sweet nothings

year of the dragon

2012-01-31T23:06:00.004-06:00

well i didn't really get to a happy new year post - so here's my happy chinese new year post(a week late still) i suppose.

it's been an exciting year so far! first off - rain & i moved studio spaces at the tail end of december (quite an undertaking!) and we are now joined by paul donnelly in the new space. i drove to arrowmont in gatlinburg, tn for the first week of the year to work with an awesome group of ceramic artists for a Surface Forum! when i arrived back to kcmo i had to get the new studio space set up.
i brought in the new year in gatlinburg, TN!

i'm starting to feel settled and getting back to work...
more updates to follow: more about the new space, more about arrowmont, more more more...

American Craft Dec/Jan 2012

2011-12-26T23:42:00.005-06:00

yay! the article Julie Hanus wrote about my work is on the news stands! i love that ron swanson is on the cover - i'm a parks and rec fan...here is the article online: Product Placement: Connect the Dots by julie hanus
la la la la.
(get it? pee wee reference - couldn't help myself.)

the opening paragraph...
It's easy to get drawn into Meredith Host's cheerful Dot Dot Dash dinnerware. Patterns fluctuate and recur in layers blooming with luscious color: turquoise washes, apricot polka dots, chartreuse bands. The effect - riotous yet refined, citrus-fresh yet almost familiar - invites the eye to linger.

foldedpigs at the Renegade Craft Fair

2011-11-27T19:22:00.002-06:00

it's that time again - renegade here i come!
foldedpigs will have a booth this upcoming weekend in chicago. i'm located in one of the rooms upstairs at the pulaski park fieldhouse.

OPEN STUDIO EVENT!

2011-11-14T18:19:00.005-06:00

we're having an open studio sale!

stop by and have a snack while you shop for great gifts from:
Meredith Host : Rain Harris : Paul Donnelly
foldedpigs dinnerware : lusterbunny jewelry

there will be great sales on our work as well as on quality seconds! just in time for the holidays!

meredith host:

rain harris:

paul donnelly:
foldedpigs dinnerware:
lusterbunny jewelry:ALLSMAN BUILDING
708 E 31st Street, KCMO 64109
friday: 5:30-8p
saturday: 10-4pm

Western Illinois University - Visiting Artist Gig

2011-11-07T22:40:00.002-06:00

demos for classes during the day & artist talk in the evening!

by the power of greyskull

2011-11-01T21:33:00.010-05:00

it's that time of the year again...the obligatory halloween post:

HE-MAN HALLOWEEN!

for a few years now i've wanted to get a group together to be he-man characters. i claimed teela - the head of the royal army and had 2 others join my crew: he-man & the sorceress.

first off...reference photos...
teela. action figure & cartoon. i went for a hybrid of both.
the sorceress & he-man.i was quite proud of myself to have busted out my sewing machine that i don't know how to use. my roommate kelley gave me a tutorial, and holy craft! i sewed! he-man & battlecat over saw the process.
i built teela's snake battle gear out of cardboard & duct tape. i saved a bunch of toilet paper & paper towel rolls to make the cobra staff and edging on the armor.
a couple of crafternoons later and here we are...
miss amelia as the sorceress, me as teela, and miss whitney as he-man himself.
snake battle gear.

fevere bread bowl

2011-10-30T21:54:00.005-05:00

why lookie here... one of my shallow bowls is now the olive oil bowl for bread samples at Fevere Bakery.
if you're in Kansas City and you haven't tried fevere bread - well then, you're missing out - get to it! i used to eat their delicious breads until i found out i was celiac. :( now i just enjoy the smell of them.

Heck Yes Craft

2011-10-21T20:33:00.003-05:00

julie k hanus of American Craft Magazine posted a "Heck Yes Craft" blog post about my work today! totally rad! it's a precursor to the article she wrote about my work that will be in the december/january issue.

from the American Craft website:
Heck Yes Craft is a series of visual blog posts with a simple mission: to show off amazing work. Come back every Friday for more.

watershed: tumblers

2011-10-09T22:03:00.004-05:00

while at watershed this summer, i threw a few tumblers with the watershed clay body. memories of working with this clay while making my 2005 salad days plates came flooding back. there are little bits (sometimes big bits) of "magic" (aka rocks) in the terracotta. i quickly remembered why i press molded the 500 salad plates and did not throw them. after making these 6 cups, i switched to hand building.

the tumblers in the greenware state. the iron in the clay is green, but fires red.
the tumblers fired. i'll going to further investigate a darker color palette.

i love the orange-red color of the unglazed clay.
the bright orange specks are embedded glaze in the divots where i dug out the "magic" bits.

