Finishing Touches

August 07, 2022Jenny Dowd

It’s been awhile since the last update, it’s been an overwhelming few months. Things seem to be smoothing out and suddenly the studio is making sense.

The electric is finished, no water yet, but it’ll happen. We added insulation to the walls and sure, we still need to finish the walls but it just feels crazy not to make pots and work in our new space. The projects (studio, house, yard, pottery orders) keep piling up, so the strategy has been to work on a little of each at a time.

And oh it feels so very good to enjoy a cup of coffee in the morning in the studio!

One thing we did a little too early was move our small kiln over to the kiln patio. It was fine, it was great to run a load of bisque and feel like we are starting to get something accomplished again. But it rained that night and without any weather proofing we knew the kiln was likely to get very wet. Right before the rain started we scrambled and put together this make-shift guard, which totally worked but wasn’t really the plan.

So here’s the real solution - a greenhouse plastic sheeting. Sam built a frame and we attached the sheets, then moved the other kiln over. I’m sure we will need to tweak things a bit after the next rain, but everything feels much more protected for now.

Notice there is a ton of room in this kiln patio / greenhouse? Well, we’ve got another electric kiln on the way and plans to build a gas kiln in this area too. Plus storage for shelves, kiln furniture, a grinding wheel… pretty soon this won’t seem like much space!

categories New Ideas, Problem Solving, Process, Projects, Studio
tags dowd house studios, studio build, studio life, arkansas potter

An Easter Egg Hunt

April 02, 2021Jenny Dowd

This weekend a very special Easter Egg Hunt is happening at R Park hosted by the Jackson Hole Land Trust.

Visit R Park between April 2nd - 5th and you will find art installations created by 4 local artists. Within each a letter has been hidden and will spell out a word that unlocks a trunk full of Easter Eggs.

I’m super excited to be part of this project, and while my art is not specifically egg themed, you will still have to hunt for it.

I started out making several small elements: unfired porcelain mushrooms, tiny flowers, plus strands of fabric circles strung with buttons. My vague idea before installation day was mostly formed by the shadows cast on the white on white snowy landscape.

Installation day was a beautiful clear yet cold day, I tucked mushrooms and tiny flowers into the leaves, snow, and dirt below a grove of trees.

After spending a lot of time walking around and looking at this spot, strands of fabric were hung in an arch over the grove of mushrooms. Laying on the warm ground and looking up was the best view! The fabric seemed to mimic the fluffy clouds above.

This was hard to photograph, so if you are in the area I hope you stop by to find all the details.

Happy spring!

I’m sure we will have many more chilly days in Wyoming over the next few months, but spring is finally here!

categories Community Projects, Process, Projects, public art, Sculpture
tags Rendezvous Park, jackson hole land trust, public art, temporary art, tiny sculpture, outdoor art, installation

Just in case

November 08, 2020Jenny Dowd

Early this year I created a prototype artwork for Art-o-Mat. This is something that I have wanted to do for years, probably since I first heard about this project. Art-o-Mat machines are retired cigarette vending machines that have been refurbished and now dispense tiny artworks.

Before realizing how wild this year would be, I came up with an idea to use the billions of porcelain teeth I had carved for past projects. (See some here) I always get a kick out of reactions to these teeth, it’s either a laugh or a cringe, never anything in-between. Last fall I started making little cards, similar to a spare button card, with “just in case.” I gave these to a few friends to see how they reacted.

A few prototypes later, I was ready to test my idea for Art-o-Mat (if you are interested in submitting a prototype check out the info here) In late January I found out that my prototype was accepted, so I put together 50 boxes for my first delivery. Each tooth is numbered and packed in a cigarette sized box. I decorated the boxes and wrapped them in acetate so they will vend.

The neat thing is not knowing where my tooth-filled boxes will end up. There are Art-o-Mat machines all over the country and each host decides what artwork they would like to fill their machine with. When everything shut down this summer I lost the drive to post about my new artwork and the excitement of being part of this project.

But just a few weeks ago I got my very first Green Card! This card shows how many Helpful Objects have been sold and where the machines are.

