AIR Interviews: Paula Haymond

This week, we’re sharing the third in a series of interviews featuring our current artists-in-residence. Paula Haymond is a woodturner who combines many different woodworking techniques, as well as acrylic paints and metal, to create three-dimensional works of art.  Haymond is often inspired by the natural world, and she seeks to explore the relationships among color, imagination, form and texture to express the wonder she so often found in the woods, lakes and open pastoral scenes of her native Indiana. She is a member of the Gulf Coast Woodturners Association and has taught classes in wood turning, piercing and embellishing at local workshops and regional symposia. Haymond has been accepted to be a mentor for the Virginia Symposium of Woodturners in 2012 and is the vice president elect of the Southwest Association of Turners. She will be with HCCC through May of 2012, so please feel free to stop by her studio, chat with her, and witness how she’s transforming her media to create fantastic and often whimsical story-telling pieces. 

Paula Haymond. Texas Wetlands, 2012. Mesquite, turned, carved,
pierced and wood burned. Photo by HCCC.

Paula Haymond. Sea Creatures, 2012. Texas ebony, turned, carved,
pierced and textured. Photo by HCCC.

Tell us a little about the current body of work.

I find myself going in multiple directions with a focus on altering the wood, which is initially turned on the lathe, into forms using texture, pyrography, piercing and air brushed paints to create either pictures or creatures.  My pictures often involve garden scenes with butterflies, hummingbirds and dragonflies, with floral designs pulling the story together.  My creatures appear somewhat alien or anthropological with carved appendages.  I like using the wood as a canvas but try to create a relationship between the piece and the viewer so that their natural curiosity draws them in closer to find hidden surprises in the pieces.

What drew you to wood as your medium of choice?
I have always been drawn to wood as a property for building objects, but it was the lathe that changed my relationship from hobbyist to artist.  I like the wide variety of woods that are available to turn, as well as the many possibilities that I find inspiring in the grain and figure of each piece of wood.  Even when I intend to cover the surface with my designs, I first take into consideration what that piece of wood will support and how I will work with it to create something new.

How would you describe your work?
I see my work as dynamic and changing.  I love variety and am, for better or worse, always looking for a new angle on creating images which have an impact on the viewer.  I like to create the illusion of the wood being some other type of material, such as metal or ceramic.  When the viewer says “wow,” or “that really looks like ceramic,” I think I have captured their imagination and they are intrigued by what I have created.  I like to encourage them to pick up pieces and really relate to them.

What are the woodworking techniques you use?
Every piece I create starts on the lathe.  If the wood is light colored, then I am more likely to want to use acrylic transparent airbrush paints along with creating a background of textures, lace work, and pyrography.  I use a high-speed dental drill to accomplish the lace work and then a variety of burs to create textures.  I often either draw or transfer images onto frisket or directly to the wood to cover the piece in a revolving set of images to pull the images together.  When I carve, I use an NSK micro motor with burs, sandpaper, and cutters to remove wood quickly.  Most of my pieces have hours of hand work involved in them to reach the final three-dimensional objects.

Many of your pieces include color pigment designs. Have you always used color in your work?
No, I started out as a purist, calling on the natural beauty of the wood to be the only dimension I was interested in showing off.  I think most wood turners start with the idea that the beautiful wood is all one needs to create enjoyment.  Although that can be true, for me, I needed to become more involved in what was happening to the wood beyond the lathe. I have a vivid imagination, and I was able to see characters in the grain of the wood, which I wanted to accent, and that lead to carving away the parts of grain that clouded the images I saw.  Carving away wood just lead down a path of further exploration, and I still seek out new ways to add to the character of wooden objects.

Paula Haymond. Butterfly Garden, 2012. Silver maple, turned,
pierced, air brushed and textured. Photo by HCCC.

Woodturner Paula Haymond in her studio at HCCC. Photo by HCCC.