BRIGHT.

2011-09-16T22:15:00.006-05:00

the work i sent to the Schaller Gallery is in a show called "BRIGHT" featuring renee brown, arthur halvorsen, & myself. it's up from september 4th - 20th.

also here's my new artist page on the gallery's site.

foldedpigs at the Renegade Craft Fair

2011-09-05T21:19:00.002-05:00

once again i will be vending at renegade craft fair with my foldedpigs ware in chicago next weekend! i'm booth #125, on division street, between Wood & Paulina.

keeping my fingers crossed for a rain-free weekend.

cup board, mugs, & tumblers, oh my!

2011-08-27T08:26:00.007-05:00

as a maker of objects, i am also a collector of objects. this will be the first of my collection posts - so watch out for more soon.

first up: CUPS!

this cup board has been a project in the works for awhile - now it's finished with the help of the amazing paul donnelly. it's mounted in my kitchen and looks lovely if i do say so myself.

cup placement will change as the collection grows.if building your own cup board and you plan on painting it...one suggestion: paint all the boards before assembling and once it's put together just touch up paint. getting this sucker painted was the BIGGEST thorn in my side.

collaborating is fun!

2011-08-20T17:08:00.005-05:00

i made some work at watershed BUT, i really just wanted to decorate... which spawned a couple collaborations to take place. here's the first project. it started with dylan beck finding a couple objects from watershed's factory. he built 3 box like structures to fit into one of the objects.
now here's where i come in... DECORATING TIME.i chose to use the Dot Dot Doily pattern from my collection. i was debating between this and another pattern - but on a trip to town we stopped at a church basement/rummage sale. their bathroom had the Dot Dot Doily pattern for their paper towels, so i took it as a sign.
after all 3 were decorated - assembly started.
glazing. team work is key people.collaborating is fun!after once firing. i love the reddish orange of the watershed brick clay.the finished piece.this piece is now on display at ann street gallery in newburgh, ny as part of the exhibition: Breaking Boundaries: A Survey of Contemporary Ceramics

WATERSHED!

2011-08-16T23:18:00.005-05:00

i spent the last two weeks at watershed and had a BLAST!queen anne's lace in full effect on the way down to the factory.

not only did i get to go swimming, jump off rocks, drink my favorite root beer, eat ice cream, go on nature walks, and hang out with an awesome group...i also made some stuff in the studio! more posts to follow.

RIC RAC ROUNDUP!

2011-07-21T08:50:00.003-05:00

it's that time of year again when i start peddling my foldedpigs ware at craft fairs!

this saturday 9am-4pm i'll be set up at the RIC RAC ROUNDUP!here's a little blurb on the news featuring foldedpigs. oo la la!

the thrill of the hunt

2011-07-08T22:37:00.002-05:00

i hunt for taxidermy - it's not the real hunting part - i let others do that for me. i just hunt for the mounts they want to get rid of! soon i will post my collection, most of it resides in my dining room.
for the 2nd year in a row i attended a taxidermy auction in mid-missouri. it's quite an extensive auction from many private collections around the country.

an impressive spread indeed!

i went to the auction with the goal is bringing some smaller mounts home. smaller like these little duikers, steinbucks, dik diks, and oribi.
i would love love love a warthog but the bidding gets a little too rich for my blood. maybe one day.here's a quick video of the auction process - bidding is for a pheasant.

my winnings this year included a giant kudu. i really didn't consider his size and i'm honestly not sure i can fit him in my house. i meant to only bid on smaller mounts but, well, i have always wanted a kudu.the other 3 mounts that i brought home: steinbuck, duiker & black bear.soon i'll share pictures of the entire collection. i now have 29 mounts...mostly shoulder, but a few full body mounts.

making, packing, shipping

2011-07-04T20:30:00.005-05:00

more making & shipping has been happening in the summer heat. it's been a little rough in the non-air conditioned studio, but the show must go on!

hostware shipped to lillstreet art center in chicago, il
work shipped to schaller gallery in st joseph, mi
a close up of the batch headed to watershed's salad days pottery sale in maine
these are headed to the museum shop at the elmhurst art museum in elmhurst, il

and last but not least these settings went to art & light gallery in san diego, caa detail of the settings

new galleries!