So, when you are out traveling again, keep an eye out for an Art-o-Mat, who knows what you will find!

categories Process, Projects, Sculpture, New Ideas
tags art-o-mat, tiny art, tooth, tooth sculpture, Helpful Objects

A Poetry Apothecary

September 19, 2020Jenny Dowd

This entry should probably be titled “An attempt to begin to get caught up.” I haven’t posted since May, but there has been plenty going on. I’m starting out with a project from early June because it really set the tone for the summer, it’s also one of my favorites.

Early this year, poet Matt Daly invited poets and artists to collaborate in A Poetry Apothecary with the prompt: A collaborative collection of original poems written by local poets who acknowledge the power of poetry to serve as a balm, a poultice, a splint, a placebo, a treatment, a remedy, a prescription, or perhaps even a cure for some of what ails us in our times of need for healing.

Matt and I have collaborated on projects in the past few years and decided to work together this time as well. We started with the idea of tiny poems and tiny drawings that may or may not be helpful for different emotions or problems. Something like - the problem is ___ so the cure is ___ . It also took on the feel of a game of Memory.

Our piece is titled “Sticky Situations” partly because I kept drawing tiny sticky objects - glue, tape, cinnamon roll - and also it seemed a way to define the current pandemic situation.

The process was fun, I drew a bunch of little drawings and gave them to Matt, he responded to the images with a malady and a poem. And we switched, he gave me a list of poems and I drew an image in response. I love how they make sense and yet don’t. I giggled so much in my studio while drawing these helpful little objects!

The exhibition was installed at the Center for the Arts, and our piece was in the Conference room. In response to Covid-19 we mounted the text and image onto small paper plates and encouraged viewers to flip the plates with a bamboo skewer. Seriously one of the first funny inventive moments of this time.

Check out this link to a tour of the show with poetry read aloud: https://vimeo.com/430154010

Also this review on WyoFile

Below are each pair, the drawing is above the poem it applies to. Click each image to enlarge.

I hope you feel better after visiting this Poetry Apothecary.

Or at least had a good laugh.

categories Art Exhibitions, Projects, Illustration, Collaboration
tags A poetry apothecary, poetry and art, tiny drawings, ink drawing, sticky situations, poems by Matt Daly, Helpful Objects

Merlin & Friends

May 16, 2020Jenny Dowd

Well, it happened. Merlin the Cat finally got his own book.

Earlier this year I was invited to participate in the 2020 Laramie County Library Book Arts Invitational, Imagination: Inspiration and the Artist Book. This year the theme called to imagine your story, inspired by fairy tales. (I have participated in past invitationals at the Laramie County Library, read about the process behind those projects here: 2018, 2017, 2016)

As usual, I was a bit stumped by the theme. It seemed a nice escape to imagine my way out of our current COVID-19 pandemic… but was still hard to latch onto an idea. Each year my dad asks me about the theme for the show and helps me brainstorm an idea, but we were both stumped.

The story behind this story is a winding one, but stick with me…

One gloomy, rainy day I took some funny photos of Merlin and his “friends.” I emailed them to my parents one photo/page at a time, like a slowly unfolding story. A warning - while true, this story is a little gory:

Once upon a time, Puppy, Moose, & Rat were relaxing in front of the fireplace. They thought nothing could destroy their peace and warmth.

Suddenly, next to that warm fire with his friends, Moose felt a chill. Could danger be lurking? Rat felt the hair on her back bristle and Puppy held his breath. Something was coming.

The attack was swift. Moose and Puppy carefully looked for their friend, Rat. She tried to hold her breath while trapped under the paw of the monster.

But it wasn't over. The monster suddenly grabbed Moose and tore into him. Puppy and Rat lay as still as possible.

When it was over, the fire went out, the 3 friends were strewn about. Meanwhile, Merlin the Monster turned his back and prepared for a nap.

The End.

So, about a week later my dad texted me suggesting that this story could be made into my project. But he warned that it needed to be sanitized, because it was just too mean and might scare little kids. We texted back and forth a bit, and it turned into a tale of friends working together to find a spot for a nap.

I wrote up a quick draft of the story and sent it to my parents who both had some suggestions. We even met up for a FaceTime chat to go over it. My parents chimed in as I worked on the story and illustrations. My mom had the idea to include a pillow on each page (like the hidden mouse in Goodnight Moon)

I suddenly felt like this was a huge project and decided to break it down into 2 or 3 cells per page. I took photos for reference. The part about Merlin liking to nap or at least pretend to while we cook in the kitchen is as true as it is annoying.

