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Richmond, VA 23235
USA

Sawdust fired, one-of-a kind pottery. A Kay Franz pottery website. 

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Blog

Kay Franz Pottery Blog

Filtering by Tag: clay

After the move.

Kay Franz

After what seems like forever, I'm finally pretty settled in my new place. I've moved many times before but this move was really the perfect storm of a move. The worst is behind me and I'm finally venturing back into my studio. It's always so hard to jump back into work after a long time away from the table. The image shown is the first work in progress post move! Fireplace Tiles

Finished Work

Kay Franz

Here are the professional shots of the latest batch of work shot by Taylor Dabney.

Finished Tiles

Kay Franz

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My original intent was for each of these to remain separate - mini works that I planned as prototypes for larger tiles. However during the entire process they just seemed to want to stay together. What was once separate units have merged into one piece.

If you missed it, there are earlier posts that show these at various stages.

Repetition

Kay Franz

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While building these latest pieces I am reminded of how much repetition goes into a creative process. I once heard an artist remark that they had essentially tried to perfect the same piece over and over throughout their entire career. I feel I am at that point too. Certain shapes, textures and images from the past keep reappearing as if trying to achieve a type of perfection. It's not so much an endless loop as it is an upward spiral, renewed in time with layers of new experiences.

Tree

Attached

Kay Franz

Here's the finished sculpture married to its wooden outgrowth. Detail shot is from last week's firing showing the piece straight out of the firing. I never like adding titles to my work but these wood/clay pieces seem to want titles. This series is inspired by all the wonderful fungi you can find growing in woodlands.

Color

Kay Franz

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I use acrylic stains to add color to my work. Years ago in an effort to have more time building pieces, I abandoned some traditional ceramic techniques. I still occasionally use glazes but since my work is non-functional I am not limited in how I finish pieces. Painting surfaces is quick and immediate and frees up more time for construction.

Eggs Nesting with Eggs

Kay Franz

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J Ferguson Gallery in Farmville, VA carries my work. A patron that purchased some of my "Egg" pieces sent this photo. Here's a quote from her email about what happened:

"At our house in Georgia there's an outdoor fireplace on a sheltered porch, and I put my Franz ceramics on the mantel there. They looked really nice. Gradually other things joined them--an old saw my son found in the woods, an old typewriter. . . . And then, possibly inspired by my large "eggs," a bluebird family added eggs of their own to the display. My son reports that the little birds have hatched and are doing well."

Work Life Balance

Kay Franz

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Juggling family, work life and personal pursuits is always a challenge. Over the years I've struggled how to fit it all in. The result is that something always gets short-changed. For me most of the time that was my studio time. I don't have the personality that really driven artists have to sacrifice all for art. It's a personal decision I made a long time ago and have no regrets about it. I found myself at times jealous of colleagues who have the luxury of being full-time artists. With a little time and added wisdom I realize that very few of them had it easy and making comparisons between my life and anyone else's served no purpose. I am extremely grateful with the where my path lead me.

Tiles

Kay Franz

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Experimenting with some tile ideas. I love clay for its responsiveness. I remember my first coil pot in college and how amazed I was that the medium seemed to pick up on my mood and how such a clumsy first attempt could convey emotion as if I was painting a self-portrait.

My Space

Kay Franz

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This is a shot of my studio that I share with my son's hockey and lacrosse equipment. There's definitely no room for cars in here. A small bunny named Rabbit shares the space too. We lock our dogs out a few hours each day so she has run of the place for exercise. This past winter a small family of mice moved into the garage. They definitely didn't hesitate to visit her cage to gather food for their own stores. I don't think Rabbit minded too much since I found bunny food stashed inside cabinets, rolls of tape and other cubby holes where they created storage bins. They are gone now but it wouldn't have surprised me to find one curled up with Rabbit in her cage.

Welcome to Day 1

Kay Franz

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I started this site as a personal journal in celebration of my new employment status, "retired". I accepted an early retirement from the ad agency I worked at for the last 22 years, I'm now launching full-time into my career as artist/potter. I finished college ages ago with the idealistic view that I would make a living as an artist and landed squarely into the reality that many art school graduates face...art rarely provides an income that you can live on. My goal with this site is to start a journal of work produced, ideas explored and a little philosophizing over a cup of green tea. As a yoga practitioner I may also share a few comments and/or meditations from the mat.