Evolution of an Art Process

Io, hand-built clay free-standing sculpture by Tammy Vitale.

Jana asked in "comments" yesterday where the concept for Women came from.  I'm going to try to track it for you here.

Io is one of several tall statues I made early on in my art career.  She's bent to the side not so much for effect as to allow her to fit in my kiln.  Faerie (to the right here) was so tall I had to fire her with the lid open....every after I have been careful of size.

These were inspired by photos in various magazines over the years of long tall women, usually without much detail, mostly straight up and down bodies with faces.  I have always loved the energy of those figures so set out to make them my own.

When it became apparent that These weren't going to sell well, I started looking for a way to transfer the idea to wall sculpture.  Now that I have, it seems that I should have come upon it sooner, but I didn't, so here's the evolution from free-standing 3D sculpture to wall sculpture.  Unfortunately I don't have any of the inbetween failed steps to show you, or the clay that just got balled up and put back in the bin when I couldn't get what I want.

Next came this Mermaid maid in 3 pieces (again because of kiln size).  You can see from these pictures she's still hanging in the studio.  She's okay, but the joining points (waist and head) aren't as neat as I'd like them to be.

Somewhere in here, I stumbled across Totems as a way to use up shards, pieces I was tired of and work that didn't turn out the way I'd originally planned.  Totems, since they are in small pieces, are mounted on long thin strips of wood - usually whatever I have laying around that I can cut down into a strip.  The clay pieces are mounted using Goop (the best darn stuff I've ever discovered, indoor or out), d-rings mounted on the back with screws and hanging wire added.  People eat these up.  Pretty much as soon as they go out, they get sold.

Then I tried figures on plaques, like 13th Moon below - that way I could break the figure into pieces small enough to fit in the kiln but mount them in a way that I got longer figures and it worked better than trying to make them fit together like Mermaid above.

Finally, and just in the last few months, I connected Totems and figures and came up with Women who are mounted on thin strips of wood.

And I'm happy with the implementation of the concept in Women and see lots of room for experimentation, like working with decals made from Lazertran as I wrote yesterday.

Think I will post about bringing my books back inside and putting them on the shelving in my room, and actually crying tears of joy over at myspace so this doesn't get ridiculously long.  Here's a question for you:  If you could only have 5 books, what would they be?  I'll answer tomorrow.

Here are great blogs for and about women that have come in as a result of browsing from both the Z and W Lists: Blogs by Women and Blogher.  Just in case you have time to browse and enjoy.  There surely are amazing voices out there!  And I'm spending a lot of time trying to get to know them.  Do I have to tell you my "favorites" list is getting verrryyy long?

thought for the day: [and oh, I have so many books to choose from now for this daily ritual!][and they're in the best order they've ever been in][I LOVE books]  Often people attempt to live their lives backwards:  they try to have more things, or more money, in order to do more of what they want, so they will be happier.  The way it actually works is the reverse.  You must first be who you really are, then, do what you need to do, in order to have what you want.  Margaret Young quoted in Chop Wood, Carry Water, from the editors of New Age Journal.

or, as Aphra Behn says in her Jan 2 post:  "All too often I am a human doing and I forget that I am a human being."

Comments

[Jana]

Ohhhhh the plaques are very cool! I think you'd stopped making those before I hopped onto your blog.

I love seeing how your art evolved... makes me wonder if once I find my "niche" in art-making, how style will evolve. But I suppose, before I start wondering about how it will evolve, I should actually FINISH a piece of art. *blush* One is almost done... that counts for something, right? lol

The decal thing is SERIOUSLY cool BTW. I love the way you can give the women extra texture that way, and how you can do such cool color effects...

[tammy vitale]

Jana - the *Women* are glazed...the decals are yet to come. The glazes are mostly "underglazes" which means they are more brightly colored.

[leah]

very cool, seeing how your art evolved. perhaps i'll do something similar at some point, tracing it backwards.

i have no idea where to start with the w list because there are SO many wonderful women blogs! ay de mi! i'm still reorginizing my current list in the sidebar and it's quite the project!

i'm happy your books are back with you!! i know that must be a wonderful feeling for you as a fellow lover of books. :-)

[Cynthia]

HI Tammy,
Thanks for the welcome back, it is good to be moving forward again.

[Taexalia]

I love these sculptures! Happy New Year (I have been absent from blogland due to selling lots!)

Now I must catch up with all your news :)

[Jana]

Oh. That's a glaze? *blushing slightly* Well, that makes sense. Now I just need to look up the word decal... hmm... "a specially prepared paper bearing a picture or design for transfer to wood, metal, glass, etc." So it's like an iron-on thingymajiger for a shirt, only it's not ironed, and it goes onto wood or metal or glass or clay.... right? Okay, got it.

Anyway, the GLAZE is seriously cool.

Now... back to the 5 books, which I've been pondering for a while.

I know I would want:
A Nancy Drew novel
East of Eden - Steinbeck
Jane Eyre - Charlotte Bronte
Macbeth - Shakespeare
The Bible

I considered adding "The Lovely Bones" by Alice Sebold, but choose Jane Eyre instead... something about that book is just too cool not to choose. Probably the scary/crazy first wife with the wierdly haunting laugh.

[AscenderRisesAbove]

wonderful plaques; i really like the top one!

[Tomas]

...two figures at a top leave me speechless. That's so not because I am Lithuanian and my vocabulary hardens putting myself in the words. Thank you for sharing such sacred light...
Now is cold outside but you have covered me with the incredible warmth.
Thank you for sharing the magical power of artwork-the reflection of your heart-THE DIVINE LOVE that holds us and our earth in Her hug of miraculous colors... Thank you