I love how Merlin can have this truly shocked expression, so I tried to capture that. I also borrowed his “friends” for reference. Merlin didn’t really like not having them around to chew on so I had to hide them in my drawing room.

And where was Merlin this whole time? Underfoot usually, or closely watching.

And here it is! I'm not super excited about using cardboard for the pages, but I needed the book to stand up for display and I’ve been trying to use materials I already have in my house. Plus, now that it’s finished I have a better idea of how to do this for real.

If you find yourself in Cheyenne, Wyoming this summer between June 11 - August 7th, stop by the library to see the show in person. (Check their website here first, to be sure of any limited hours or access due to the COVID-19 issue) A printed catalogue will be available from this show and I can’t wait to see how the other artists interpreted this theme!

And no, this was not an excuse to shamelessly share photos of my cat. But he does need a certain amount of attention for survival, so thank you for helping him out!

categories Art Exhibitions, Illustration, Process, Projects
tags Laramie County Library, Book Arts Invitational, illustration, Merlin the Cat, studio cat, Ink drawing

QuaraTea Party

April 30, 2020Jenny Dowd

One of the first things I missed when we started social distancing in March, was meeting up with friends for tea. Something that I didn’t do that often, maybe only once or twice a month, suddenly turned into a massive void in my life.

While texting a friend, she mentioned the same thing, and asked how can we show togetherness while apart? We brainstormed ideas for cards, ways to send a little love by mail, and she coined the term QuaraTea. That night when I woke up full of worry, that conversation popped into my mind. The worry suddenly shifted to thinking about how to illustrate this idea of a safe distance tea party. (Because, you know, Safe-Tea First)

In the morning, I sketched it out, and sent her the photo:

This idea rattled around in my brain for the next week or so, was there some way I could offer a sweet gift for friends? I also kept thinking about people who were adjusting to working from home, were they reassessing their coffee / tea mug collection?

Meanwhile, I received a grant from Teton ArtLab designed to provide financial help to local artists. That was a big piece of the puzzle, and helped me to pursue QuaraTea Parties.

My next step was to contact Tea Hive. I felt that their line of Teton Teas would be the final piece in this puzzle. A mug is nice, but a mug with tea is an actual party! I wanted to support another small business and keep the origin of my project local while also offering handmade love from my little corner of Wyoming to people anywhere.

And so, the QuaraTea Parties came out of my dreams and onto the table.

A QuaraTea Party for 1 is a mug + 2 Teton Teas, or to really enhance the tea ritual - a teapot & cup. Perhaps a sweet self-care gift, or something to send to a friend who needs a little pick-me-up.

Also available are QuaraTea Parties for 2. This is 2 sets: 1 mug + 2 Teton Teas. I send 1 to you and 1 to your friend. Then you can meet up for a video chat / tea party!

Sam thought the bunting in my photos was extra fun and that they should be included in each set. So we spent a cloudy afternoon making colorful party buntings!

This project has been a happy one. The first connection I missed was tea with friends, and now I feel like I get to enable long-distance tea parties!

A variety of QuaraTea Parties is available at Wyoming Artists Collective and also my Etsy shop. Sets start at $48 and all include the cost of shipping - although, if you live in the Jackson, WY area, I’m happy to leave a box on your porch!

categories New Ideas, Pottery In Use, Pottery Sales, Problem Solving, Shops with Pottery, Projects
tags teton teas, tea hive, tea party, gifts for tea lovers, tea sets, teapots and mugs, dowd house studios, jenny dowd, QuaraTea, quara tea

More Flowers

April 23, 2020Jenny Dowd

Well, this year really took a turn.

I also haven’t updated my journal since December. It’s not like I haven’t been doing anything, there are actually a lot of interesting things going on in the studio, but it just didn’t seem appropriate.

It’s been tough to stay motivated in the middle of the COVID-19 Pandemic, but it’s also forced me to really focus and dig into studio work. Suddenly I’m surrounded with virtual collaborations and am connecting with friends more than ever.

So, I’m going to start regular-ish posts again. And as my last post (from December which seems so so so far away) was about my tiny flowers, I think it is only appropriate to check in on what is going on with these flowers now.

