Enshrined: Musings on the Shrine

Survey of my sculptural ceramic shrines; old and new. 

Enshrined:
1: to enclose in or as if in a shrine
2: to preserve or cherish as sacred

Shrine:
1. a : a case, box, or receptacle; especially : one in which sacred relics (as the bones of a saint) are deposited
b : a place in which devotion is paid to a saint or deity : sanctuary
c : a niche containing a religious image
2: a receptacle (as a tomb) for the dead
3: a place or object hallowed by its associations

Sculptural ceramic shrines in progress for an upcoming firing/workshop. 

I build shrines. I want to create a special space, apart, and elevated in importance to house objects. I often enshrine natural objects, and things that have symbolic meaning to me personally or in a larger mythic/cultural context. Last week and this week I have designed and constructed more ceramic shrine forms than in the entirety of last year. (Thats a guess, but I'm 75% sure its accurate.) Why the "creative frenzy"? I have signed up to do a workshop at month's end, where I will be wood firing and salt glaze/firing 20-30 pieces. That's quite a lot for me... 

But it has had me reflecting on the shrine idea... its an idea I return to again and again in sculpture and in jewelry. This first piece was a reversible mixed media locket of sorts. It was themed around research I had done into my German heritage and the town of Stade, where my maternal ancestors originated. ( Done for Tesori Trovati's "Challenge of Travel" it is on my blog in detail.)

My heritage/history piece: copper, mica, paper, resin, map, key, micro beads, tube rivets, micro bolts. 

Since I have been working in polymer these last few years I have tried my hand using that medium in a similar fashion. I have recently been experimenting with a few new ways of fabricating shrines in polymer - Ill share those soon.

Polymer shrine pendants showcasing Italian Tarot images from the late 1800's.

There are many artists that conceptually share the "Shrine" concept that appeals to me  - from metal clay, traditional metals/fabrication to mixed media/found objects. Let me take you on a brief tour of inspiration.

Jen Crossley - "A Mark in Time" blog

I haven't had the good fortune to meet Jen in her teaching travels when she is in the States from her native Australia, but I hope to some day. I love the sense of age and mystery that comes form integrating found objects into new pieces. I also find the book form a very meaningful and potent symbol. 

Jen Crossley: Found Object Compositions.

Christi Anderson: "Elemental Adornments"

Thank you Pinterest for taking me here. I am in awe. What else is there to say?! I an fascinated with enclosures, and the revel/conceal contrast. The wearer holds the secrets, the knowledge, and can choose to share that with the viewer. Or not... 

Christi Anderson: "Garden of Good and Evil"

Michael Thee: Michael Thee Studio

A more modern industrial look, and some tongue in cheek humor. Again the reverse reveals a hidden message...

Michael Thee: "Start Something"

Dana Stenson: "Dreams in Metal" blog

From Dana's site: "...that this necklace will be included in Showcase 500 Art Necklaces, being released this summer by Lark Publishing!  I am so happy to be included in this wonderful collection.  The locket was created as a portrait of my great-grandmother, Georgia Helen Griffith.  She was was an independent, college-educated woman who traveled to Jamaica in 1890 as a Quaker missionary.  The materials in the locket include etched copper, sterling, sapphire, garnet, and found objects; elements are hand fabricated and lost wax cast.  Above the antique map on the back of the locket is the Quaker star. "

Dana Stenson: "Portrait of my Grandmother"

Wanaree Tanner: Tanner/Teiken  Again - this piece is a locket and a shrine. I can't find the words. So stunning. 

Wanaree Tanner: "Year of the Dragon"

Thanks for taking that tour with me. I am always striving to present a cohesive body of work from shrines to decorative tiles to jewelry. I see a series of shrine pendants in my future, echoing motifs in my tiles... And I have wanted to do shrine structures with removable/wearable pieces for years!

I look forward to what ever future inspiration brings!

Silhouette Cameo Class with Wanaree Tanner

A couple of weeks ago I was lucky enough to take part in a Silhouette Cameo Class with Wanaree Tanner at a wonderful place in my area called The Ranch Center for Arts and Crafts.

It was quite an intense class but so much fun!!

Wanaree is a wonderful and generous teacher and a whole lotta fun!!

I wasn't feeling well that weekend so didn't take as many photos as usual but here are a few of my pieces in process.

This was on the second day, I had attached the bail and it was drying.

Very close to being ready for the kiln!

Another view.

Here is a picture showing the beautiful stone I was going to set in this piece.

Me playing with scratch foam, love that stuff!!

Class picture!

Here's the finished piece. I'm still debating if I want to leave it shiny or give it some patina.

What do you think?

Kristi

KristiBowmanDesign.Etsy

Frustration and Consolation...

Remember all those weeks ago when I was really excited about converting my garage to a shiny new studio...Well if things had gone according to plan this would have been the week I moved into said studio and had a wonderful time getting everything set up and organised. But things didn't go to plan...

In England internal alterations to buildings are usually done under 'permitted rights' regulations which means you have to notify the local planning department but you don't need permission...unless of course you live where I live that is! My particular development has no permitted rights covenant and therefore any and all alterations have to have full (and more costly) planning permission which of course takes a lot longer to get.

Even though there was no suggestion that I wouldn't get approval I was not a happy bunny but there was nothing I could do other than follow procedure and wait. The consultation period ended last week so a decision should be imminent but at the moment all I have is a 3D plan of what the studio 'should' look like when finished but I'm sure there will be tweaks and the perspective does make it look longer than it really is.

Whilst I've been planning the studio I've also been adding to a long list of new tools that I don't currently have room for but am itching to get my hands on and it's been unbelievably frustrating not to be able to buy any of these yet. Well, last week it all got too much and I decided it was time to treat myself to something as a little consolation for having my plans disrupted and this is it...a lovely shiny Silhouette Cameo Die Cutting machine.

If you don't know it, this high tech tool has a multitude of uses from paper crafts to sign making but it was first brought to my attention for jewellery making by the multi talented Caroline Dewison of Blueberri Beads. We were chatting about an etching course I'd just been on and the beautiful etched pieces Caroline was making when she told me she was using the Cameo to cut vinyl resists. These were giving her much crisper results than she was getting from the sometimes tricky (for me anyway) PNP (press and Peel). Well, see for yourself - she wasn't kidding...

Caroline has even written a tutorial for this process which will certainly be my starting point...thanks Caroline!

This alone would probably have been enough to convince me to buy a Cameo but it is also being used by the amazingly talented metal clay artist Wanaree Tanner to create intricate bezels and cut outs in sheets of dry metal clay with stunning effects which I can only dream of achieving.

Earrings by Wanaree Tanner

Check out Wanaree's blog for more of her amazing designs as well as information on teaching and design tools.

I'm bursting to be able to try out both these techniques but just don't have the space to do it safely at the moment so I'm going to have to start off with something a little more straight forward first - probably no bad thing considering I'm not very technically minded. I will be sending my first consignment of components off to a bricks and mortar bead shop in a few weeks and need some hanging display cards so that seems like a good place to start my learning curve - I'm sure there will be much trial and error so better with card than clay!

Hopefully in a few months I'll be able to update you on how I'm getting on but in the mean time, if you have a Cameo let us know what you're using it for and if you want to share any hints and tips - please feel free...

Lesley
The Gossiping Goddess