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Jade Dragon
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- Category: Sculptures
There are many theories on the origin of the dragon myth, ranging from our primitive ancestors' attempts to explain dinosaur fossils to an amalgam of our earliest natural predators (serpents, raptors, and big cats). Although capable of flight, Asian (Chinese) dragons are primarily associated with water (their serpentine form flowing like rivers and seas). While the description of the Chinese dragon is fairly consistent across sources, their depictions vary considerably depending on the country, era, artist, and genre. There is even meaning behind the number of claws they have per each foot. Ancient dragon symbols have been discovered that date as far back as 6000 BC, but I decided to base my design on one of the earliest "modern" representations available, a 13th century masterpiece handscroll painting by Chen Rong: "Nine Dragons." I kept the morphology consistent with Chen Rong's dragons except the tail. The dragon's pose was stylistically inspired by Jack Kirby. As always, thanks to the Ceramic Art Studio and Shop.
Bisque fired
Wet clay model
Work in progress
Concept sketch
Oceanic Ceramic Sculpture (Sea Turtle Box and Shark)
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- Category: Sculptures
Sea turtles are highly adapted marine reptiles that have been around since the age of dinosaurs. These solitary creatures can hold their breath for up to 40 minutes while actively foraging, and up to 7 hours while sleeping. The sea turtle's ability to navigate hundreds of miles back to the exact beach from where they hatched is one of the most remarkable feats in the animal kingdom. This sculpture is based on the green sea turtle, an endangered species with an amazingly beautiful shell pattern that can grow up to 5 feet. Sharks on the other hand, are terrifying predators and one of the main reasons I avoid swimming in the sea. I made this piece as a graduation gift for my son Sean. Thanks always to the Ceramic Art Studio and Shop. (Note: the wooden base in these pics is not the final version - I am working on a larger one that fits better.)
The shell serves as a nice lid.
Bisque fired
Wet clay model
Concept sketch - very rough; I worked mostly from stock images.
White Tiger
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- Category: Sculptures
The tiger (panthera tigris) has to be one of the most majestic and beautiful animals in this planet's history. It is estimated that there are fewer than 4,000 of these magnificent cats currently in existence. A white tiger is a result of a rare genetic variation in the Bengal tiger subspecies (1 in 10,000 births), and also lends itself much better to a glazed ceramic medium. The stripes were created by carving tiny notches and then applying a dark ceramic glaze across the entire body and then wiping away. (See post-bisque photo below) The white is from the natural color of the unglazed clay fired twice. For this piece I did not do a sketch but relied on stock photos. Thanks always to the Ceramic Art Studio and Shop.
Post bisque with the glaze applied and then sponged off in the white sections.
Wet clay model
Ceramic Cephalopod iPad Stand
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- Category: Sculptures
A guilty pleasure of mine is doing crossword puzzles on my iPad, which I prefer doing in portrait orientation. I've been using whatever is within reach to prop up my iPad for this purpose until it struck me that designing a sculpted solution for this would be kinda cool and challenging. An octopus with its versatile tentacles and bulbous head was a nice design option for the three support points in space needed. (I also considered an elephant head using the tusks, trunk, and forehead as support points, but decided against it because just a head without the body would have looked like a game trophy.) The clay sculpting took about 6 hours, plus an hour or so of post-bisque sanding. I am quite pleased with the functionality and uniqueness of this design. I chose the emerald glaze (again) to give it a wet look... perfect for a ceramic cephalopod! Incidentally this was the first piece in which I had to hollow out the body. I hand crafted the base from poplar wood. Thanks again to the Ceramic Art Studio and Shop.
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