What types of wood do you work with? Is there a particular kind you prefer, and why?
Currently I am turning more green wood than kiln-dried wood.  In the Houston area, I really find silver maple, magnolia and hackberry to be great woods for turning thin-wall vessels.  By thin, I mean less than 1/16th of an inch in thickness.  This allows for piercing with the dental burs, which are the same burs the dentist uses to take out cavities.  Much thicker walls on the vessels and the bur is not able to cut all the way through the wood at once.  I am also exploring turning green mesquite and Texas ebony, which are very dense hardwoods.  They are very easy to carve and texture, despite their hardness.  They also hold up to the thin-wall turning I do.  Because of their strong grain patterns, they do not lend themselves to coloring.

What are you doing when you’re not creating works of art from wood?
I am a licensed psychologist and am still running a practice in Katy.  We focus on carrying out psychological and neuropsychological assessments for the Department of Assistive and Rehabilitative Services, as well as for Social Security Disability.  Currently, I am working seven days per week while in the AIR program.  It continues to be a fabulous opportunity for me.

AIR Interviews: Leslie Shershow

This week, we share the second in a series of interviews with our current artists-in-residence (AIRs). Leslie Shershow is a metalsmith and jeweler from the small town of Belfast, Maine. After graduating from the Massachusetts College of Art with a BFA in metals, she stayed in the Boston area to further develop her jewelry at her studio in Somerville, MA, exhibiting her work in various group shows around the country. Prior to joining HCCC as an artist-in-residence, she taught metalsmithing to children and adults in various art centers and colleges in the Boston area and managed the metalshop at the School of the Museum of Fine Arts  for several years. She has been with HCCC since August and will be here through March, 2012. 

Diamond Rings by Leslie Shershow (plastic). Photo courtesy the artist.

Leslie Shershow. Diamond Ring, 2011.
Copper, brass, silver, auto paint. Photo courtesy the artist.

Tell us a little bit about your work.
Right now I'm inspired by wonky home improvements and functional crafts. I find much beauty in the way a novice craftsman might fix his home--I'm interested in the evolution of a domestic structure due to regular maintenance. I tend to work the same way--by starting with an object and scrounging for the part that will turn it into a functional piece of jewelry. The theme is pretty nostalgic for me--I grew up in Maine, so I use fishing and nautical imagery, along with funny home-maintenance things my dad used to do.

 

How did you get your start making jewelry?
I had first learned a little metalsmithing in high school crafts class and hated it. I melted my first project!  Later, in college, when it was time to choose my major, I was really impressed by the work that came out of the metals department, so metals is what I chose.

Where do your ideas come from? 

Everything, really. I guess my work comes out of interests that keep surfacing over and over again.

Leslie Shershow's necklace from the Home Improvement Series. Photo courtesy the artist.

Leslie Shershow's bracelet from the Home Improvement Series. Photo courtesy the artist.

What artist or designer do you admire, and why?
Iris Bodemer is one of my favorite jewelers (among many). I admire her because, in a lecture, she told us she took out a bank loan in the form of a gold block and proceeded to slice it into jewelry. That is very admirable to me.

In your bio, it says that you’ve taught metalsmithing to both children and adults. What do you enjoy most about teaching? What is it like teaching metalsmithing to children?
I really enjoy the challenge. Metalsmithing embodies so many different techniques, and many times, there are multiple ways to do something. I mostly taught small classes, so I had to work with each student individually to see what methods work best. Teaching children can be really difficult.  Metalsmithing is a tedious and time consuming practice, and there isn't much instant satisfaction. It's hard for kids to sit down and sand for hours, especially when they're wound up from a day at school and candy they got from 7-11.
 
What are you doing when you’re not creating?
I like hanging out with the other lovely AIRs and HCCC staff, visiting museums, and going for runs. Lately, my boyfriend and I have been working on a large stained-glass terrarium to prevent our cats from eating our plants. 

 Metalsmith and jeweler, Leslie Shershow. Photo courtesy the artist.

Describe yourself in five words.
I like to make things.

