Cathy Kiffney
ABOUT I am inspired and fascinated by the beauty and mystery that I find in nature. Birds, rabbits, moths, owls and botanical imagery are reoccurring themes. Through drawing and carving and working with the clay my hope is to create a meaningful connection between the you the viewer, myself and nature.
PROCESS Each clay piece is one-of-a-kind, created in a series. The wall works and sculptures begin with deep red terra cotta clay; the shapes take form using a hand-building process called slab and pinch. I sometimes use my own molds and hand-made stamps as aids in the forming and texture the surface. Other times I draw into moist slabs of clay with my finger or carve using wood block carving tools. After a couple of weeks of very slow drying the sculpture is painted with colored clay slip or engobe, then fired in a kiln to 1900 degrees.
After it has cooled the piece is hand painted with ceramic glazes. The glazes are often very temperamental. Re-firing the piece with more glazes, lustres, crystal glazes is often necessary to achieve the vibrant surfaces that characterize my art.
It is safe to hang the wall pieces outside, for instance on a porch or entryway.
I am an exhibiting member of Artspace Artists Association, the Piedmont Craftsmen Guild, the Carolina Designer Craftsmen Guild and the Orange County Artists Guild.