On a rather gloomy day a few weeks ago, I pulled out all the little bins of flowers in my studio and made a bunch of bouquets. That turned into such a happy afternoon! Surrounded with scraps of pretty fabric and ribbons, I trimmed stems and wrapped up bunches of flowers.

My work is now featured at Wyoming Artists Collective and it’s the only place where the flowers are available online. Each bouquet is $30, which includes shipping. It seems the perfect way to send a little love to friends and family.

Flower shop

Of course if it’s local I’m always happy to drop the package on the porch and run away…

And I love seeing the bouquets in their new homes. They add little bits of color and smiles to our days of quarantine!

categories Projects, Shops with Pottery, Problem Solving, New Ideas
tags wyoming artist, wyoming artists collective, online art shopping, tiny flowers, jenny dowd flowers, mothers day gift

Wyoming Art Drop

October 27, 2019Jenny Dowd

Something special will be delivered to 50 mailboxes, and I’m excited to be part of this project! Artists Dannine Donaho and Lori Hunter have created the first ever Wyoming Art Drop. The Drop is a box that arrives by mail in early December and contains artwork from 6 Wyoming artists.

For my contribution, I’ve made 50 small porcelain mugs. This is my favorite shape, perfect for a small coffee or tea.

After making the mugs - which seems like the easy part in retrospect - a white glaze is inlayed into black glaze. My inspiration comes from those clear, dark, Wyoming nights with bright, bright stars and maybe just a hint of snowy reflection from the mountains - or maybe that is part of my imagination.

The outside of the mug is dipped into white glaze, then coated with a brush-able wax where I want the white to show through. After drying overnight, the exposed glaze is washed away. After another night of drying, the whole mug is glazed in black - the wax resists this glaze so the white can show through. They look pretty different after firing:

Here is the first stack of mugs fresh from the kiln!

The Drop includes work from 6 Wyoming artists: Lori Hunter, Beth Ann Snesko, Dannine Donaho, Favian Hernandez, and the Low Water String Band. Drops are limited, so as long as they are available you can order until November 30th. Check out the details here

categories Projects, Process, Shops with Pottery
tags wyoming artists, wyoming art drop, handmade mugs

Making a Puppet: Part 2

August 24, 2019Jenny Dowd

More from behind the scenes of making a giant pole puppet, plus the puppet in action!

(Check out my past journal entry Making a puppet to see how this all started)

Trying to reduce added weight, we decided to make the scales for the armadillo-ish beast out of cardboard. Strategically painting the scales with silver, black, and white helped mimic metal. I also made some special scales that were covered in shiny, scaly looking fabrics.

The scales were stitched on with wire, directly onto the fabric covering the armature. After connecting the neck, head, and tail to the body, the shiny scales went on as a transition. I ran out of time while attaching the big sequins, or more accurately, underestimated how long everything would take. However, in this case I think less is more. It was good to constantly remind myself that this very large creature would be seen from a distance, a little sparkle was better than none.

I had a little help… my parents arrived for a visit and were promptly put to work on the final details of the beast. (Thanks!)

And finally! The beast all put together. We designed it to be operated by 3 people: 1 person at the head, 1 at the body, 1 at the tail. In the end only 2 people were needed, the tail was stuffed so it would flop around with the movement of the body.

The performance happened on the lawn at the Center for the Arts where dancers from Dancers’ Workshop were joined by visiting artists from David Dorfman Dance.

There were 5 beasts featuring the Chinese elements: Water, Wood, Fire, Earth, and Metal. I regret that I did not get great photos of them in action.

In a beautiful and touching performance, the beasts were compelled to work together in order to solve a problem.

What a process and what a performance! I’m honored to have been part of this, I learned a lot and hope this is not my first & last puppet. But next time I might go a tad smaller…

categories New Ideas, Problem Solving, Process, Sculpture, Projects
tags pole puppet, dancers workshop, lets make a parade, armadillo puppet

Making a puppet

July 21, 2019Jenny Dowd

It can be difficult to share process photos and explain projects that are still mostly living in my head. However, I’m finding that this is a helpful part of my process, plus I’m excited to share this project.

Sam and I are currently working on a huge project - we are making a pole puppet! In June we had the opportunity to work with Eric and Ines Bass from Sandglass Theater in a collaboration with Dancers’ Workshop. This project will culminate with a parade and performance on August 16. (Stay tuned!) Our puppet is 1 of 5 beasts, each based on one of the Chinese Five Elements: Earth, Water, Metal, Wood, Fire. Our beast is Metal, and is loosely based on an armadillo.