Being a Northerner, is there anything you find humorous or strange about Houston? I think it's funny that a lot of people in Houston's public places are either really dressed up or in their gym clothes. I come from a place of in-betweeners.

AIR Interviews: Celia Butler

This week, we are posting the first in a series of interviews with our newest artists-in-residence. Celia Butler, from Carbondale, IL, is a mixed-media artist who holds a MFA from Cranbrook Academy of Art and a BFA from the Kansas City Art Institute. She has been with HCCC since August and will be here through the end of November. Be sure to come in and check out her studio before she leaves! To learn more about HCCC’s Artist-in-Residence Program, click here.

Celia Butler. Sugar Gazing, 2011. C print. Photo courtesy of the artist.

What kind of work do you make? 

I make work about fantasy and the over-idealized female, which I see as a strange combination of adolescence, sexuality, and perfection. The images I create are of a youthful and innocent female wearing a sugar bow some place on her body. Currently, I'm working on a life-sized porcelain doll that I will photograph similarly to my other photographic work. I'm also working on some heavily adorned, adult-sized baby bibs for the doll to wear. And, yes, I realize this sounds weird.


What is sugar pulling? Can you explain the process and how it became part of your work? Sugar pulling is a process in which you literally pull a hot sugar mixture until it becomes glossy and ribbon-like. Most people are familiar with ribbon candy, which is made with the sugar-pulling method.

I had previously been making work about adornment but decided that, instead of using bows made from real ribbon, I would use ones made from ribbon candy. Making the bows from sugar facilitates a critique on the contemporary idealized female because it implies an oversaturation of sweetness, innocence, and fragility. Candy's oral nature also suggests sexuality.

Celia Butler. Photo by Erin Sweeny and Brittany Nelson.

Are there any artists or designers who you are inspired by?
I think that artists who have successfully managed to make their studio practice their full-time job are pretty inspiring.

Where do you see yourself in 10 years?
Still making art.

What is your favorite thing about Houston?
Favorites are hard—and I've only been here for two months—but Houston's art scene seems to be busy and well supported.

Can you tell us something we’d be surprised to know about you?
My cell phone is broken and displaying everything upside down and backwards. If I haven't responded to your text, it's because I'm still trying to figure out what it says.

Who would play you in the movie of your life?
I'm assuming I'll be dead before that ever happens, so the casting director can just choose for me.

Staff Favorites from "Crafting Live(s): 10 Years of Artists in Residence."

With the closing of Crafting Live(s): 10 Years of Artists-in-Residence rapidly approaching, we asked the staff of HCCC to share what their favorite pieces are and why. The exhibition contains works by 36 artists who have participated in the Artist-in-Residence Program here at HCCC during the past 10 years. If you’ve seen the show, please share your favorites in the comments below! If you haven’t, then hurry in, the show closes this Saturday, September 3!

Julie Farr, Executive Director, had a particularly difficult time picking just one favorite piece. Farr explains, “I think it’s because so many of these artists have become our colleagues and friends, and we’ve seen them in process and progressing during their residencies. When the exhibition first opened, I was excited to see how far everyone pushed themselves by making new, meaningful works. I love that both the residency experience and HCCC are a safe haven for exploration, growth and creativity in action.”

Communications Director, Mary Headrick, chose 6 Degrees by Cathy Cunningham-Little. “I think it’s an absolutely stunning installation. The suspended rain-drop-like forms, the amount of light and reflection they create, and the fact that the artist created them from silvered glass is fascinating.  These are complemented by the metal pieces below, which cast wide and interesting shadows."

Cathy Cunningham-Little, 6 Degrees
Etched, stainless-steel ladles and silvered
blown glass. Variable dimensions.

Curator, Anna Walker, chose the imaginary children by Bethany Rusen for two reasons. “One, I’m drawn to works that have a haunting presence and anthropomorphic gesture. But also, I grew to love this piece during installation. Constructed of a nylon fabric stuffed with polyfill, then dipped in clay slip, the forms are awkward, pliable and yet also brittle when handled. On the wall I have a similar reaction to the work as when I held it, and I enjoy that those two interactions complement each other.”

