What Is It?

[Guest HerbNorris]

I know alot of ceramic artists, and artists in general get their inspiration from nature, but I find I largely do not. I get most of my ideas for forms, lines, colors from manmade things like architecture, industrial scenes (David Plowden photos and such) cars, planes, tanks, electronic components, concept art of spaceships, vehicles, weapons, science fiction book covers.

How about you?

[Denice]

I know alot of ceramic artists, and artists in general get their inspiration from nature, but I find I largely do not. I get most of my ideas for forms, lines, colors from manmade things like architecture, industrial scenes (David Plowden photos and such) cars, planes, tanks, electronic components, concept art of spaceships, vehicles, weapons, science fiction book covers.

How about you?

 

 

I am one of those artists that is inspired by nature I have had periods that I am prone to be inspired by the geometric llines of man made article, but I always go back to nature. I live near an area that is called the Flint Hills, it has undulating hills and gouged earth from rouge streams. There is very little plant life because of the rocks and the fine covering of buffalo grass gives it a soft comforting feeling that can be seen for miles and miles. Every time I visit it I try to capture it's soul and put it in my work, if I could only get that same feeling from my pieces. Denice (Wichita, KS)

[Lucille Oka]

I know alot of ceramic artists, and artists in general get their inspiration from nature, but I find I largely do not. I get most of my ideas for forms, lines, colors from manmade things like architecture, industrial scenes (David Plowden photos and such) cars, planes, tanks, electronic components, concept art of spaceships, vehicles, weapons, science fiction book covers.

How about you?

 

 

I am one of those artists that is inspired by nature I have had periods that I am prone to be inspired by the geometric llines of man made article, but I always go back to nature. I live near an area that is called the Flint Hills, it has undulating hills and gouged earth from rouge streams. There is very little plant life because of the rocks and the fine covering of buffalo grass gives it a soft comforting feeling that can be seen for miles and miles. Every time I visit it I try to capture it's soul and put it in my work, if I could only get that same feeling from my pieces. Denice (Wichita, KS)

 

 

 

Denice your description of the Flint Hills is very evocative. It made me think instantly of the painting 'Christina's World' by Andrew Wyeth. The mood is quiet, solitary and plaintive.

[Chris Campbell]

I never know where mine is going to come from ... It can be as wonderful as a cobweb laced with morning dew to seeing a rusty trash pile to something someone says. It sometimes hits in museums but most often when I am looking at paintings rather than pottery. Pottery is more of a "How did they do that?" puzzle for me. I guess I feel less guilty ripping off a painting inspiration than another potters work!

[Denice]

I know alot of ceramic artists, and artists in general get their inspiration from nature, but I find I largely do not. I get most of my ideas for forms, lines, colors from manmade things like architecture, industrial scenes (David Plowden photos and such) cars, planes, tanks, electronic components, concept art of spaceships, vehicles, weapons, science fiction book covers.

How about you?

 

 

I am one of those artists that is inspired by nature I have had periods that I am prone to be inspired by the geometric llines of man made article, but I always go back to nature. I live near an area that is called the Flint Hills, it has undulating hills and gouged earth from rouge streams. There is very little plant life because of the rocks and the fine covering of buffalo grass gives it a soft comforting feeling that can be seen for miles and miles. Every time I visit it I try to capture it's soul and put it in my work, if I could only get that same feeling from my pieces. Denice (Wichita, KS)

 

 

 

Denice your description of the Flint Hills is very evocative. It made me think instantly of the painting 'Christina's World' by Andrew Wyeth. The mood is quiet, solitary and plaintive.

Good catch, I'm a big fan of Andrew Wyeth I think he would of loved painting there. I spent many hours at a Girl Scout camp there catching crawdads, chasing lizards, and camping under a canvas of stars, greatest child hood memories ever. I have met other artist from around the country and even the world that said their visit to the Flint Hills changed their work forever. Denice

[Idaho Potter]

I take a lot of things from my past history as a painter, only taking the subject matter to macro so it fits on pots. I am also intrigued with the scope and scape of the land here in Idaho. Name some kind of topography, and it's here: farming, timber, mountains, rivers, deserts, lakes, rural or urban cityscapes. I've working on a series of Idaho rivers from an aerial perspective. It has become more abstract than first intended, but I like it. Most of my pot shapes would probably be considered mundane, but they make good canvases.

[Hobby Potter]

I know alot of ceramic artists, and artists in general get their inspiration from nature, but I find I largely do not. I get most of my ideas for forms, lines, colors from manmade things like architecture, industrial scenes (David Plowden photos and such) cars, planes, tanks, electronic components, concept art of spaceships, vehicles, weapons, science fiction book covers.

How about you?

 

 

I am so with you on this! Forms are what inspire me most...it can be any inanimate object, if it has an appealing shape I get visions of it in clay. But another aspect of my inspiration seems to come from music and feelings. It's almost like asking myself, "What form would that feeling have?" Inspiration is rarely a challenge...how to create what I'm seeing in my head is a different story..

[Guest HerbNorris]

Nice to know I'm not alone in this. I read somewhere that "The potter's first job is form." For me the form has to be be intruiging and right, else there's no point in my advancing.

Music is also a HUGE inspiration for me, from giving me an idea for the attitude of a piece, or the surface decor. I have too many musical influences tolist, and the thread "What music do you listen to in the studio?" has been tempting me for some time; however, I fear that the CAD servers may run out of space to list my musical selections!

[buckeye]

I love history and I do a lot of metal detecting and privy digging. For those who dont know what a privy is its where they used to do their business 100 plus years ago, they would dig a big hole, put an outhouse over it and use it for 10 plus years, fill it in and move the outhouse.. anyhow I am getting off subject.

 

When digging out old privies I have come across old whiskey jugs, plates, chamber pots, spittoons, crocks etc. sometimes in pieces but now and then you get lucky and find them whole, People threw a lot of stuff down in the privies years ago. I have always found myself drawn to these pieces, wanting to touch them, feel the piece in my hand. Although I have not done any salt firing yet and I do like making a lot of more modern stuff I really like simple, functional pieces and I am happy if when I am done I want to hold it and study it in my hands. As much as I like simple I love carving on pieces, sometimes simple other times elaborate but as much as I enjoy carving I like the simpler pieces.