Luce et Studio Exhibition

These are images from my exhibition at Luce et Studio in San Diego.  The opening of the show on August 3rd was amazing with so many great visitors, delicious food and fun music.  A big thanks to everyone who came!

Table Story One
Ceramics by Yasha Butler - Tables by Jennifer Luce
5070 Santa Fe Street 'A', San Diego, CA 92109

In The Studio

I just finished a firing and unloaded the kiln.

These are my Functional Landscapes.

Bulusma 3

Yılbaşı için hediye arayanlara duyurulur, 14-17 Aralık arası sizi Buluşma 3'e bekliyorum!!!

Adres: Bobbin, Teşvikiye Bostan Sokak (Karakol Sokak) No:13/3, Kat 2, Nişantaşı

Tarih: 14-17 Aralık 2011, 11.00-19.00 arası

Görüşmek üzere!!

xo yasha

Holiday Sale Event

I will be selling my vessels and porcelain jewelry from December 14th to 17th at "Bulusma III" in Istanbul.  Come by grab a cup of tea, meet the artists behind the work, and do some fun holiday shopping!

Place: Bobbin - Teşvikiye Bostan Sokak (Karakol Sokak) No:13/3, Kat:2, Nişantaşı, Istanbul
Tel: 0212 260 06 82
Date: 14-17 Aralık (December) 2011
Time: 11:00 - 19:00

How I take my photos

If there are any of you out there wandering how to create a cheap photo studio, this is how I do it:

On the left hand side I use two adjustable desk lamps with 100W incandescent bulbs.  One doesn't seem to give enough light for me.  I guess I could use one higher wattage light, but this is what I had on hand.

In front of the lamps I put a screen that diffuses the light (this is very important!!).  I use a previously unused silk-screen, but you could also tape some translucent paper to an old frame or to the lamp itself (just be careful the lamp doesn't get to hot!)

On the right hand side I use a large white sketch pad to reflect the light into the areas that would otherwise have a dark shadow.  A better alternative would be a large piece of foam-core, but the pad seems to work fine.

Lastly, to create a seamless background I use a long piece of white paper (I actually used some tracing paper that was sitting around, but plain white paper would be much better!).  Just attach the paper to the wall and let it drape down all the way to the front of the table creating a smooth curve.

It's that simple!

I hope this helps, please let me know if you have any photo tips of your own!

In The Studio

 

I am working on getting together a jewelry order for The IKSV Design Shop and my own Etsy Store.  This is a pre-firing image of some of the ceramic pieces I finished this weekend.  If you know my work you will recognize the white, grey and black pieces from my Bone line that will soon become earrings and necklaces.  The not so recognizable pieces on the right are part of my new line! They will fire to a beautiful dark chocolatey brown.  Stay tuned for the finished work!

In the Studio

I am working on a new jewelry line which I first began during my residency at the Museum of Arts and Design in New York.  I had put the project on hold while I was getting used to my new life here in Barcelona, but I decided it was time to bring this project back to the front burner.  I hope to have some actual pieces from this new line for sale in my online store by November!

These are some initial pieces, but I am still playing with a bunch of different ideas.

Slowly Discovering Barcelona

Two months have passed since my last day at the Museum of Arts and Design, but I have only had a week to sit back and reflect on my time there. During the past two months I packed up my life in New York and transported it to Barcelona, Spain. Leaving a city so full of life was difficult, but I can't wait to be influenced by my new home.

During my residency at MAD I used Central Park as my inspiration for a new line of jewelry. I collected a variety of leaves, twigs, buds and seeds from the Park. Each piece of jewelry was inspired by a specific natural element. For instance, I based a brooch on the dried veins of a leaf, a pair of earrings on the frayed edge of a blade of grass, and a necklace on the linear form of a twig.

(Finished pieces from this new line of jewelry are on display on the 6^th floor at the Museum of Arts and Design and on my website at this link: http://yashabutler.com/section/211499_Stem.html)

In Barcelona, I want to continue the creative exploration that I began in New York. I have already started to collect visual snapshots from around the city. Having grown up along the Mediterranean, I'm thrilled to be reunited with the sea and sun again. I spend a lot of time on the cold winter beach, recording images of water and sand. I have also been staring out over roof tops, photographing the city 6 stories above the ground.

Above, I posted some photographs taken this week.

Finishing The Bowl

...I continued carving the plaster. Once I achieved the shape that I had envisioned, I began to prep it for mold making. First, I applied three layers of a mixture of shellac and denatured alcohol. Secondly, I found the center line where the mold would come apart. Then finally, I built a clay wall up to this center line. After these steps I poured the plaster in two stages and created my beautiful mold!

After waiting a few days for the plaster mold to dry, I cast a bowl from it. Unfortunately, I was unhappy with the shape and volume of the resulting bowl. It lacked the flowing curves and delicate edges I was hoping to achieve.

It is now time to go back to the drawing board!

Beginning of a New Bowl

I have just begun working on a new line of slipcast forms. I thought it would be fun to document my design process from beginning to end. Above are images of where I have gotten so far.

First, I begin by sketching out my ideas. I make drawings on paper, as well as construct small clay models. When I have a general idea of the shape that I want, I pour a block of plaster. I make sure that this block has equivalent volume to the vessel that I have in mind . Once the plaster has set, I begin to carve it down. This part of the process always takes a long time. It is very labor intensive, but it is also the most exciting. Although I have a general idea of the bowl that I want to create, I allow myself the freedom to work from instinct. The outcome is always a bit of a surprise.

Stay tuned to see the final vessel...

The Poppies

PLEASE VOTE FOR ME (YASHA BUTLER)!!

PLEASE VISIT THE LINK BELOW AND SCROLL TO THE END OF THE LIST. I AM AT THE VERY END!!

http://poppytalk.blogspot.com/2010/01/poppies-vote-no-1-ceramics.html

THANK YOU!!!!!

Porcelain Jewelry

The photographs that I take of my ceramics are an extension of the work itself. I try to create vignettes that embody the concept of the pieces. This photo collage is a mini story of my jewelry.