Education Director, Miriam Mendoza’s favorite is Friends by Ann Trask. This piece is made from used tea bags, reclaimed wood pieces, fimoclay, tea-stained muslin and wax. Miriam greatly appreciated the artist’s use of everyday objects, things many people would deem as trash, and re-contextualizing them into objects with meaning. These tea bags are not just trash, but a remnant of the experience of enjoying a cup of tea with a friend. The tea bags have become symbols of the artist’s many relationships and friendships. To Miriam, the piece conveys an important message of not taking for granted the objects and people present in our everyday lives. Miriam also finds the piece to be aesthetically pleasing.

Ann Trask, Friends. Used teabags, reclaimed
wood pieces, tea-stained muslin, wax. 73” x 50” x 4"

Jenny Lynn Weitz, Marketing and Web Assistant, chose Darryl Lauster’s Runners Up Presidential Plate Series. “I like the fact that Lauster is attempting to commemorate the losing candidates by depicting them on hand-cast porcelain transferware, and even though the stories behind each portrait involve a lot of important political, social and economic issues, I find the installation humorous and sad at the same time.”

Associate Director of Fundraising, Nyala Wright’s favorite is also Darryl Lauster’s Runner’s Up Presidential Plate Series. Nyala chose this as her favorite because the installation of plates is historically informative with an outstanding sense of humor.

Darry; Lauster, Runners-Up Presidential Plate Series. 28 individual
hand-cast porcelain transferware plates. 12” x 12” x 1" each

Two staff members also chose Jason Kishell’s Stilted Lemon Growth. Suzanne Sippel, Asher Gallery Retail Manager, wasn’t sure how to describe why, but said, “I like the monstrous lemon, and considering the dreadful things I put lemons through with my tea... well, this is their revenge!”

Curatorial Fellow, Susie Silbert, states, “With so many great pieces in the exhibit, it’s hard to choose just one favorite (well, for me just one favorite is always an issue). Today, I would choose Jason Kishell’s Stilted Lemon Growth. Its craftsmanship is amazing—Kishell’s commitment to his materials and ideas is evident in his close attention to detail in all aspects of the work’s execution, from the detailed veining of the roots on the lemon’s surface to the multi-axis lathe work on its many wooden legs. Stilted Lemon Growth looks like an emissary from a fully formed world inside Kishell’s imagination, leading me to wonder who the other inhabitants may be. The object has the playfulness of a fairytale, the high definition of a video game and enough surface information to keep me interested for quite some time.”

Jason Kishell, Stilted Lemon Growth.
Porcelain, polymer clay, wire,
Indian rosewood. 9” x 11” x 19”

Curatorial Assistant, Ashley Powell, chose Rough Neck by Edward McCartney. McCartney’s clever use of materials is what really struck her, the way he has re-contextualized motor oil through its usage in an object of adornment. Just as so many other valuable natural resources are used to make jewelry, oil has now been fashioned into charms or gems of “black gold,” reminding us of how much of a commodity it is to our contemporary society.

Crafting Live(s): Ten Years of Artists-in-Residence -- Spotlight on Fiber Artist, Greg Rubio

Guest Curator, Keelin Burrows, writes about past artist-in-residence Greg Rubio and his work in Crafting Live(s): Ten Years of Artists-in-Residence. The exhibition is on view at HCCC through September 3, 2011. Burrows is currently the Windgate Charitable Foundation Curatorial Fellow at The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston.

Greg Rubio, a Texas native, obtained his BFA from Texas A&M University in Corpus Christi in 1996 and his MFA from the University of Delaware in 1998. As an accomplished painter and draftsmen, he has made an impact on the Houston and international art scenes, earning a Fulbright scholarship to study in Mexico in 1999 and a Cultural Affairs Grant through the United States Embassy to study in Spain in 2005. His cross-relationships and interests in Latin, Hispanic, and American cultures have influenced his work, constantly driving him to re-examine his natural and constructed surroundings.

