| Introduction |
My name is Lynne Sarnoff-Christensen and I am a contemporary artist whose work has been shown in galleries and juried shows throughout the country. For over 40 years, I have been working in clay with a consistent focus on organic surface design.
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The better part of my focus is hand-built ceramics. Getting to know the personality of the clay body and what it is capable of doing is paramount. With the process of hand building, I know the characteristics of the clay and how I can manipulate and alter my shapes to create great movement, texture and surface design. I embrace the imperfections and textures I create. I keep the shape simple and let the surface design speak for the piece.
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| What I Love about Ceramics |
The connection between my hands and the clay, allows me the opportunity to alter, morph and create the movement and direction I want the clay to progress to. It is immediate and ongoing. There is no need for tools yet they can be used to harness the intentions I have with the clay itself.
I tend to experiment often and come back to simple forms that make me happy. Simplicity is admired in my work. No one knows the time spent on the journey only to come back full circle to a simplified bowl or platter, except me.
That journey is priceless to me. It is never about how much I sell as it is about learning and honing in on my craft.
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| How I started with ceramics |
My passion for ceramics started in high school and developed in college. There, I learned an order that was profound in understanding ceramics and the clay itself. The trajectory started with chemistry, developing clay bodies and glazes and step by step advanced into mastering basic forms. We kept nothing and perfected everything. It was then that we created our “what to make” journey. I thank Jim Tanner and Roy Strassberg for those learning experiences. To this day I go back to those basic exercises in throwing. I now use all commercial products. I have a strong desire to hand build as well. I have a clay room in my home. I started with a kiln and slab roller and eventually equip the space with everything I need.
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| What inspires me |
Nature inspires me. I am an avid perennial gardener. Working with an organic medium, it makes sense.
Change inspires me. When working with clay, the changes can be immediate and reconciled quickly. You can push the clay to it’s limit and nurture it back to a sustainable work in progress.
Movement inspires me. Pushing through boundaries I sometimes find myself in and going in a new direction just to challenge myself.
Color inspires me. I love working with underglazes and allowing the texture of the clay body contrast with the bold colors of the underglazes and slips I use
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