2011-06-09T22:10:00.004-05:00

so far it's been a busy summer...makin' makin' makin'...
and after the making is done, it's time for the shipping!

this batch of hostware headed to Imagine in skaneateles, ny.
this batch shipped off to Red Lodge Clay Center in red lodge, mt.

red lodge already photographed all the work and has it up on their website....everything looks awesome!
check it out here.

KCArtistLink artist profile

2011-06-07T22:04:00.005-05:00

my friend Blair Schulman wrote an artist profile for me to post on KCArtistLink.
KCArtistLink connects kansas city artists to resources and opportunities that help market their work and strengthen their artistic practice.
i'm happy to be a part of the Art Notes artist profile section! see it here...
but here's also a copied/pasted version. a big thanks to blair!!!

In addition to practicality, toilet paper and paper towels bear the motifs we want in our everyday lives. Meredith Host has been collecting these patterns of domesticity for over ten years. Fresh off the roll, they're attractive enough for consumer placement in kitchens and bathrooms. Although these items perform unseemly tasks, Host simply improves on their ephemeral ideal by reintroducing them into something more permanent.

Host derives a certain humor from the reaction of the user when they find out they're using a plate adorned in toilet paper designs. Her forms are deliberately minimal while the approach to surface decoration is "more is more." The surface patterns she uses have a familiarity because of their occurrence in the paper products we use daily, but Host says, most admirers can't quite place where they come from. But she finds a certain satisfaction when her work is used in the home, fulfilling a "functional destiny."

Raised in an art-friendly family in Detroit, it seemed inevitable that Meredith would figure out one discipline or another. During middle school, she started working with clay and "ceramics became the thing I couldn't live without." Hence, the usual succession of events...

A BFA in Ceramics at the Kansas City Art Institute, Host attended a stream of residencies that included School for American Crafts at Rochester Institute of Technology in Rochester, NY. Watershed Center for Ceramic Arts in Newcastle, ME, and Belden Brick Factory residency in Sugarcreek, OH, eventually earning an MFA in Ceramics at Ohio State University.

Okay, enough education, it was time to put all this practice into process and Host moved back to Kansas City to start up a studio. The decision was easy for Host – KC is an affordable place to live and has a supportive art community. She works full-time in a studio shared with ceramic sculptor and installation artist Rain Harris.

Host has two lines – Meredith Host - thrown porcelain functional artwork that goes to galleries and exhibitions. foldedpigs is her commercial line of repurposed restaurant ware which is sold online, independent crafts shows and wholesaled to shops and boutiques around the country.

Employing creative trickery in her pieces, Host enjoys unsuspecting customers using her work and making unnerving discoveries in their design. The idea of food preparation and its eventual expulsion incorporated into their vessels imparts a somewhat topsy-turvy psych-out.

Perhaps the most surprising/engaging/gross element is her foldedpigs cockroach design – at once both disgusting and intriguing. It's the idea of taking something that is otherwise disgusting and cause for panicked extermination, then deciding to put it directly on the dining room table.

Vous êtes ce que vous mangez?

Her last series of work, Residue, are white on white dinnerware imbued with subtle contaminants on the surface that are intended to tease or torment the user. In the darker humor realm, Host creates a psychological response that lingers with the user. The most effective of the Residue ware seems to be the single stray hair, but Hosts personal favorite contaminants were the mouse droppings.

In addition to the concept of squalor, fabric design is another inspirational source. The vintage and contemporary designs of Marimekko to more recent designers like Orla Kiely, Amy Butler, and Joel Dewberry. A big fan of the culture-vulture Japanese fashion magazine, Fruits, Host looks for the mish-mash of color and pattern of teenagers vamping in the Harajuku shopping district. Like examining a wall chock full of Wayne Thiebaud paintings, she likes the bright, saturated gumball colors that appeals to her sweet tooth.

Decorating is really a balancing act; she plays around with asymmetry in color and pattern on symmetrical forms to create dynamic surfaces. The depth of her surfaces comes from using stenciling, thermofax screen-printing, and iron oxide decal processes.

From a practical standpoint, her work is fairly sellable; but is also getting into exhibitions and galleries as collectable pieces. Host recently received an emerging artist award through NCECA (National Council on Education for the Ceramic Arts) and also Ceramics Monthly Magazine.