Rubio was a resident artist at HCCC from September 2007 to August 2008.  At that time, he was creating functional archery targets from old clothes and sheets, which he tore, cut, assembled and sewed into compositional arrangements. He enjoyed the process of destroying and mending recycled materials into something of beauty and personal significance.  Apple Barge Archery Target and Mayan Snake Square with Japanese Flowers Archery Target, both from 2006, are examples of his early fabric works. 

Greg Rubio. Apple Barge Archery Target. Photo by Christopher Zaleski.

Greg Rubio. Mayan Snake Square with Japanese Flowers Archery Target.
  Photo by Christopher Zaleski.

Drawing from his family heritage of archery and sewing, Rubio created compositional narratives through iconography, color fields, and stitching. Each target expresses a personal story or moment of self-inquiry.  Apple Barge portrays imagery and subject matter of the seaport along the Texas Gulf Coast, where the artist grew up and currently lives and teaches. Mayan Snake Square with Japanese Flowers represents cultural traditions and rituals learned through personal history and travels abroad via a more abstract composition.

For Crafting Live(s), Rubio built upon these past themes and narratives, creating Rope Dart.  Consisting of various knotted ropes and a railroad spike, the sculpture at first appears to be a vast departure from his earlier work.  However, upon closer examination, the process of cultural exploration through material and technique becomes apparent. Maritime life, a defining feature of coastal Texas, literally and figuratively ties together the community of Corpus Christi.  Rubio, having learned various knotting techniques from his father, who was a fisherman and a sailor, incorporates several knots into his work.  Some of these include a seizing bend knot in the main yellow coil; a blowline knot that secures the two ropes together; and a snelling knot, which holds the railroad spike in suspension.

Greg Rubio. Rope Dart. Photo by Jack Zilker.

During his residency at HCCC, Rubio attended the Chung Tai Chan Center, where he learned and practiced tenets of Zen Buddhism.  Although Rubio learned to make rope from a basket weaver during his residency, he chose to use found ropes from the local fishing community of Corpus Christi.  These objects are “attachments” that carry personal and cultural associations for the artist, referencing an industry that defined his upbringing and sustained his home town.  Additionally, the metal railroad spike, a remnant found along the tracks near his studio, also carries personal significance and associations with the evolving industrial landscape of his local community. The spike, referred to as dart, circles back to Rubio’s personal and family history with archery and sewing.

Corpus Christi Marina. Image courtesy Greg Rubio.

Kingsville rail road tracks. Image courtesy Greg Rubio.

Perhaps, most interesting is the way in which Rope Dart, and Rubio’s work in general, complicates categorical distinctions.  Knotting, when viewed in the context of manual labor and fishing, is often situated as a “folk” tradition in Western cultures.  However, when viewed through the ideological lens of other cultures, such as those in ancient China or Japan, where the distinction between art and craft did not exist, the practice and tradition of knotting is elevated to an art form.  From a Western perspective, knotting today might be viewed as a “studio craft,” due to an original emphasis on functional value and process.  Regardless of terminology, Rubio draws from this knotting tradition, weaving together personal and cultural meanings, and establishing artistic significance through material, technique, and concept.

What are the current AIRs up to?

This week, we stopped by the Artist-in-Residence studios to find out what they’re working on. Next time you visit us, make sure to stop by to meet the artists and learn about their current and upcoming projects! 


After a great feature in the Houston Chronicle last month and the jewelry she displayed at our Martini Madness! Kickoff Party at ROAK, metalsmith and mixed-media artist, Kristi Rae Wilson, has been very busy.  Recently, we caught her carefully soldering an armature for the piece pictured below.

Kristi Rae Wilson working in her studio at HCCC.




Kristi Rae Wilson soldering silver.


Part of Kristi Rae Wilson’s studio at HCCC.

