Cup Swap tomorrow

I'm going to the cup swap at the CCAc Ceramics Dept. tomorrow evening and I made some sweet little cups for it. Just thought I'd share them with y'all.




I made them as pinch pots and flattened them square. Then I drew the men with White and Black underglaze on 2 sides of each cup. Finally I used a clear glaze on the inside.




So I'm bringing the little one, just so you know.

recent sketchbook drawings

This is a glacier.

I thought that I would post some recent drawings just to show what else I'm up to.
Enjoy.

This is a video of John Toki and I demonstrating raku firing in a microwave kiln. Here is a link to the Paragon website where you can also see it.

Another Opening at the Compound and Art in a Box

So tomorrow, Friday October 2nd is first Friday in Oakland so it's your best chance to see Crystal Morey, Derek Weisberg, and my show at the Compound Gallery.
I'll be there.
You should come.
Also I just thought I'd let everyone see my new pieces for Art in a Box.
Here is the lowdown:
"The Compound Gallery is pleased to announce ART IN A BOX, a new art subscription service featuring Bay Area artists. Operating on the model of a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) or wine subscription service, Art in a Box offers amazing original works of art instead of vegetables or wine. Each month subscribers receive a new work of fine art by a different local artist. Our featured artists work in a variety of mediums (ceramic, printmaking, painting, collage, digital prints, etc.) and most of them live and work in Oakland or San Francisco.

Subscribers can indicate a preference in mediums, but not the artist or piece. All artwork is contained in an 11” x 17” x 3” box along with the artist’s bio. Subscriptions are $30/month for pick up only, and $50/month which includes shipping and a bonus piece (there is a minimum three month subscription). We currently have subscribers in all parts of the U.S.—from Oakland to Brooklyn. Art in a Box allows subscribers to receive high quality works worth much more than the subscription cost, gives local artists national exposure, and helps to support the arts and artists in the Bay Area."

And here is the latest:

East Bay Express: I'm on the cover. Awesome.

So, I've gotten a few emails in the last couple of days about reviews for "This Long Road." There are a couple of nice blog reviews as well as an online article that just came out in the East Bay Express. Anyhow today I just found out they used my 'Asbestos Suit' piece on the cover of the actual issue of the East Bay Express. Crazy. Anyhow you should pick up a copy if you can. Here is a picture of the cover:



All you have to do is remove this sticker for "Star Wars in Concert":


And this is the picture revealed:


If you're not in the bay area you can read the review here.

Show at the Compound update

Hey everyone check out this awesome page of the pieces from the show that Matt and Lena put up over at the Compound Gallery.
If yer so inclined you can buy the art there as well.
I will hopefully have some other good pictures at some point but this is pretty sweet.
Thanks yet again Matt and Lena.

A sucessful show and Jordan has a Blog!

Hey thanks to everyone who came out to the art opening on Saturday. For those of you who didn't: you missed out. The turnout was great and it was wonderful seeing so many people I hadn't seen in a long time. The show will be up for a month so it's not too late to see it if you're around.
Also

My friend and colleague Jordan Mello has a newish blog:
http://mosstowne.blogspot.com/
Check it out.
He has just added some of his ceramic sculpture.

More Show in Progress

So these are some sculptures I'm in the process of glazing tonight. They have a base coat of underglaze on their skin that I fired on in the bisque firing. Now I have rubbed black underglaze into the crevices to bring out the detail and I am about to add shadows and highlights. Next I will glaze their eyes, hair and finally clothing.

This is a sculpture I got out of the kiln a couple of days ago using the same process as above(different grey-green underglaze for the skin color.)

Next is the finished flame wall pedestal. Turned out rather nice though I broke one of the flame points off of the upper left hand side. I'll have to glue unfortunately.


Finally a little test piece I made with an old 1961 slip casting mold of a geisha that I used as a press mold.

This long road: in the works

So here are some pictures of some work that I'm getting ready for the show next month.
We just fired a couple of kilns full of work that we'll be unloading tomorrow evening. The last couple of nights I've just been glazing glazing glazing. The piece with the flames you can see was glazed with old duncan leaded glazes. They are absolutely gorgeous. I've already glaze fired it twice but it's going in the kiln tomorrow for yet another round.