Thinking about how much time she actually spends making her work, Host realizes her hourly work rate is pathetic. She's "hit the ceiling on how much I can currently charge for each piece. Unfortunately, the functional ceramic market has an established price range for particular items, and I'm pretty sure that this is something I cannot change."

Create and ship, create and ship, like the label says, repeat as necessary, but Host hopes to expand her presence in ceramic galleries around the country. With foldedpigs, she will be selling at Bon Bon Atelier's Ric Rac Roundup in Westport (Kansas City) this summer and Renegade Craft Fair in Chicago this September and December.

Looking ahead, she has begun a search to find a building/commercial space to start a studio with friends and fellow ceramic artists, Rain Harris and Paul Donnelly.

Host would like to start designing fabrics that will compliment her dishes. She is also working on her vegetable garden as well as adding to a growing taxidermy collection.

Looking for the beauty in something otherwise unattractive or disgusting, Host sparks an interest in making friends and living with the elements we prefer to turn our backs on.

Written by Blair Schulman, 2011

Small Favors VI

2011-05-23T08:23:00.003-05:00

i was invited to participate in this years Small Favors VI at The Clay Studio in philly. this post is a little late as the show came down yesterday...but here's a pic of my little yunomi in the show as well as my last year's submission. all the work in the show must fit into a 4" x 4" x 4" plexiglas cube.dot dot pinwheel yunomi
(i wish you could see the interior - it's a lovely lime green)

dot dot doily espresso cup from Small Favors V

NMoCA

2011-05-20T18:06:00.006-05:00

i'm happy to say that my work can now be found in the Nerman Museum of Contemporary Art's Museum Store in overland park, ks. thanks to whitney for snapping pics of the display!

contest results & a demo video!

2011-05-15T23:26:00.006-05:00

wowsa! it's been quite a week for me on Ceramic Arts Daily! first of all - thanks to everyone who voted for me - i ended up winning the
Peoples Choice Emerging Artist contest!
i'll be putting the Bailey Ceramic Supply gift certificate toward a much needed test kiln! yay!

AND...if that wasn't cool enough for the week - my demo video that was taped during the potters council surface + form conference aired this Friday the 13th
(my lucky day). here is the video.

i was semi-terrified to watch the video - but i finally did tonight and it's not too bad...phew!
thanks to jennifer for doing a sweet editing job! :)

Ceramics Monthly Emerging Artist

2011-04-11T21:03:00.006-05:00

hey! i'm pleased to announce i'm one of the Ceramics Monthly Emerging Artists this year! there will be an emerging artist spread in the upcoming issue of CM. but now...Ceramics Arts Daily is having a contest! you can vote for your favorite...and i say pretty please vote for me... mama needs a new test kiln!
CLICK HERE TO VOTE!

click the link, and scroll down to the bottom of the page and you'll find the "click here to vote" button.
from there you'll be redirected to a list of names: meredith host!

i'm in good company in this issue of emergence! my good friends katie parker & mike davis are featured as well...super exciting!

NCECA 2011 : Tampa, FL

2011-03-28T20:56:00.009-05:00

dot dot tumblers at the NCECA NEXPO

NCECA time is here! here's where my work & i will be this year:

"Emerging Artist Presentation": Saturday April 2nd, 9-10:30am. i'll be presenting for 10 minutes 30 seconds about my work - i'm #4 in a lineup of 6 presenters.
be there or be square.

dot dot pinwheel dinner setting at NCECA NEXPO

NCECA NEXPO. Convention Center, Central Hall
Tues March 29th 6-8:30pm, Wed & Thurs 9am-6pm, Friday April 1st 9am-5pm
Dot Dot Floral Vase at NCECA NEXPO

Kansas City Clay. Red Star Studios, NCECA Gallery Expo,
Convention Center, Central Hall
Tues March 29th 6-8:30pm, Wed & Thurs 9am-6pm, Friday April 1st 9am-5pm
Dot Dot Doily Serving Platter at NCECA NEXPO

Greens & Grogs. Watershed Showcase, Hyatt Regency, Buccaneer Room D
Wednesday March 30th: 12-5pm, Thursday & Friday: 9am - 5pm
Dot Dot Floral Salad Plate at Greens & Grogs

you know me

2011-03-25T17:37:00.006-05:00

the yunomi show is up at AKAR!
Yunomi: A form of tea bowl, usually being taller than wide, with a trimmed or turned foot unlike the formal chawan tea bowl; which is used during the Japanese tea ceremony, the yunomi tea bowl is made for daily (or informal) tea drinking.

