The pursuit of a career as an individual contemporary clay artist emanated from my years of providing technical support along with other relevant experiences from owning and managing a wholesale/retail clay art manufacturing and supply business.
As an emerging artist I am focusing my efforts on the development of my career direction, professional contacts and subsequent body of work in clay and mixed media.
I find satisfaction with the creative expression of my art. I enjoy engaging an audience in an uplifting experience in which common materials (i.e. clay and wire) are used in an uncommon manner. I am energized as I develop my current work-in-progress series of life-size ladies’ clay and mixed media dresses. My clay art dresses are inspired by ballet, fashion, nature and pop culture. Critics, peers and patrons have confirmed this developing series to be a strong and substantial body of work. The sources of inspiration for this series are almost endless. My folder of work to be completed includes the infamous John Dillinger’s “Lady in Red”, a free standing life size white rose wedding dress with a long train and Carol Burnett’s legendary spoof of the “Gone with the Wind’ dress. My goal for this series is twenty five pieces to become a traveling museum show. I have already developed the supporting greeting card line that features images of each of the dresses. I am developing other ideas regarding museum gift shop items for purchase. With this body of work I am branding my art identity and building recognition in the art marketplace. I would like to launch the ladies’ dress series in the year 2008.
In 2006 I was awarded an Individual Artist Enhancement Grant by the Florida Cultural Division. This allowed me to study under artist Peter King in St. Petersburg, Florida during the installation of a large-scale ceramic outdoor archway. I will apprentice with Peter King in 2008 at The Coral Springs Museum of Art in Coral Springs, Florida for several workshops and the installation of a large outdoor archway. These projects will be completed in three months. With, my increasing experience and contacts regarding large-scale ceramic installations, I will be able to pursue my initial passion of architectural ceramics.
In five years I want to be involved in teaching what I have learned about clay and its applications. I found great satisfaction earlier this year when I taught an art/ecology after school program. The resulting three dimensional ceramic wall tile projects were exhibited in the J.M. Lexus Gallery at ArtServe in Fort Lauderdale, Florida and traveled afterwards. I would also hope in five years that my ladies’ dress series will be a critically praised and popular success on the museum circuit.
Becoming recognized by more critics and museum curators is paramount to my success. My current challenge is to develop my knowledge of the promotion of a traveling museum show and increase my recognition in the art world. I will exhibit my work while completing additional work for this series and I will take advantage of professional development workshops.