The soldered armatures above are attached to the pink piece in the
middle.

Ceramic artists, Marcia Erickson and Jamie Diaz, have been with us for just a couple of months, but they have jumped on board quickly and are busy making martini glasses for our upcoming Martini Madness! 10th Birthday Bash on September 22! Marcia told us she has been implementing new patterns and colorful glazes into her work, and every time we walk by Jamie’s studio, she’s working on the wheel!

Ceramic artist Marcia Erickson 
in her studio at HCCC,
showing us 
her handmade martini glasses.
Look at the colors and textures!

Jamie Diaz in her studio at HCCC, working on the wheel…




Jamie Diaz making martini glasses for Martini Madness!
We’re looking forward to seeing the finished pieces!

We found metalsmith and jewelry designer, Lisa Wilson, working on one of her latest pieces outside, in the Craft Garden.

Lisa Wilson finishing up a commissioned 
piece made of copper.




Jessica Dupuis has been working on a new piece for this fall’s Artist Hall show, In Residence 2010, in which 2010 artists-in-residence will display new works.  Join us on September 30 for the opening reception, where you’ll see all of our new fall exhibitions, including Beyond Useful and Beautiful: Rethinking Domestic Craft and Soundforge.

Jessica Dupuis working on her latest piece.

To learn more about our current Artists-in-Residence and the AIR Program, click here. To find out more about our Martini Madness! 10th Birthday Bash, follow this link.

All photos courtesy of HCCC.

Current Artist-in-Residence Jessica Dupuis Reflects on a Four-Week Residency at Women’s Studio Workshop

The Women’s Studio Workshop (WSW) in Rosendale, NY, is a visual arts organization with specialized studios in printmaking, hand papermaking, ceramics, letterpress printing, photography and book arts. Jessica Dupuis was invited to work at WSW as part of their Fellowship Program.  Jessica is a ceramist and current artist-in-residence at HCCC. We asked her to provide a few pictures of her time up North and reflect on her experience.

Women's Studio Workshop. Rosendale, NY.

Four weeks at WSW…. a community that was warm, nurturing, and stimulated my creativity. WSW gave me the opportunity to discover what it was like to live and work in the same building, the time to focus on my work, and to interact with other women artists.  I spent my days downstairs in the ceramic studio, and above, I could hear the traffic in the printmaking studio. I had potluck lunches in the kitchen with everyone and spent evenings chatting with my room mate, Amber Jensen, a printmaker, or doing research for my work. I found this experience beneficial to the work and residency I am currently completing at HCCC.

Inside Women's Studio Workshop. Rosendale, NY

 Detail of Jessica's work in progress while at WSW.

Introducing Our New Artists-in-Residence: Clark Kellogg

A native of Houston, TX, Clark Kellogg has been interested in woodworking and furniture making since he was 14, when he and his father started building small projects in the family garage. He received his BA from the University of Virginia. He is formally trained as a furniture maker, graduating from both the Center for Furniture Craftsmanship's Nine-Month Comprehensive program and the College of the Redwoods esteemed Fine Woodworking Program.

Clark with his piece, Garden Bench,
for which he received  an
award-of-merit in Craft Texas 2010.

I've known about the residencies at HCCC since the organization was founded in 2001, because I've visited the center all these years. I wanted to apply for a few years, but I wasn't settled in Houston. I was traveling back and forth between home and school. Also, I didn't have enough work until recently for a complete application. Once I knew I was going to be in Houston for a few years, and had a larger body of work, I applied.

Part of the plan for my residency is to use it as an opportunity to promote myself and my work in the Houston community. I want to interact with visitors, be part of educating them about what fine furniture can be and how much work goes in to making custom furniture. While in my residency, I hope to balance making some larger furniture pieces with smaller work focused on letter carving. Letter carving is a new area for me and it's exciting to explore and see where this new skill will will take me.

Hemlock Wall Cabinet,
by Clark Kellogg, photo by David Welter.

Music Box, by Clark Kellogg, photo courtesy the artist

.