here are my 5 yunomi for the show.

lookie lookie - one of my yunomi in a preview shot!

some of the proceeds are donated to The Studio Potter as well, so what are you waiting for....check them out! there's only a little over 900 to see!

photo credit: AKAR gallery

MAYCO interview

2011-03-23T23:06:00.005-05:00

lisa culp from Mayco interviewed me after we met at the Potters Council Surface + Form conference.

lisa's foreword in "The Mud Room" Mayco march newsletter:
I met this energetic and extremely fun lady in January. She is one of those artists who I knew I was going to like as soon as I saw her work. She likes Mayco Underglaze and French Bulldogs. My kinda girl......

Meredith was kind enough to share some of her thoughts about surface, process and place with me. Enjoy the interview!

dot dot doily salad plate decorated with Mayco underglaze during the Potters Council Surface + Form Conference.

lisa also wrote a recap of the Surface + Form event.

thanks so much lisa & Mayco!
psst: lisa's pug dog emmit & my little olive will meet one day and be bf/gf.
just sayin'...

The Dining Room Project

2011-03-15T15:20:00.007-05:00

i am pleased to be a part of The Dining Room Project: A Potluck Smorgasbord which opens here in kansas city on friday march 18th through both the Charlotte Street Foundation's Paragraph Gallery and the Epsten Gallery at The Kansas City Jewish Museum of Contemporary Art. i have a dinner setting in The Table portion of the project at Paragraph Gallery. the show runs from March 18th - May 7th.

Dot Dot Doily Dinner Setting

a description of the exibition:
The Dining Room Project considers our multifaceted relationship with food and intersections of food and art. With this expansive project, the dining room serves as a platform for the exploration of such issues as hunger, sustenance, consumption, taste, public health, sustainability, cultural symbolism and rituals within various traditions, and food and the meal’s usefulness as vehicle for communication, creative expression, and activism.

Dot Dot Doily Dinner Setting with view of the Dinner Plate

For The Table at The Clay Studio

2011-03-12T22:51:00.005-06:00

i'm pleased to be a part of the current exhibition at the clay studio:

For the Table: Dinnerware
March 4- April 10th
The Clay Studio, Philadelphia

an installation shot of For the Table

here are my two settings for the show - there aren't any stacked set images, so here are the individual pieces of each setting.
bowl - salad plate - dinner plate - tumblerphotos by The Clay Studio

Potters Council: Surface & Form RECAP!

2011-03-10T21:41:00.003-06:00

holy moly! where did the month of february go?

when i got back from the Potters Council Surface + Form Conference, i hit the ground running....and it's been nonstop! FINALLY, i present a couple of pics from the workshop.

i demo'd using paper stenciling and thermofax screen printing with underglazes, as well as using iron oxide decals.the last part of the workshop was hand's on where the attendees were able to play around with applying vintage decals and versa color china paints.
all in all it was a fabulous weekend and i met some rad people. a big thanks to everyone at the Potters Council and Funke Fired Arts!

Surface + Form : Potter's Council Conference

2011-01-29T06:58:00.004-06:00

right now i'm demoing at the potter's council surface + form conference hosted by funke fired arts in cincinnati, ohio. lots of pictures to follow.

here's probably the weirdest cincinnati themed song ever. i happened to turn the tv on at this almost exact precise moment when this video started back in decemeber. drew barrymore? keanu reeves? keanu driving like a maniac in a blizzard? well let's all break out into song!

i'm staying with my good friends Katie Parker & Guy Michael Davis in their totally rad new house - more to follow on them and their awesomeness!

if you really want to know the clip is from the movie Babes in Toyland (1986) and i don't really recommend watching it at all. i showed you the best part already.

AKAR is up!

2011-01-21T20:02:00.004-06:00

yay! the AKAR show is up! their orange dot web design couldn't be more perfect in my mind! hmm....i wonder why? :)

daniel's show looks super duper too!

AKAR : January Featured Artist

2011-01-13T07:11:00.006-06:00

woo hoo! AKAR gallery in Iowa City, IA invited me to show as a featured artist along with the main show of (my super awesome friend) Daniel Ricardo Teran. the show technically opens January 21st in their gallery and online,
and runs until February 11th.

here's the show card with Daniel's work and for more info:here's a couple pics of some of my work i sent to them:
images courtesy of : AKAR, Iowa City, IA

foldedpigs in NUOK

2011-01-11T22:29:00.003-06:00

NUOK, an online magazine, recently featured an interview on foldedpigs!

click on this to check the interview out

thanks to fran for the article!

a description of Nuok from their website:
Nuok is an online magazine featuring original articles written by Italian journalists, creatives and writers on New York’s lifestyle, food, art, culture and hidden treasures. Updated daily, Nuok is an indispensable guide for everyone passionate about The Big Apple: travelers, residents and dreamers alike.

