Sculpture in Clay and Mixed Media
By Carol Gellner Levin, Studio 30

Battleground Horse Burlap, string, flax, glass

I've always loved the truthfulness of sculpture. Sculpture, unlike some painting, doesn't attempt to deceive the viewer by creating three dimensional space in a two dimensional picture frame. Sculpture is here and now, exactly as it presents itself. What you see is what you get. And, sculpture feels familiar, because, like almost all objects in the real world, it has height, width and depth. It can be touched and its texture can be appreciated. Sculpture is of our world.

Winter Rabbit Ceramic with colored pencil

Sculpture can be abstract as well as realistic and figurative. Personally I've been enamored with constructing people and animals in a fairly realistic format, and like artists before me, I hope to imbue my sculpture with both spirit and emotion. It is joyful for me to create figures that have personality, are part of a narrative, and convey a thought. I'm less interested in creating beautiful people, but very interested in creating beautiful form. Adventuresome, complex sculpture doesn't always represent people and animals who adhere to western standards of beauty.

I've been drawn to working in ceramics because clay feels like a living product. It almost comes to life in one's hands. For centuries, people (primarily women) have constructed vessels, cooking pots, and containers for storage and carrying foods out of clay. I feel a lovely connection with women who have come before me as I work with clay.

Triumph over Chaos Ceramic with acrylics

The Creation of a Piece

When I construct ceramic sculpture, I begin by beating the clay into a form with my hands and a textured stick. Such a pounding helps remove air bubbles (which would cause the clay to explode in the kiln) and also gives energy and movement to the clay. Before my eyes, the clay takes a form that leads me in one sculptural direction or another.

Most recently, I've been using a variety of media to create large, life size sculptures-sculptures that, had I done them in clay, would be heavy and cumbersome. I build an armature of ¼ inch plywood, surround that with wire, and attach a variety of fabrics and materials to the frame. I've used burlap, string, raffia, flax, hemp, packing peanuts. One can create startlingly realistic figures with unexpected materials. These pieces are lightweight and quite portable.

My Guardian Burlap, raffia, string, glass

I've included with this article pictures of clay work as well as the newer, mixed media animals. There is a colorful clay piece, Triumph over Chaos which has to do with those of us who are not always successful in gathering together various parts of our lives in an organized fashion. Also in clay, is a fantasy piece of a woman riding a rabbit. In mixed media, there is a detail of a piece entitled Battleground Horse as well as My Guardian, where I attempted to create a scary looking sculpture out of nontraditional materials.

Read more about the artist here.

Snow sculpture in Harbin, China festival

Torpedo Factory artists Tatyana Schremko of studio 32 and Alison Sigethy of studio 307 have formed a US team to compete in China at the Harbin International Ice and Snow Festival this January. Tatyana is the team lead for the ice competition and her design is a sculpture of three women in flowing robes. Alison is the team lead for the snow competition and her design is a large orb containing a stylized sun.

Ice sculpture in Harbin, China festival

Be sure to stop by their studios in December to see their designs and wish them luck. The two leave for Harbin on January 3.

Click here for a 1-minute video of last year's stunning ice sculptures lit up at night.
Click here for images of breathtaking snow sculpture made by artists from around the world.

Raven costume by Candace Edgerley

Fiberworks studio 14 artist Candace Edgerley's Raven costume was exhibited in Lyon, France in NO LIMITS: Shibori in Fashion at the Hall Prince de la Charité as a part of the International Shibori Symposium held from November 3 to 5. She attended the conference which was held in Lyon and Paris. Candace also has a piece in New Images in Fiber at Marymount University from November 7 through December 9.

Florida Landscape by Alice Mostoff

Marietje Chamberlain of studio 225 had one large painting accepted into the Art in Embassies Program. Her 32 x 50 inch oil painting Promenade will accompany Ambassador and Mrs. Jefferies to Ankara, Turkey.

Alice Mostoff of studio 15 received the third place award for her acrylic painting titled Florida Landscape at the annual juried exhibition at the Elliott Museum on Hutchinson Island in Stuart, Florida. The exhibit Florida...Expressions and Reflections will run from October 18 to January 4.

From Mina Oka Hanig's Secret Garden Series

Photographer Nina Tisara, associate artist, received an Excellence in Service to the Arts award from the Alexandria Commission for the Arts. The Alex award nomination stated "Tisara has been enriching the Alexandria community through her photography for many years. Her latest project, Living Legends of Alexandria, is currently exhibited in City Hall. Her exhibit is a beautiful work of art that will serve as a permanent record of individuals who have made a difference in the quality of life in Alexandria.

Mid Summer Night's Dream by Zoya Gutina

Mina Oka Hanig, associate artist, had a show at Page Bond Gallery in Richmond, Virginia from October 3 to November 1. It included sixteen acrylic and collage paintings from her Secret Garden series.

At the end of September associate artist Zoya Gutina's Mid Summer Night's Dream necklace won First Place in the 2008 Celebrating Beads: The Journey of... First Annual International Juried Jewelry Design Competition and now is exhibited in the Bead Museum in Washington, DC.