Artist's Statement
MEDIA SWITCH
I have been in a committed relationship for twenty five years and we are parting ways. Making large porcelain sculptures has become too physically difficult . Creating smaller forms in clay does not hold any interest for me. The media I use does not define me and I am ready to move on.
I have discovered a new media that is a good fit to my sensibility. It is slow and meditative. The piece forms incrementally . Ideas develop as I work. Crochet offers a way to work with pixels of color that is open ended . I have experimented with wool, cotton and silk yarn. Perhaps the direction will narrow or grow larger. I am excited to see the trajectory over time.
I am learning to create color from natural materials. Colors from nature are harmonious and appealing, never clashing or startling.
The environment of the studio has changed as well. My dye studio is outdoors at my home. My cats, Ivy and Oliver ,can visit from their catio as I work. I am surrounded by sky and plants. My indoor studio is where I experiment with crochet forms.
I hope that you will follow along as I venture down this new path. I am anxious to see where it will take me!
Cheryl Ann Thomas working in her Ventura, CA studio.
Photo by Donna Granata
Focus on the Masters
PORCELAIN PROCESS
My investigation in porcelain clay began with a question, "How thin and how tall can I make a column using the coiling method and what will the results be?" I found that the columns were too thin and too tall to hold their form and would collapse during the firing. I chose to limit my colors to black, white and gray.
Five years later, another question arose, "What will happen if I combine two or more fired columns and re-fire them?" I found that the forms would continue to reshape and enfold one another.
In another five years the next question arose. "What will happen if I add white to my black clay." I assumed I would get another variety of gray. Instead, I got blue. Then I wondered what other colors I could develop.
I assumed that my investigation of process would not be personal but merely academic. In hindsight, I realize the purely objective pursuit is impossible. Looking at my work as it surrounds me in the studio, I learn that I an drawn to fragility, accident or chance and reconciliation. The intuitive grows stronger as I continue my exploration.
Cheryl Ann Thomas working in her Ventura, CA studio.
Photo by W. Scott Miles
The Scientific Photographer