Nuok’s main objective is to redesign New York’s topography from an Italian perspective and without clichés. To recount the city life off the beaten track. To discover the cutting-edge trends and the latest buzz. And to reveal the secrets of how to enjoy the city while spending less.

Happy New Year!

2010-12-28T20:11:00.003-06:00

in order to bring in the new year...
i give you one of my favorite videos i watched in 2010.

i think 2011 is gonna be a busy year...so stay tuned...

Renegade Holiday Chicago

2010-12-25T20:31:00.004-06:00

earlier in the month i traveled up north to chicago for the Renegade Holiday Fair. it was the debut of my new decals! the foldedpigs ware is now available is three colors: Black, Blue & Ghostie Grey!
here's an aerial view of my table (peddlin' of the wares...)and an aerial view of the room my table was in. tons o' people!

the new color decals are listed in my etsy shop!

halloween 2010: tetris style

2010-11-13T10:49:00.004-06:00

before it's too late to still talk about halloween...i feel the need to share our homemade group costume this year. TETRIS!

fabrication began friday night. paul & i bound the boxes together - rain measured & cut the paper.paul spray mounted while i was in charge of the black duct taping.
i dry run of the costumes - franklin helped out too.
the stack of the 6 pieces finished!

in full effect!tom, rain, me, paul, amy, brandl

SHOWCARDS!

2010-11-13T10:21:00.003-06:00

i shipped out new work to Baltimore Clayworks Winterfest early last week. here's the card & info.
oo la la! my plates made it on the card!
...and here's the new card to the Surface + Form exhibition in conjunction with the Potter's Council Workshop where i will be presenting at the end of January at Funke Fired Arts in cincinnati.
you can sign up here!

GRAVY BOAT SHOW GO!

2010-11-10T19:10:00.003-06:00

i have a gravy boat in the 50 GRAVY BOATS SHOW!

my boat already sold which is exciting. :) check out all the boats...
it's an auction, so place a bid!

the mission statement of the show:
to reestablish the place of the gravy boat on the table of ceramic art

foldedpigs on tv!

2010-10-29T14:18:00.008-05:00

yesterday my foldedpigs skull baking cups were on a morning show, The Everyday Show, in denver. it was in conjunction with my skull plates being featured in the october halloween issue of Country Living Magazine.
you can view it here. they talk about the baking cups around 1min 40 sec.

i attempted to embed the video on here...but i don't think it's working. doh.

Hello!Lucky

2010-10-28T20:14:00.005-05:00

Hello!Lucky (a rad letterpress company) just posted a blog about my work...
check it out! yay for paper & porcelain!

here is a selection of the cool cards they make!

Comicalramics

2010-10-23T10:33:00.005-05:00

Comicalramics is showing at Red Star Studios Oct 1st - Oct 30th. (i really should have posted this sooner. doh.)
It features work by Sam Chung, Kevin Snipes, and me!
the photos were taken quickly by me, so they are not the best, but you get the picture.
here's a grouping of some of my work as well as Sam's cup & saucer trays.

a Sam Chung ewer

a Kevin Snipes double vase

a closer look at my dinner settings and Sam's cup & saucer tray.

access Ceramics

2010-10-17T22:27:00.003-05:00

my work is now on accessceramics.org!
it's a cool site for contemporary ceramic images for use in education. check it out.

a cool feature is you can search for artists by location.

Liquid Measure

2010-10-16T10:32:00.003-05:00

these two tumblers went off to the Liquid Measure show at Main Street Art Gallery in Edwardsville, IL.here's the postcard with all the info for the show. woo hoo!