Little Squam (detail image), 
by Clark Kellogg, photo courtesy the artist.

 You can find our more about our current artists-in-residence on our website.

Introducing Our New Artists-in-Residence: Kristi Rae Wilson

Kristi Rae Wilson is a mixed media artist who has returned to her hometown of Houston after being away for seven years. She received her BFA from Stephen F. Austin University in Nacogdoches, TX before earning her MFA from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

Kristi in her studio at HCCC.

I found out about the residency at HCCC when I was in undergrad at Stephen F. Austin University. I didn't feel I was prepared for it at the time, but I stored away the information for later. When I graduated with my MFA, I sought out residencies in the USA and Europe. HCCC was the first to contact me and after accepting the position, I was excited to return back to Houston.

During my residency, I hope to continue researching fabrics and allow this research to influence my jewelry skills. I want to allow this relationship between fabric and jewelry to happen organically. In the end, I hope for two different outcomes. The first outcome being a high end production line of jewelry and the second developing large scale exhibition pieces.

Tea Infuser Earrings,
by Kristi Rae Wilson, 
photo by Motoko Furuhashi.

Detachment of the Bed Sheet,
still from 2 minute looped video
by Kristi Rae Wilson,
photo courtesy the artist.

Remnants Collar,
by Kristi Rae Wilson,
photo by Motoko Furuhashi.

You can find more about our current artists-in-residence on our website.

Introducing Our New Artists-in-Residence: Lisa Wilson

Lisa Wilson is a metalsmith and jewelry designer who creates a range of work, from sculptural objects to one-of-a-kind jewelry. An Ohio native, Lisa received her B.F.A. from Indiana University in Bloomington, IN, before going on to earn her M.F.A. from Miami University in Oxford, OH.

Lisa Wilson in her studio at HCCC.

I found the residency at HCCC by word of mouth while I was finishing graduate school. Although I enjoy teaching, I did not want to pursue a teaching career full time directly after school. Applying for the residency seemed like a good match because it provides me time and space to make work, but I’m also able to gain some teaching experience in the Houston community.

While in my residency, I want to focus on taking my large scale sculptural work down to a smaller, more intimate size. My larger sculptures are based on algorithms found in natural objects. By making the work smaller in scale, I hope to capture the way we interact with a majority of the natural world. I want to provide contemplative experiences in my work, similar to those found when picking up a seashell on the beach or a fallen leaf on the sidewalk.

Diffusion Study,
by Lisa Wilson,
photo courtesy Jeff Sabo.

Spiral Growth,
by Lisa Wilson,
photo courtesy Jeff Sabo.

Wave Particle Loop, by Lisa Wilson,
photo courtesy Jeff Sabo.

You can find out more about our current artists-in-residence on our website.

Introducing Our New Artists-in-Residence: Elizabeth DeLyria

Originally a landscape painter, ceramic artist Elizabeth DeLyria translates the concept of landscape into the functionality of clay. Prior to moving to Katy, TX, she received her MEd in Art Education from the University of Houston. She also attended the Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts, as well as the Art Institute of Chicago. We talked with her about why she came to HCCC and what she will be working on during her time here.

Elizabeth in her studio at HCCC.

I had visited HCCC in the past and was always very impressed with the organization. Once I retired from teaching a year ago, I realized I wasn't familiar with the ceramics community in Houston. I had always known Houston as a teacher, not as an artist. I decided to apply for the residency and learn more about the ceramics community.

While at HCCC, I hope to further develop the emphasis of merging sculptural and functional characteristics in my pieces. My work is derived from nature and I want to expand it and make forms that I haven't had time to explore until now.

Birch Forest,
by Elizabeth DeLyria,
photo courtesy of the artist.

Petoskey Cairn, by Elizabeth DeLyria,
photo courtesy of the artist.

Birch,
by Elizabeth DeLyria, 
photo courtesy of the artist.

You can find out more about our current artists-in-residence on our website.