totally different head, totally

I realized recently that it has been over six months since I last posted here... But in the past six months, I have found loads of new artists to post. So. Without further preamble, allow me to share with you the ceramic work of Natalia Gruszecka, a Polish "ceramic designer" who works from her studio, ENDEsign. Of all of the work in her Etsy shop, her doll head cups are my favorite.

She says of her cups' design: "This cup was made during my work in porcelain manufacture in Poland. One day I found this warehouse full of old plaster molds, nobody used for production anymore. Among many others I found this treasure: a mold used to produce porcelain heads for dolls decades ago. I was fascinated! I decided to give them a new life…."

I also really love her slab-built cups. They're so delicate and organic (not two things I often associate with slab-built pieces).

pretty polymers

Whenever I think of polymer clay, this is what typically pops into my head.

(Something cheesy and almost cute, but not really at all.)

And then I came across Angela Schwer's polymer clay sculptures. She sells her fantastically beautiful work on Etsy under the shop name DillyPad (named for her children Davis and Lily). To find out more about her and how she makes each piece, read this interview with her here.

clean and simple

I love the simplicity of these slab built cups by Dawn Vachon

what a tease

Loving these "Drip Tease" and "Lip Tease" china pieces by British-Japanese designer Reiko Kaneko

in stitches

Using ceramic plates and cups, different fabrics, and thread, Seattle-based Vietnamese artist Diem Chau creates beautiful snapshots of figures and fleeting moments. Visit her blog for recent updates and her website to see her past works and which pieces are currently available for purchase.

darkness in white

The porcelain work of ceramic artist Kate MacDowell is a sight to behold. Each piece is lovingly handcrafted, showing off MacDowell's obvious talent, but also capturing a a kind of beautiful grotesqueness that has you wanting to take a closer look. As commentaries on man's damaging impact on his surrounding environment, each piece assaults our sense of comfort by seamlessly blending together man and nature, offering up images of stunning pain.