The Chinese Five Elements contain a lot of interesting layers; Metal also refers to the emotion: sadness, color: white, and flavor: pungent.

We spent 4 days working on the body structure, the tail and head will be added later.

The base of the creature was made out of cardboard, with the double layers helping to keep the reed armature in place. After shaping the vertical hoops, I attached the horizontal reeds with tightly tied bike tubes. I really wanted the puppet body to articulate in two directions - up and down and side to side. However, after attaching a fabric hinge and trying to move the creature, I discovered that it was too bulky to have that much movement. Up and down was more important, so the hinges were remade to easily shift the mass up and down - as seen in the bottom right image.

Poles were installed under the base - they are fitted to the backpack worn by the puppeteer. A pole was inserted into the front half so the body will articulate up and down. Both me and Sam tried on the backpack to make these adjustments.

So, now that the structure is nearly complete, it’s time for the details! Although, these are still complicated and require a bit of engineering and careful thought. This is just the body of the puppet - the head and tail are still seperate at this point and will each have their own pole and puppeteer. Our beast will be operated by 3 people!

I’ve started covering the armature with fabric, including the soft underbelly of the beast, in silver and metallic blue. Next, the scaly armor will be attached, plus a neck, head, and tail.

Remember that the Chinese element Metal also includes the color white? My plan is for the colors to fade from deep metallic blue on the inside to silver and white as they progress from the body.

A few of the details here - Sam is gluing nostrils onto the head and I’ve started sewing the tip of the tail. I think we are over halfway finished, but there is still lots to be done.

Stay tuned for more updates and information on the performance and parade on August 16th in Jackson!

categories Process, Sculpture, Projects, Studio, Problem Solving
tags pole puppet, sculplture, dancers workshop

Sometimes for fun

July 29, 2018Jenny Dowd

Sometimes I make silly things that are just for me... these plant pots were demo pots made while teaching youth and adult handbuilding in the spring at the Art Association. The submarine started out like a regular pot, then transformed into something truly silly that I couldn't wait to get into my garden! The whale came along second as a response to the submarine.

It might be rare that I have an excuse to use a cake stand, but it's fun to use them! And I do think they get sad when they go too long without cake (oh, and I get sad too.) This cookies & cream icebox cake was extra yummy since the cake stand was involved!

Sometimes cake stands crack in the kiln- in my garden those turn into plant stands.

I have a few more silly things at work in the studio- starry garlands for my art fair booth and a sea monster paint brush holder... I'm looking forward to putting these to use soon!

categories Pottery In Use, Projects
tags dowd house studios, cake stands, garden pots, Handmade pottery in use

FoundSpace: Update

July 22, 2018Jenny Dowd

I'm used to projects offering more challenges than initially expected. Most things are not as simple as they seem, and making working thaumatropes proved that statement true over and over this summer.

Despite, or perhaps because of the difficulties, these are the projects I love the most. In frustration I'll leave my studio to take a walk, returning with another idea that I'm eager to try. I'll turn a difficult project around in my mind while working on something that makes sense- then when that project turns on me I'll go back to the other one.

To read about the first installment check out this past post and to read about the whole FoundSpace project check out this past post.

Thanks to installation by Matt Daly all 12 thaumatropes are now on display until the middle of August at Emily Steven's Park!

I got really serious about making the thaumatropes sturdy and functional, so for this final version each disk spins on an axle. The wood disks are glued and screwed together (learned from another early mistake.) The screws are counter-sunk on the last 4 disks so the drawing surface is smoother.

Each illustration was completed on paper, then transferred to the wooden disk using carbon paper and drawn/painted with acrylic paint pens. The illustration for the mottled sculpin was made on paper as well as vellum so I could check the overlap. When the disk spins both images are visible at once- for this image the mottled sculpin needed to look like he was under water- or more precisely, in a riffle.

After the logistics of creating spinning thaumatropes was figured out, the illustrations came easily as accompaniments to Matt's poems.

One of the coolest things about working with Matt on this project was learning about these little critters. When I looked up images of the Bushy-tailed Woodrat I also learned that they will drop whatever edible thing they are carrying back to their stash in favor of a shiny object- like a spoon or coins!