Potter's Council: Surface & Form

2010-10-07T09:34:00.005-05:00

i'm pleased to announce that i will be one of the presenters at the Potter's Council Conference in January 2011 at Funke Fired Arts in Cincinnati.

here is the info on the Potter's Council page

the description of my part:

MEREDITH HOST
Learn How to Add Depth of Pattern to Your Work
Meredith will focus on her surface decorating process. Most all of her decoration happens before the bisque firing. This includes underglazes and slip for trailing, thermofax screen printing, and stencils. After the glaze firing, Meredith fires a third time with homemade iron oxide decals for one last layer. This process of adding multiple layers allow the work to have a depth of pattern and an intricate, complex surface. This method of multiple firing allows the work to be less precious and gives one an opportunity to play around with layering. It also provides an opportunity to reclaim or save a piece that is not to your liking by adding another layer of visual information.

summer update part 4: the final chapter

2010-10-01T23:44:00.008-05:00

ok ok, so it's not really summer anymore...it's most definitely fall now but i think i have to do one final summer recap.

foldedpigs across the nation. the indie craft fair circuit is over. phew...a ton of miles were put on the car. austin, brooklyn, philly, kansas city & chicago. done and done.rain & i selling at renegade austin. look at all the pattern!
photo by the marvelous marybeth mungovan

me shopping in the CircaCeramics booth at renegade chicago. i bought a sweet orange zombie mug designed by matty8080.
caught on film by danny of renegade.

i had a week vacation in between craft fairs and was able to hang out with my philly friends and eat as much water ice as possible. one evening we made homemade fireworks (actually safer than you'd think!)
check out the video below...i posted ryan's firework spin because it was one of the better ones.

now i'm working working working in the stu stu studio...lotsa upcoming deadlines. the summer heat was brutal - working in a 90 degree studio was a bit draining.
stay tuned for more...and a taxidermy update
(i know it's what you've been waiting for).

foldedpigs in the Kansas City Star

2010-08-17T12:40:00.003-05:00

sunday august 15th - foldedpigs made it into the house & home section of the KC star newspaper.

here is the link to the article, but it will probably expire at some point -
so below is a screen capture of the article.

summer update #3 : intro to taxidermy

2010-08-14T23:10:00.008-05:00

i'm not sure if i've mentioned it before, but i am a huge fan of taxidermy. growing up my mom started a taxidermy collection with a deer shoulder mount from an antique mall. the deer was mounted on the front of the house - soon after an antelope joined the deer. in order to complete "home on the range", a buffalo head joined the others.
so yeah, we were the weirdos on the block with dead animals on their house.home on the range.

i started my own collection about a year & a half ago. my dining room is the taxidermy room....and man o man, it is looking good if i do say so myself! i still need to hang up some of mounts, and as soon as i do - pictures will be posted. the last few months i kinda have gone into a taxidermy frenzy - which ended with attending a taxidermy auction in the middle of missouri.
not my room unfortunately. this is just one small section of the auction.

it was AWESOME. it was my first time with a real auctioneer and it took about an hour for me to figure out what was going on and another hour before i had the guts to bid on anything.

this whole room was covered with shoulder mounts. it was incredibly overwhelming. i ended up bringing home a few gems.and like i said before...as soon as all my mounts are up, i'll post pictures.

cloud talk building part 2

2010-08-01T22:07:00.007-05:00

i have mentioned my dream building before (here) and i'll mention it again. it's the old luzier cosmetics factory & i drive by it almost everyday.

it was designed by Nelle Peters, who designed quite a few awesome buildings in Kansas City.
today was an awesome day. i happened to notice as i was driving by that the back door was propped open. (yes, i'm a building stalker) i wandered in and was happy to find that the building is actually in use! victor owns the building & runs a restoration company. his workshop is in the building & when i ran into him he was working on a plaster architectural form for a historic building. we had a lovely chat and i was given the grand tour. i took a few pictures of the interior.

it's still a really raw space. victor's workshop is all on the 1st floor, and the 2nd floor is completely empty.
the larger side - 2nd floor
smaller side - 2nd floor

victor in his workshop on the 1st floor.

summer update #2

2010-07-30T22:33:00.003-05:00

while in philadelphia this summer, my Dot Dot Dash show came down and the work traveled around the corner to the clay studio.
i was lucky enough to witness the work on display in the front window! oo la la!

RIC RAC ROUNDUP!

