Another Explosion
Jan - Feb 2025
I blew up yet another piece. Still currently at the studio on the shelf. Again, this mistake was my fault.
I sculpted a brain for a piece I’ve been thinking about. The excitement mixed with a deadline didn’t mix well. I worked with very malleable clay, didn’t really score and slip because it was the same consistency throughout. I usually start with a solid piece and then hollow it out. With all this being said, as I hollowed the brain out, I heard popping (air bubbles!). I think this combo; not slipping and scoring, possible air bubbles, and the short deadline (meaning less drying time) caused the explosion. The days leading up to me firing the piece were somewhat cold, but to my surprise there were some sunshiny, warm days, so my car, Pheobe, played dryer once again. I thought it would’ve dried the piece out completely, but I guess it didn’t because it still blew up.
I ended up completing the piece, not in the original way I intended for it to look, but it’s a start. The night before I installed it, to the morning of, I worked with Foam Clay. All I’m gonna say is it was fun!
Overall, lesson learned… once again. I need to get better at scheduling my firings. Giving myself enough time to make, carve, and dry a piece completely.
This piece was submitted to The SB Trans Unity Club exhibition Disco Hearts at The Garcia Center for the Arts.
Carving Lino
2024 to 2025
I got back into printmaking after I had an assignment for a class. I decided to carve Encontrando un Hogar Dentro del Templo. To my surprise it came out pretty good. Initially I couldn’t wrap my head around how the positives and the negative space would come out after carving it, but after a while of not starting the carve, I ended up going all in on a random spot and hoped that it would be ok, lol.
Soon after, I began to think of new designs and finally completing old design I told myself I would get to.
I Kissed a Girl is a cherry chapstick. Inspired by a cute girl and of course the Chapstick Lesbian stereotype ;P
Dign@ and Divin@ are in a way words of affirmation that have helped me mentally, along with keeping me tethered to this life. A combination of DNA and a source (our physical bodies). This signifies a cycle; the constant division of our cells making us inherently divine and worthy of this life. We are here to continue to carry those before us into the future.
Encontrando un Hogar Dentro del Templo
April 2024 to June 2024
This piece was a wild ride. The original lemon portion of this piece ended up exploding in the kiln. Who was to blame you may ask? Myself, I had a feeling before loading the piece in the kiln that it wasn’t dry enough. I went ahead and fired it because I was thinking about the deadline and it resulted in a cassualty. When I opened the kiln I saw the whole lemon in bits. I just stood there and then walked over to ask to get the studio open.
Once I walked in and I was asked how I was doing, I cried, probably had a little panic attack. It comes to show though, that having a rubber duckie, aka a friend, to talk things through is very helpful. When my friend asked me if it could be fixed my gears started to turn. I was pessimistic at first, but as we talked and assessed the situation ( and with their encouragement) I was ready to start getting back to work.
The final piece is up at The Cheech Marin Center for Chicano Art for the Hogar Dulce Hogar exhibition curated by Cesar Garcia.
Glory
Started in Dec. 2023 or Jan. 2024
Rainbow but in 360. After seeing a picture of a whole rainbow, it seemed like a cool idea to make it out of clay. I’ve done rainbows before, but not in this way. Apparently, you can't see full rainbows from the ground, but you can when you’re above a certain distance. Once I made it, I saw more meaning to it. I saw cycles or the ouroboros.
Floating Memories
Started in Dec. 2023
These little clouds are meant to hold pictures of loved ones and experiences. Just like clouds, memories float by in different shapes and sizes in your mind. Sometimes, we capture them in photos, and sometimes, we’re just in the moment and take it all in. Sometimes you can pull the picture up, or sometimes a memory comes to you when your driving or doing your daily tasks.
How cool would they look with lights!? Dope, that’s how. Now to just figure out how to carve thin enough and not go through… maybe it’s just patience :P I know I got excited when my heart started racing as I finished some of these and had to patch some holes. BUT no cracks, so that’s a win.