I had no idea what a Mottled Sculpin was- and that they are tiny- end of a finger tiny!

Plus the humor- while it may seem funny and light-hearted to authropormophise animals, it might also be serious. They might actually find each other obnoxious.

And cicadas might actually be pretty excited to graduate from nymph-hood!

The best part is that this project has made me look differently at this area I've lived in for over 10 years... there is always something to learn and something to see.

Stop by Emily Steven's Park to see all 12 before August 20th!

categories Community Projects, Projects, Sculpture, Problem Solving
tags foundspace, Jackson Hole, jackson hole public art, jackson hole land trust, thaumatropes, minifauna, illustration, Poetry

FoundSpace 2018: Part 2

June 09, 2018Jenny Dowd

This week FoundSpace 2018 was unveiled at Emily Steven's Park! This art will be on display until August 8, and there is plenty to explore. I'm one of 5 artists invited by the JH Land Trust and JH Public art to create a temporary installation that will bring awareness to our public wild spaces. At FoundSpace, the challenge is to create something that will help visitors see the space in a different way- and hopefully discover something new every time they visit.

This awesome map, designed by Cal Brackin, was screen printed onto bandanas by Walt Gerald.

FoundPrints by the Sun

Brittany Hill took inspiration from the organic material found in this location to create naturally dyed flags. Each represent a species that has been transferred to the fabric through printmaking processes that rely on the sun.

Looksees

Bronwyn Minton invites viewers to come over and take a looksee. Her large sculptures are hard to resist and each offer spyglass holes- look through and you might just see something.

The Small Village of Treepoli

Bland Hoke enticed the small occupants of Treeopoli to construct a tiny village of hanging houses and rope ladders. Look closely, many details are hidden within the village.

Chronicles of the Introverted Minifauna

Matt Daly and I have created thaumatropes (check out last week's blog post for details) that tell stories about the little critters that are easily overlooked. So far we have installed 4... but keep an eye out, we will be installing more around the park over the next month!

categories Community Projects, New Ideas, Projects, Sculpture
tags FoundSpace, JH Land Trust, JH Public Art, Bronwyn Minton, Bland Hoke, brittany hill, Matt Daly, Public art, thaumatropes

Ensemble

May 25, 2018Jenny Dowd

It's time for the Laramie County Library annual book arts exhibition, Inspiration and the Artist Book. As usual, this year's theme left me stumped for a few months: Ensemble. I rolled the idea around in my head as I worked on other projects and brainstormed with my dad (now you know my secret!)

This time I went tiny, deciding to make an ensemble of clothing. But it's not just any clothing- these items are made from the pages of an old book.

I started out by making tiny patterns and testing how to fold the paper with the fewest number of folds or overlaps.

I really wanted a hat as part of this wardrobe, it took me a few tries to figure out how to display it. At first I made a stand-alone hat rack, but that seemed too complicated. In the end I added a little hook onto the clothing stand so all the little pieces would be together.

The clothing rack and hangers are made from black wire. I like the gestural line quality and felt it fit well with the pages of text.

The final piece is very small, 8 inches tall by 10 inches long.

Book Jackets

Each person is a book. We are each an ensemble of ideas, information, fact, fiction, stories, dreams and musings. In order to face the day we wrap ourselves in what we have, leaving space in the wardrobe for more items and changing styles.

By mixing and matching we create a story to be presented to the world, adding and sharing pages and pieces through conversation, reading, living, and researching.

This tiny delicate piece was also a challenge to pack for shipping. In the end it occupied a much larger box than I would have imagined for such a small piece... but the box only weighed 4 pounds!

Visit this book sculpture in person and see how all the other artists interpreted "Ensemble." The show will be on display at the Laramie County Library in Cheyenne, WY from June 8 - August 8, 2018.

categories Projects, New Ideas, Art Exhibitions, Sculpture
tags Laramie County Library, ensemble, Book Arts Invitational, bookart, small sculpture, paper sculpture, paper clothing

Catching Up

May 06, 2018Jenny Dowd

So much is happening right now! Which is funny, since I have been feeling like I'm not doing anything interesting or worth talking about. I'm at the start of several new things, desperately behind on some others, and thinking about a huge change to my studio by adding a new clay / decoration / firing temperature. I think it's realistic to say that I've been overwhelmed.

