When I go to an art museum, I find it is easy to gaze upon the works that hang upon the walls. With wall-hanging art like paintings and photographs, the relationship is pretty much triangular between the art, your eyes and your brain [and well, your heart]. With sculpture, however, I find that my fingers want to do the seeing...I want to touch - especially with works done in clay and/or stone. But, as I used to tell my daughters when they were little girls, 'look with your eyes, not with your hands.'
In college, among all the other classes, I also took courses in sculpture. I tried carving stone - granite if you can believe it. And I worked in clay. Love clay. One of my favorite pieces - a freshman work to be sure, but still a favorite - is one we have in our living room our family calls "Alien Head Man." This work stands about two feet tall and his gaze is
upwards. And a funny story in our family is that every niece, nephew and grandchild as a toddler has indeed poked their fingers in Alien Head Man's nose and filled its mouth with candy M&Ms.
I can remember my college art class when the chunk of granite was on the table staring me in the face and I was trying to figure out what to do with it. One of the quotes attributed to Michelangelo is "...Every block of stone has a statue inside it and it is the task of the sculptor to discover it..." So I attacked that rock with my hammer and chisel. And discovered that if indeed there was a statue hidden inside, it would take me a lifetime to find it. Granite, it turned out was not my 'thing.' Clay was...is...so much different. I don't work in clay anymore due to the unfriendliness of arthritis and miss the tactile joy of it.
However, I appreciate the sculpture of other artists who do work in clay. One such artist is from the state of Florida ...welcome to Mosaic Mandalas sculptor Eloise Ritt.
Question: On the SaatchiOnLine site, in the ‘about’ information, it says that you have been involved with the arts most of your adult life…have you only worked in the medium of sculpture?
Eloise: Sculpting in clay is my favorite medium to work in. I also paint. I use acrylic paint and pastels.
Question: How and why did you choose sculpture as your creative choice of expression?
Eloise: In the sixties a friend asked if I wanted to visit a Pottery [studio] with her.
After visiting there many times I was given a gift certificate to take clay classes. For about twelve years I went to every clay workshop that came into the Orlando area. I also studied at Penland School of Crafts and Montoya in West Palm Beach, Florida. I was defiantly hooked!
Question: What does sculpture allow you to say as an artist that a 2-dimensional art form like painting does not?
Eloise: I feel that the art of sculpture allows me more freedom to express myself.
Question: I’ve done some sculpture and I know that for me part of the appeal is the literal, visceral hands-on creation of molding [or chipping/chopping/scraping] of a material into a vision held in my mind’s eye. What is the appeal of sculpture for you?
Eloise: I love modeling clay with my hands and tools. After all these years it is still exciting for me to see the sculpture emerge.
Question: One of your newest works is “Once Upon A Time;” can you talk about what inspired this work and the process for creating it?
Eloise: This piece of sculpture has a special place in my heart. It is a very personal piece in remembrance of a special time and place. It was sculpted from white clay that has a porcelain appearance when fired. I painted the roses, mask and the pearls. It was fired to 05.
Question: What is your favorite material for sculpture?
Eloise: Clay is my favorite material for sculpting. I took a bronze workshop and after going through the process, I knew that I would never have the patience for making molds. So everything that I sculpt is one of a kind from clay.
Question: I like your piece, “Amish Girl;” what was the inspiration for this piece? What is it sculpted in and why did you leave it unpainted?
Eloise: I was inspired to do this piece after the tragedy that happened to the Amish children in their school. I was haunted by this little girl’s face after seeing her picture. It is sculpted in white clay. I air-brushed the sculpture with two different under glazes. It was then fired to cone O5.
Question: On your website you have quite a few works with a Native American theme – what drew you to this theme?
Eloise: I feel for the Native American. The first piece I sculpted was of a warrior. I did this piece after a commercial [venture] was about to invade my neighborhood and we were threatened with eminent domain. This action was defeated. I did the sculpture titled ‘Osceola.’ The county I live in is named after him. Some of the Native American sculptures are colored with cement stain. I’m able to get the color I want with these stains. 'Geronimo' is colored with cement stains.
Question: On your website in the second gallery is one work totally different from the others: “Macaw Tiles;” can you talk about this work: are these handmade tiles? Hand-painted? What was the inspiration? Will you do other tile work?
Eloise: We have Macaws at our house, so I am familiar with them. A wooden frame was made. Clay was placed in the frame and I did a bas relief; after the clay set up I cut the tiles. It was fired to
cone O5 and then painted with acrylic paint. It was installed on my porch. The wall where this was installed I painted with tropical scenes. I have tiled the back splash behind my kitchen sink. Also a border of tiles in one bathroom. I don’t have any plans for tiles at this time.
Question: What’s next for you as a sculptor?
Eloise: My ideas for sculpting are endless. The last piece that I just finished is a sculpture of Mother Teresa. I will continue to sculpt as long as I am able to do so. Like I tell my students, “Clay is addictive.”
Thank you Eloise, for sharing your work and thoughts. I like the Macaw Tiles...funny thing is, our Amazon Double-Yellow Head parrot, George, thinks he is every bit as big as a Macaw.
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