Here are some shots of me in the studio.



Stay tuned I'll try to keep posting as I ramp up for the show.

This Long Road

So I'm going to be in a show next month with my good friends Crystal Morey and Derek Weisberg. It's at the Compound Gallery where I have been selling heads for quite a while now(see earlier posts). Here are the details about the show:

This Long Road is a show of individual works as well as collaborative pieces, made by Ben Belknap, Derek Weisberg, and Crystal Morey. All three artists were schoolmates at the California College of Arts and Crafts where a relationship began rooted in the love of figurative sculpture. Each artist has their own interpretation and style of the body as well as emotional content behind the work. In “This Long Road’ the artists will each represent their own work, and then explore the wonder, innovation, and trials of working together on a larger project.
Opening: Saturday September 12
Closing: Sunday September 27th

Ceramic Beer Bottles

These are some really awesome ceramic bottles that my friend Mikael Kirkman has been making that I have been helping with. We are planning an art show where we are going to have different artists glaze the outside of the bottles. Afterwards we are going to brew beer in them and display them at the Guerrilla cafe in Berkeley.

Also we're working on a couple glazes that we are going to try to market to some different brewers. We'll see. The ash glaze (the drippy one, for you non-ceramic types) is especially cool and old-timey looking. Anyhow contact me if yer interested in decorating a bottle and stay tuned as I'll have more pictures as we make more.

Dams

I've been working on some small pieces that are sort of tests for a larger project I want to work on. They're in the kiln right now so I don't have any pictures but I found this photo on the internet that is somewhat similar. The glaze is going to look really good.

Craft Fair At CCA in Oakland

So I'm gearing up for the craft sale at the ol' CCAC campus.
It's weekend after next on Saturday the 6th from 11 am til 3 pm or so.
Please stop by as I will have many heads for sale as well as other goodies.


Also I will have heads for sale as usual at the Compound Gallery. www.thecompoundgallery.com
They are having their holiday sale the same weekend.

Here is their schpeel:

This gift sale has become a Blankspace tradition and this year we are happy to announce The Compound Gallery (Southpole) and Blankspace Gallery (Northpole) will be joining Holiday forces to create an Art Extravaganza! There will be great original artwork, handmade crafts, jewelry, accessories, cards, ornaments, tote bags and much, much more.

Both Galleries will open the same hours and will be hosting receptions at the same times. All art will be available for immediate purchase (cash & carry).

Plus, come by during one of the two Holiday cheer receptions and enjoy the fun music, festive food, seasonal libations and holiday surprises!!

The best original and thoughtful gifts for the ones you love can be found at Holidayland.

Shop local, support small business this Holiday Season.

Participating Artists: Adrian Van Allen, Adrian Varnes, Alissa Goss, Ambur Mueller, Mr. Ben Venom, Bob Denman, Christopher Romer, Claudia Bauer, Crystal Morey, Elysa Fenenbock, Eric Sanchez, Freya van Dien, Gabriel Nansen, Gina Pericini, Jake Gillespie, Kari Marboe, Lena Reynoso, Matt Reynoso, Noah Sakamoto, Obi Kaufmann, Paul Murphy, RedStart Design, Sara Christian, Steven Barich, Tallulah Terryll, and more…
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Something I'm Working On

I made the figure in the asbestos suit a while ago. Originally he had a rather plain wall hanging pedestal. I wanted to make it more interesting.

Heads from Texas

I was just in texas recently visiting the folks. It was really fun.
While I was their I took some pictures of some of my older work that now resides there.

restock of ceramic heads at the Compound Gallery

See older post for details on the Compound Gallery.
(Thank you Matt and Lena.)

Mountains - fresh

So just got these from Derek Weisberg, who was kind enough to fire them for me.
The big one had been sitting around for a couple of months waiting for the first available cone five firing.
They turned out pretty sweet, I just need to figure out how to display them and with what other elements.

Ceramic Head

Another Ceramic Head

New ceramic heads fresh from the kiln

I'll post several over the next few days.
Stay tuned.

Ceramic Head that Hue Made that I Glazed

I Put Some of My Drawings on My Website

Go see more at: www.BenBelknap.com