ARTIST INFORMATION
I have been a studio artist working in clay since 1983. After graduating from Nazareth College of Rochester, in 1981, I taught art in public schools for two years before the overwhelming longing of my destiny came calling.
I create vases, bowls, and wall pieces in mid range stoneware clay. I hand build, using rolled out clay slabs, draped and applied over a variety of shapes. I also build up additional sections on top of forms that have been bisqued fired. A few pieces are slip cast, then reconfigured, and embellished. Each piece is hand sanded before it’s fired, leaving the surface with a smooth cloth like finish. Many admirers also think that my work is glass that has been etched. By using an airbrush, several layers of colors are applied, and at this final stage, these works come to fruition.
I reside and maintain my “one woman” studio on 32 acres of land in upstate/western New York, surrounded by earth, trees, and fields. Nature, in fact, is the major source of my inspiration. I have traveled to experience our natural wonders, including dozens of national and state parks to further nurture my creativity and well being. I’ve explored and observed the constant changes that occur in nature, the seasons, the climate, the terrain. My work is a reflection of those observances. My abstract designs are organic, and seem to have a life, that resonates, leaving one feeling a truly intimate connection with these elements, and a sense of serenity.
Currently, I am on sabbatical from the selling of my work through galleries. I participated in the American Craft Council and Rosen’s Buyers Market of American Crafts. For twelve years I sold to hundreds of galleries in several states across the county. Now, I sell my work at national juried fine craft and art shows, and direct order, taking advantage of the interaction and feedback with the public.
In keeping with my love of mother nature, I have also created a line of hand shaped flowers made in porcelain clay. These realistic sculptures are formed by hand and glued into a wire stem, and can be placed inside a vase to display, as you would a real flower. They are a collectors item for individuals who share these common interests with me. Though the demands of my studio keep me busy, I can vicariously “garden” while making these flowers. I buy fresh flowers in the winter while I’m making these works, not only to study them, but to enhance my peace of mind. All works are copyrighted. Call, or fax for a catalog.
SELECTED JURIED RETAIL SHOWS
- Coconut Grove Arts Festival, Coconut Grove, FL
- Winter Park Art Festival, Winter Park, FL
- Uptown Art Fair, Minneapolis, MN
- Port Clinton Art Festival, Highland Park, IL
- Longs Park Art and Craft Festival, Lancaster, PA
- State Street Area Arts Festival, Ann Arbor, MI
- Paradise City Arts Festival, North Hampton, MA
- Boston Mills Arts Festival, Peninsula, OH
- Central Pennsylvania Festival of the Arts, State College, PA
- Art on the Square, Madison, WI
- Birmingham Fine Art Festival, Birmingham, MI
- Columbus Arts Festival, Columbus, OH
- Arts and Apples, Rochester Hills, MI
Cave Creek, AZ
Work: 480-488-4749
Web: Sylvia-Art.com