Civi Group Option Value ID: 
577

Artist: Jane B Grimm (authored by janebgrimm)

Mediums: 
Artist Display Name: 
Jane B Grimm
Artist Statement: 

My work is meant to stir the intellect and yet be meditative. My pieces are organic or biological in essence, looking like things one would see in nature.  Repetition of form is another theme seen in my work.  The scale of my sculptures range from the intimate to large-scale installations. Some artworks are ceramic paintings, ceramic forms attached to wood panels. Others sculptures are ceramic forms installed directly on the wall.   Most recently I am making freestanding sculptures as well.  My work is hand built, primarily using low fire clay and glazes. Form and color are important elements in my work. The seductive qualities of the ceramic medium of color and surface are used to attract the attention of the viewers so that they will spend time looking at the work, embarking on their individual journey of discovery.

Primary Artwork Thumbnail: 

Artist: Natasha Dikareva (authored by natashadikareva)

Mediums: 
Artist Display Name: 
Natasha Dikareva
Artist Statement: 

Lately, there seem to be more and more disasters in the world. With earthquakes, hurricanes, oil spills and wars permeating our daily consciousness, it appears that the speed of modern life does not give us time to consider and plan for critical situations. In this scope of the Earth's power, we become little ants and flies, dying by the thousands in disasters and conflicts. The shell as a protective vessel has always been an enigma for me; how does the mollusk transform such tiny particles into such a beautiful dwelling? How has it stumbled upon such intricate yet effective architectural structures? The shell represents the enigma of all creatures - the urge to live. When I hear the latest news, my urge is to hide, to escape, to find a secure place to find my shell. My sculptures, the shell dwellers, are beings conjured from an alternate universe where that urge can be immediately gratified; everyone carries their security around with them at all times. But more than that, they also carry around their stories for everyone to see. People they met float around their face while beaches, bridges and city-scapes cover their shells. Their fresco-like shell surfaces are modern-day versions of the ruins of Pompeii, where a language of pictures communicated to people from all walks of life and many parts of the world. Although I may want to hide at times, I know we can find common understanding among our stories if we show them to others.

Primary Artwork Thumbnail: 

Artist: Cathy Feiss (authored by cathyfeiss)

Mediums: 
Artist Display Name: 
Cathy Feiss
Artist Statement: 

In my artwork, I am interested in expressing what I can't express easily in words. When I was younger, I was very interested in poetry and I feel that my interest in the visual arts comes from the same source, involving the construction of a kind of visual poem. Much of my work process is intuitive, or possesses intuitive elements within a rational framework. I am most interested in conveying a sense of energy, emotion, or an idea, through a form that may also have a planned and methodical basis.      Most recently, I've developed a series based on the forms and surfaces of icebergs.  Looking at photos of icebergs and glaciers, I was really surprised by the variations in different colors, surfaces and textures of the their forms. For example, striped or jade-green icebergs, plus the many uniquely shaped holes, tunnels, and cracks in their surfaces.  They looked quite sculptural and some brought to mind carved rocks or caves, while others were curvy and smooth, resembling sea creatures rising up out of the water and possessing a kind of poetic quality.  The works together convey a sense of interior versus exterior, support versus covering, and structure versus sensuousness.  Overall, my recent bodies of work are about birth and growth, variation among similar elements, the structure of natural forms, and a sense of communication and mystery in life. 

Primary Artwork Thumbnail: 

Pages