Being an artist working in the ceramics medium I enjoy the work of many of my contemporaries. However, there are two individuals that I am particularly drawn to for their use of color and surface. While there are numerous clay artists that use color very vibrantly, these individuals have influenced me the most:
Susanne Stephenson; Ann Arbor, Michigan
Spiral Dance
Terra Cotta, slips, vitreous engobes
20" height x 16" width x 14" depth
(image source: Forming Gestures catalogue)
Tiger Gorge III
Terra cotta, slips, vitreous engobes
26" diameter x 3" depth
(image source: Forming Gestures catalogue)
Michael Sherrill; Hendersonville, North Carolina
Tossed Rhododendron
Porcelain, engobes, bronze
17" height x 22" width x 14" depth
(image source: Ferrin Gallery)
Tossed Rhododendron
Detail
(image source: Ferrin Gallery)
I saw the work of this artist, for the first time, in Blue Spiral 1. He abrades through layers of paint as Michael Sherrill does through engobes: