in the little car, at the apex, no breeze. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Hold on…</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: blue;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">10. What did I just make?</span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I’m not always able to understand what I have made, even if it looks just like the design. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">When I talk about this with other makers and performers (including some very senior and established artists) they report many of these same feelings, except they seem to experience more evenness or “flow” in the process. Or, some say, they get a lot better at hiding their own feelings so that they can guide the team through their sucky bits and complete the trip.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">But some things seem common: if you or I are going to make and challenge ourselves to get better then it’s going to be hard, it will feel strange, and we will travel on the make-and-doubt emotions-rollercoaster a lot.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I have noticed the stages in the roller-coaster journey emerging over time, my life-time, as a maker. And somewhere in there, I also started to sense that those sucky steps might provide information, some cue for my sensory skills that could guide my hands as I make, working towards that finished thing.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Practical tips:</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I often resort to the camera - I act as if I am documenting process or a finished piece right from the start. I really scrutinize all the angles - it’s very helpful to have that dispassionate lens provide a different perspective. And <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">it <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">gives me a way </span>to</span> ask for feedback.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Sometimes I will just put the piece away and ignore it for a few days so that I can surprise myself all over again, it’s about learning to see differently over time.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">And <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">maybe</span> I will phone a friend to talk over whichever step I’m on… And they phone me too—it feels great to help someone else with a “this sucks!” moment. And maybe to hear that we’re not alone on the rollercoaster.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-924651566557661287.post-48378870393001642472016-07-27T15:35:00.000-06:002016-08-02T17:14:28.606-06:00pinch - seriously! (part 1 of many)<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Great to see <a href="http://ceramicartsdaily.org/pottery-making-techniques/handbuilding-techniques/pinched-pitchers-a-fundamental-pottery-technique-with-gorgeous-results/" target="_blank">Monday morning’s Ceramic Arts Daily post</a>, featuring <a href="http://emilyschroeder.com/" target="_blank">Emily Schroeder-Willis</a> hand-building—pinching—a lovely full-bellied pitcher.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">really admire</span> Emily's work, and as a larger-scale pincher myself, I am super-happy to see this fundamental technique receive more profile. A quick on-line search for the earliest clay pots around the world - Chinese, Jomon, Anglo-saxon, iron or bronze age - gives us pots that range from the ceremonial to the sublimely beautiful, a process in which humanity declared a relationship between form and function, and built joy via beauty. Because hand-building can do it all. </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVlVUAnq-2E2tKOHQvxqKmgBPxYZ4upcvRQwrDPbDGS3kvoyhRmJjIFL_OHqWP1OHw4GC1xy-v1HoOIzCP3OEGhWiudjWc5w8ITmBG38ghej5_zbGytGBcID3_LSi1lurXxO5CDqSULM0/s1600/0R9A5970+%25281%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="386" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVlVUAnq-2E2tKOHQvxqKmgBPxYZ4upcvRQwrDPbDGS3kvoyhRmJjIFL_OHqWP1OHw4GC1xy-v1HoOIzCP3OEGhWiudjWc5w8ITmBG38ghej5_zbGytGBcID3_LSi1lurXxO5CDqSULM0/s640/0R9A5970+%25281%2529.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Little to large... <span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Everyday </span>hand-built pots on my kitchen counter. Christine Pedersen. 2016.</span></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">From a <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">making</span> perspectiv<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">e<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">: I like to </span>m</span>ix up<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> the methods.</span> </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">D</span>eveloping our design ideas is fundamental to building variety and refinement in our finished forms, and a</span></span>ny technique requires dedication and an investment of time for us to become really skilled<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> at it. So</span> it seems that it is the process of exploring any and all techniques that will allow us to develop our very own "clay-idiolect”—a language or personality in the way we use technique. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Fundamentally, pinching tells us how clay feels, and we learn to use and adjust the relationship with water in the body to get the results we want. And we find out what fingers can do versus other tools. I prefer to <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">teach</span> all the basic forming ideas - pinch, elbow pot, coil and small slab, and blur the divisions, moving between techniques on the way to achieving similar small forms, so that the properties of the clay—and its needs—are always at the centre of the journey. And what a journey! :)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">References - <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">enjoy</span> images on-line <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">and explore our clay culture with</span> a good book<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">. Here's</span> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">a couple of links to </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">my on-line reviews (li<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">nks are to</span> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">worldcat.org, <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">also on</span> Amazon):</span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">1. Freestone, I., & Gaimster, D. R. M. (1997). <a href="https://www.worldcat.org/profiles/CPed/reviews/2929039" target="_blank">Pottery in the making: Ceramic traditions</a>. Washington, D.C: Smithsonian Institution Press. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">2. Cooper, E. (2010).<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> <a href="http://www.worldcat.org/profiles/CPed/reviews/2926253" target="_blank">Ten Thousand Years<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> of <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Pottery</span></span></a></span>. London: British Museum.</span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-924651566557661287.post-15741534067006206552016-07-13T09:53:00.000-06:002016-07-28T09:21:48.704-06:00heads up<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.okotoks.ca/discover-okotoks/things-do/community-events-calendar/equine-clay-sculpture-christine-pedersen" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">V</span>iew the registration page</a> for the Equine Clay Sculpting course, <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">fall 2016</span>, <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">presented</span> b<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">y</span> the </span></span></span><span style="font-size: large;">Town of Okotoks<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">, Alberta. Instructor - yours truly! Registration opens August 11, 2016.</span></span></b></span><i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> </span></i></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">New horse head studies now on show at <a href="http://bluerockgallery.ca/" target="_blank">Bluerock Gallery,</a> Black Diamond, Albert<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">a. </span>Meet <i>Battle</i> - a pony with attitude.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/--TYfbE5BXYI/V4enSSRF7gI/AAAAAAAAGMY/2qJpJnvf4nUrDIxXM0B4B4ek2Qdwx2slQCLcB/s1600/0R9A5648.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/--TYfbE5BXYI/V4enSSRF7gI/AAAAAAAAGMY/2qJpJnvf4nUrDIxXM0B4B4ek2Qdwx2slQCLcB/s640/0R9A5648.jpg" width="456" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>Battle</i>. Equine head study. Hand-built, stoneware, glazed. Christine Pedersen. 2016.</span></span></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I have been invited to teach a clay horse-head sculpting class this fall at <a href="http://www.okotoks.ca/culture-heritage/art-gallery" target="_blank">Okotoks Art Gallery, Alberta</a>. <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">P</span>art of <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">my</span> journey is to design <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">a format that will<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> </span></span>encourage students to get into creating assertively, successfully, within the time limits of the class. I want the students to enjoy the clay material, to really work it, to learn to build attitude. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">This invitation set me off sculpting horse-heads, looking for new ways, new styles—and a rogues gallery appeared over a month… It <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">is</span> incredibly inspiring and stimulating to mess with my own <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">ways</span> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">of</span> making, to look for other and different. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Teaching <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">truly</span> does help you learn about yourself, as a maker<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">.</span> I hope I can help my students grab onto that <i>Battle</i> attitude, and build something that their heart understands, but their hands might not yet know how to make. It's going to be a lot of fun learning.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">A note on <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">my</span> inspiration for <i>Battle</i>: Cycladic art. Strong, minimalist forms, "in the white".</span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0