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I tried to exaggerate "life's imbalance" with the way the figure sits, with its facial expression and body language, and with cold metallic tones. Even though it looks as if he will topple down soon, he is still holding onto it. He is hanging on to it. In that, I placed my hope in resilience. Someday a balance will be found.
Sorry this is not a happy holiday image. I sculpted this before my August show, but I finally had a chance to color it. Happy Thanksgiving to all of you!
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My summer projects (carpentry work and gardening) were finally squared away. I am happily back working with clay. This Little Buddha was started at the Suzie Cappa as a public demonstration piece.
 The missing half of the boat can represent a person, an ability, or even the past. Such yearning for a loss is part of our life as well as joyful or serene images expressed with my other Little Buddhas. All the new pieces, together with the sculptures from my dementia series, will be displayed at the Sculpture in the Park Show next weekend (Aug. 13 & 14). It will be held at the Benson Sculpture Garden in Loveland, CO. Please come to see it if you have time!
Click here to receive an email notification each time a new blog is posted.  This figure is the smallest I have ever tried. The face is about 1 inch long. The Little Buddha is deliberately changing the direction. Sometimes we have to do it in our life as well.
Click here to receive an email notification each time a new blog is posted.  In this piece, I experimented with sand instead of grog (fired clay grounds). Sand contains impurities. Mine looked some iron in it, and I liked the size variation of the grain. It will be interesting to capture earth's elements (like water, dune, fire, and even lava) in my sculptures. It is obvious many more experiments are needed, but that is what is great about this medium. What else can I fire with clay to make the piece look more organic?
Click here to receive an email notification each time a new blog is posted. I think rocks made the pieces more interesting than plain bases. After constructing a rock shape, I textured the surface with a thin slab with a bunch of grog (fired clay grounds in various sizes). I even made my own, as I wanted larger grog than what are available in stores. Coloring was done in thinned mason stain and iron-based mixtures. A small amount of mica grounds were brushed on with the stains. (The photos do not show them well, but mica shines here and there just like on real rocks.) After a ∆2 stain firing, I did final touchups in acrylic paint. I am happy with the results. I will definitely repeat this technique.
Click here to receive an email notification each time a new blog is posted. I added a spacer between the tabletop and the textured slab, and again between the slab and the figure. I think it improved the piece a bit. This is my first attempt to capture a floating image inspired by the rock garden of Ryoan-ji Temple. I intend to make a few more with the similar concept.
Click here to receive an email notification each time a new blog is posted. I've been asking myself what I want to express in this series. Beauty in simple things we do in everyday life may be the answer. I'm using Little Buddhas to show it, but hopefully many of you are able to relate to the moments expressed here.
Click here to receive an email notification each time a new blog is posted. A simple poem, framed pleasingly, was sitting on a bathroom counter at my friend's. It was about going forward in life with peace within. Between the lines, I perceived the poet's struggle to accept the way she was, while attempting to reach the tranquility. It resonated with my own. How could we embrace who we were and move forward? I created this little buddha, asking myself that question.
Click here to subscribe to this blog via email. I made one more piece for the show. The brightness portrays who Kit is.
Playfulness, creativity, and empathy are powerful tools that make communication without a common language possible. Using these tools, we can connect with people even in an advanced stage of dementia.* Let us laugh together. Kit has been teaching me its importance. * TED Talk: Reconsider Dementia by Vibeke Drevsen Back |
About This BlogThis page is an window for you to see my creative process. I would like to encourage you to leave your comments here. What kind of thoughts did my art provoke you? What viewpoint do you agree/disagree to? Your feedback will feed my art going forward. Thank you.
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Copyright © Yoko "Tenyoh" Sugawara Email: tenyohcreations@gmail.com Phone: (605) 787 - 1099
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