Poppies Commission

A friend asked me to make a piece that he could gift to a business colleague who loves California poppies. His colleague plants poppies everywhere he goes, gifts poppy seeds to his friends and colleagues, and is on a mission to recuperate California's diminishing state flower population. 

After consideration, I decided making the poppies in glass would be very tricky. Fitting the petals around each other and into the receptacle on the stem would be difficult. So, I decided to use clay. 

Poppies final.jpg
Poppies final 3.jpg
Poppies final 2.jpg

Clay, acrylic paint, steel and copper wires. 23" x 19" framed. 

Why art?

"The instinct that pulls us toward art is the impulse to evolve, to learn, to heighten and elevate our consciousness."

Steven Pressfiend, the War of Art

John Lewis Glass

A couple weeks ago I attended an artist visit with the Glass Alliance of Northern California, an organization of glass collectors, enthusiasts, artists, gallery owners, and curators. GLANC ("glance") is a non-profit organization whose mission is to further the development and appreciation of art made from glass.

We visited John Lewis's studio in Oakland, CA, and watched his team pour a tabletop. John collaborates on site-specific architectural projects and commissions, incorporating his castings into both immense sculptures. It was a treat to see glass on the opposite spectrum from my intimate, detailed flameworking.

A couple videos:  

https://www.youtube.com/user/kathleenelliot