Collaborating with a friend

I have a pottery friend who hand builds these fanciful creatures from coil pots or slabs. Each week when I visit the pottery studio she has fashioned a new creature out of clay. I have watched her create alpacas, dodo birds, chickens, dragons, fish and all sorts of jars and vessels. I have wanted to work on some collaborating for some time and suggested we try our hand at Exquisite Corpse. This is an exercise that the surrealist artists would practice and always fascinated me. Each artist would work on one part of a body, not knowing what the other artist was doing. So this spring, just at the onset of the pandemic we implemented our plan. She handed off a few bodies and I sent her a couple of heads. I got to work on creating a few heads for her bodies and fired and glazed them in my kiln. Here are two that I completed last week..

This little guy will have wings that my artist friend will stitch into hole openings in his back.

This little guy will have wings that my artist friend will stitch into hole openings in his back.

I loved the different sections and textures that the artist created on her caterpillar. I tried my best to highlight them with under glazes.

I loved the different sections and textures that the artist created on her caterpillar. I tried my best to highlight them with under glazes.

My pottery friend is so great with details, I am envious. How about those sneakers?

My pottery friend is so great with details, I am envious. How about those sneakers?

This is a head sculpture that I handed off. I made this piece with the intent of putting him in my garden when completed. I’m seeing some type of plant growing out the top of his head, but I will have to wait to see how he is completed.

This is a head sculpture that I handed off. I made this piece with the intent of putting him in my garden when completed. I’m seeing some type of plant growing out the top of his head, but I will have to wait to see how he is completed.

This head has a hole in the top. I want to make a fountain out of him. I am so excited to see him completed

This head has a hole in the top. I want to make a fountain out of him. I am so excited to see him completed