So what has been happening?

A few sculpture projects are in the works. More on these to come in the next weeks...

I've been teaching a lot of clay classes at the Art Association, both adult and youth. And making some funny things as examples... like this submarine flower pot (next up, garden gnomes!)

I just finished a project at the Kelly Elementary with the 2nd & 3rd grade class. For this project I worked with pARTners- an organization that bring local artists into the schools to help with special projects. The class was studying the Pacific Northwest, so I worked with the students to make their own totem poles. Each section tells a story, about the maker as well as family, past and present.

I've been working on a new mug design for the General Store at Menors Ferry in Grand Teton National Park:

And... I'm a new vendor at Uncommon Goods! Visit my page and read the story here

I'm moving in a lot of directions right now and every day is different. It's good to take time to reflect, this is a nice reminder that I'm doing a lot of interesting things. (And even a better reminder to keep carving out time to sit and read!)

categories Studio, Projects, New Ideas

Pottery in Action: The Wild Sage

February 17, 2018Jenny Dowd

Here's a behind the scenes look into a project I've been working on for the past few months. I'm currently working on pottery for several Jackson area restaurants (more updates to come!) the latest one is the Wild Sage located in the Rusty Parrot.

I've not been great about photographing the work, I was so excited to deliver these pieces that they went straight from the kiln into boxes. That just means that now I have an even better excuse for dinner out! (Besides, pottery always looks better with food.)

Last fall, Chef Travis Catanzaro contacted me to discuss new pottery designs for the restaurant. Since then I've been making sauce bowls, pitchers, ramekins and bread baskets with a stoneware, earth-tone inspired palette.

One of these forms, the bread basket, is intended to replace the metal woven baskets they have been using. After measuring the existing baskets, my first thought was to find a form that I could slump the clay over. I wasn't terribly excited about the simple oval form that would be created, so I took some time to think.

Eventually, I wondered if the clay could be folded into the squared oval shape that I was seeking. After a few paper test pieces, I was able to make a pattern. Rolling the slab of clay onto burlap gave the outside texture. The walls were folded up and since the baskets are the same size, they also stack. (The first few were pretty wonky, I learned that the template was really important.)

Amazingly, when I sent Travis a photo of the prototype basket, he told me about a bread dough that is wrapped in fabric with texture similar to burlap, the process then transfers the texture to the bread!

These ramekins are a new form for me as well. As an extra challenge I had to find an oven safe clay that could survive the thermal shock delivered from the oven. The dishes are wheel thrown and then slightly pressed on the sides to create the oval shape. When glazing I used 6 glazes in a variety of combinations- you can see by my notes (on the left) how I had to make a plan to keep things organized.

So if you are in Jackson, be sure to stop by the Wild Sage for dinner. I know I can't wait to see these pieces in action!

categories Pottery In Use, Problem Solving, Projects
tags Wild Sage at the Rusty Parrot, Jackson Hole Dining, Handmade pottery in use, Jenny Dowd, Stoneware Pottery

Ornaments & Cookies

December 24, 2016Jenny Dowd

Same process, different outcome!

About a month ago I started making ornaments knowing they would be just in time for absolute last minute Christmas gifts. The ornaments start out a lot like cookies- roll the clay thin, cut with biscuit cutters, add a small hole for hanging.

The ornaments are for sale at Workshop in Jackson and each one is unique, just like everything in this store. Even the name- some say Jackson Hole and others say Jackson, WY.

The text is written with an underglaze inlay process; when the clay is almost leather-hard I write the text into the surface with a sharp blade. Watered-down black underglaze is brushed over the surface, then sponged off.

The other side features patterned mountains, this time in a sgraffito process. The entire surface is coated with black underglaze, I wait until it has dried just enough, then scratch through to reveal the clay underneath. Some are glazed partially with a clear glaze while others remain unglazed for a satin finish.

Needless to say, I've been thinking about cookies since I started this project!

My ornaments are hanging and the (actual) shortbread cookies are out of the oven... Merry Christmas!

categories Shops with Pottery, Projects
tags Jenny Dowd, Dowd House Studios, Jackson Hole, Ornaments

Pathways Timeline

October 01, 2016Jenny Dowd

Yesterday, in celebration of the 20th anniversary of Garaman Park, I was invited to create a chalk timeline to depict the history of Pathways through Jackson Hole. This park is a nice stop along the 49 miles of pathways through Teton County. With access to Flat Creek, a picnic pavilion and open grassy space; Garaman park is a peaceful and open space tucked between neighborhoods.

