Carol Smeraldo Pottery © 2011 All Rights reserved
Carol Smeraldo Pottery
Nova Scotia
Phone: 902- 434-1336
Web Site Re-Design
By One Off Studio
CATALOGUE:
RAKU
Item numbers ending with “R”
RAKU
Item numbers ending with “R”
CATALOGUE:
“A SYMBOLIC JOURNEY” Item numbers starting with SJ and AG
“A SYMBOLIC JOURNEY” Item numbers starting with SJ and AG
CATALOGUE:
PORCELAIN AND TRANSLUCENT PORCELAIN Item numbers 1001 onward
PORCELAIN AND TRANSLUCENT PORCELAIN Item numbers 1001 onward
CATALOGUE:
PASTEL PAINTINGS
Item numbers starting with “P”
PASTEL PAINTINGS
Item numbers starting with “P”
Carol Smeraldo’s work in porcelain since 2001 has been an expression of a search for understanding the creative cycle natural to all of us. This direction began when a tape arrived, sent to her by fellow potter and soul friend, Pam Birdsall. “The Creative Fire: Myths and Stories about the Cycles of Creativity” by Clarissa Pinkola Estes set her on fire. The result is:
“A Symbolic Journey in Porcelain”
which is a story in three parts requiring three exhibitions. The first exhibition in the series of three was subtitled “Unknowing, Seeking, Excessing” which opened at Craig Gallery, Dartmouth, Nova Scotia in 2003. Smeraldo is currently working towards the fulfillment of the second exhibition: A Symbolic Journey in Raku, Part Two through exploring Japanese derived Raku firing of porcelain and stoneware.
“A Symbolic Journey in Porcelain”
which is a story in three parts requiring three exhibitions. The first exhibition in the series of three was subtitled “Unknowing, Seeking, Excessing” which opened at Craig Gallery, Dartmouth, Nova Scotia in 2003. Smeraldo is currently working towards the fulfillment of the second exhibition: A Symbolic Journey in Raku, Part Two through exploring Japanese derived Raku firing of porcelain and stoneware.
Photo by H. Merklinger
“The creative cycle begins with impressions raining down like marbles into a vessel, sand into an oyster or rain into a river which collects and records them. Objects are collected without knowing why or what will be needed. Then as this raging torrent slows, the vessel, the river, the oyster becomes full to capacity and there is what seems to be a still pond ahead, a time of seeking the essence. Patience is needed. Finally there is a tumbling out into the dynamic ocean of productivity and new challenges
You never know when the waterfalls of inspiration might appear. This time a full blown concept for an exhibition tumbled out one night. This concept became the main river with three branches: “A Symbolic Journey”, Part One, Two, and Three. Each branch or exhibition explores a different aspect of the nature of the creative cycle.
Well known Canadian clay artist,Pam Birdsal, expressed it so well in the review she wrote in the brochure for this first show in the series.
You never know when the waterfalls of inspiration might appear. This time a full blown concept for an exhibition tumbled out one night. This concept became the main river with three branches: “A Symbolic Journey”, Part One, Two, and Three. Each branch or exhibition explores a different aspect of the nature of the creative cycle.
Well known Canadian clay artist,Pam Birdsal, expressed it so well in the review she wrote in the brochure for this first show in the series.
“A Symbolic Journey in Porcelain, Part One: Unknowing, Seeking, Excessing” 2003
Carol Smeraldo is using the medium of clay to explore the cycles of creativity both universally and personally.
The themes in her work refer to the periods of inspired creativity, followed by dormancy and blocked flow, the balance of yin and yang. Carol says this body of work came from a conversation we shared about five years ago. We were talking about creative inspiration and I offered to send her some audio tapes about the nature of creativity told through myth by Clarissa Pinkola Estes. The Greek myth of the earth mother Demeter and her daughter Persephonie, captured Carol's imagination and the ideas presented themselves through her own revealing process.
This exhibition is the first in a series of three major exhibitions in which Carol is planning to explore these ideas while creating a new path for her work. A journey from production potter to a more fully realized ceramic artist.
“A Symbolic Journey in Porcelain, Part One” is divided into three distinct sections, "Unknowing", "Seeking" and "Excessing" presenting us with integrated themes which embody the cyclical nature of creativity. Living near the coast has influenced Carol's choice of ocean motifs of shells, waves, seaweed and jellyfish forms and water droplets.
We are told that Demeter created the earth and all living things. She delighted in her glorious daughter, who represents the muse, the creative impulses. The earth was bathed in joy and the expansiveness of endless summer.
A Symbolic Journey in Porcelain
SJI 4, 5 & 6