It's been rainy lately in Wyoming, so this was a risky project. Once the pathway dried off, I got to work marking out the timeline- from 1991 to 2017. I worked all afternoon to write the highlights from each year and added in some graphic elements to illustrate the story.

With large grey clouds looming, I focused on the process- legible handwriting, interesting and simple graphics. I learned a lot about the history of Pathways and all the elements and work that have made these areas possible.

And then the rain came... I didn't take any photos of my work before this point yet I was surprised at how the chalk held up!

Projects don't always go as planned, but there is always something to be gained.

The anniversary celebration was from 4 - 7 and was well attended. The chalk timeline was just one element during the evening and was a great way to invite people to walk the years of work behind Pathways projects. A lot of people experienced the timeline while I was working on it and also before the rain washed it away.

categories Community Projects, Projects
tags jenny dowd, Pathways in Jackson Hole, Garaman Park Jackson WY, Chalk Timeline

Western Design Conference 2016

September 10, 2016Jenny Dowd

Earlier this year Agnes Bourne invited several Jackson artists to work with her on a project for the 2016 Western Design Conference. We were asked to create artwork for the foyer of the Designer Show House, on display during the conference, September 8 - 11.

The theme of the room, Flying West in Summer, served as inspiration as we met and discussed our vision for the space. Sam committed to making a coat rack and I took on the challenge of a chandelier.

The cool end of summer / early fall weather was perfect; we turned our driveway into an extra studio for welding, fabrication and even wood burning.

The Designer Show House is composed of 9 rooms, each featuring a different designer. The foyer celebrates "New Arts" in Jackson, with new and repurposed objects offering a welcoming space full of ideas and reflections. Visitors are met with a large shelving unit filled with fascinating objects: a Cabinet of Curiosities. To the right in the lower bank of photos, Ben Roth's Aspen Coat Rack, fabricated from steel and spoons. At the top and lower shelves of the Cabinet of Curiosities is The Grand Pan, created by Bland Hoke. Small paintings by Lee Riddell are tucked between the curiosities.

Inspiration for Sam's steel and wood coat rack came from the current fire season in Wyoming and throughout the West.

My inspiration for the Wyoming Sky Lantern came originally from the little white birds seen at a distance in Yellowstone National Park, usually around Grand Prismatic. I also incorporated the silhouette of the ever present mountains and stars that pierce the night sky.

Also in the image below is a plein air painting by Kathryn Mapes Turner. And surrounding the room is a giant image from Triangle X Ranch, printed on fabric.

This project stretched the imagination- the first time we saw all of the components together was during the installation on Monday before the show opened! With a bit of magic and a lot of trust this project came together to offer a space full of vision, as written by Agnes Bourne:

listen to the light

in the tent of early dawn

under the cover of quiet sunrise

the Wunderkammer of deepest dreams

reflects the shadows of living memories

in the museums of our minds

flying West in summer

listen to the light - listen to the light

categories Projects, Studio, Art Exhibitions, New Ideas
tags Western Design Conference, Sam Dowd, Jenny Dowd, Agnes Bourne Studio

Wonder Cups

July 23, 2016Jenny Dowd

Lately I have been working on several interesting projects; special orders and prototypes for local shops.

This week I finished a special order of little cups for the Center of Wonder in Jackson, WY. Since this organization is dedicated to creating moments of wonder and supporting creativity in our community, it seemed appropriate to make each cup just a little different.

In order to add a bit of personalization, the Wonder Bird logo is on the inside of each cup. This took some trial and error, in the end I made a stencil using contact paper. Simplifying the logo then adding the details made this process a little simpler.

First, using underglaze, I would paint the positive or negative of the simplified bird into the base of the leather hard cup. Next I would peel off the stencil and paint in the details or scratch them out of the black: eye, feet and curly tail.

The finished cups are super cute plus I got more confident with making, using and altering stencils.

Often these projects help me figure out different ways to approach my craft and sometimes the techniques show up in future work.

categories New Ideas, Projects
tags Dowd House Studios, Jenny Dowd, Center of Wonder, Special Order

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