2010-07-23T14:56:00.002-05:00

attn: Kansas City

RIC RAC ROUNDUP!
SATURDAY JULY 24 9-4pm
Parking Lot @ 300 Westport Rd.

i'm actually doing a craft fair IN TOWN! please do check it out - i will have the normal foldedpigs line as well as the foldedpigs 2nd sale! woo hoo! buy one 2nd, get one 2nd half off!

summer update #1

2010-07-19T21:20:00.002-05:00

my good friend whitney got hitched a few weeks ago & i was lucky enough to be in the wedding party. the whole shebang was beautiful & the flowers were dynamite! i pulled my bridesmaid bouquet apart and put it in a Paul Donnelly flower brick. it looked so great that i had to take a picture & post it!i love love love the color combo.

more summer updates to follow...

victorian hair flower workshop

2010-05-29T18:39:00.008-05:00

last weekend i took a workshop on how to make victorian hair flowers. it took place in "leila's hair museum" in independence, mo, and was taught by leila herself.
we started out with "flatwork". basically like decoupaging with hair - also has a bit of paint by numbers quality. here is a detail from my flatwork project.
it's like hair veneer!
then we moved into learning the basic "stitches" of hair flower construction. i did not made these "gimp" stitches, this just shows what it's suppose to look like and to show how small it can be...just wait until you see my attempt. ugh.here are a couple stitches i made - the "fold" & "loop". for all the stitches, they look different depending on how much hair you use and the length.
now if i made a ton of these, i could make 1 flower. ha.
here's the ATTEMPT at the "gimp". it's the most used stitch as far as i can tell and i'm totally determined to master it! my first attempts are really not so good. it's wrapped around different size knitting, crochet, or darning needles, and are wired stitched together. once again, each different size needle used & amount of hair will change the look. you can use really small amounts of hair: 2 -4 stands. i could never get the wire tight enough!
now for the pros...
i was able to take some photos in the museum. the quality is not the best because they're all under glass, but you'll get the idea. here are a few of my favorite wreaths. this one is GIANT!
a few details from the above wreath. there are some extra beads here and there that make up some of the centers of the flowers.
a more fine line wreath. it's unique in that every single flower in this one is different. only 4-6 hairs were used in each petal.
this one is made completely from dyed horse hair - in theory it was made by a native american woman. i really do love the color and it makes me want to get my hands on some horse hair.
a detail of the dyed horse hair. it almost looks like fishing line in person.
leila took a picture of me in the museum... it's a bit blurry, but it gives an idea of how large her collection is. the entire museum(2 rooms) is covered floor to ceiling with wreaths.
this will be an ongoing project for me!

foldedpigs 2010 summer TOUR

2010-05-12T11:25:00.004-05:00

foldedpigs summer tour schedule!
click on the pics to get to the websites for more info.

AUSTIN, TX

BROOKLYN, NY

PHILADELPHIA, PA
KANSAS CITY, MO

it's hair flower time!

2010-05-04T20:54:00.006-05:00

i have been a fan of victorian hair wreaths for awhile now. i first visited Leila's Hair Museum located in Independence, MO, about 5 yrs ago, and then again this past february in its new location.the museum is only a few rooms, but they are jammed packed full of an amazing hair work collection. i just signed up for the hair flower workshop given by leila herself (pictured above) to take place in a few weeks. !!!!!!!!
here are some detail shots of the hair flowers. (i am pretty sure the white hair is actually horse hair and not human.)
i am so very excited...i have been saving my brush hair for a few months now. i can't wait to update the blog with my very own hair flowers!

dot dot dash

2010-04-13T22:44:00.005-05:00

here's an update on the dot dot dash show...most of the pictures were taken during our opening at Flotsam + Jetsam.

espresso cup sets
plate wall + detail
rain's orange floral tree.
paul's flower bricks.
(the ranunculus flowers have become a new favorite flower of mine.)

since i was in philly, you know i had to have some water ice! what do you know? they freakin' had SWEDISH FISH favored water ice! a dream come true?
oh yes indeed!ps - rita's did not supply the swedish fish topper...
i just happened to have some in my purse.

clandestine creep show

2010-04-12T22:48:00.003-05:00

i took down my work from the Domestic Discomforts show today...it had an extended run at the umkc gallery of art. i was forwarded a link to an exhibition review of the show that was submitted to Review : Mid - America's Visual Arts Publication.

clandestine creep show by corey light.

a very fitting name indeed!

announcements!

2010-03-28T14:49:00.008-05:00

i head out to philly for nceca and my show Dot Dot Dash bright and early tomorrow morning. and when i say "bright & early" i really should say "dark & early" because i have to leave the house around 4:30am. not so fun.

announcement #1:
during NCECA philly...these are the places where i will have work:
my show: Dot Dot Dash at Flotsam + Jetsam Flotsam + Jetsam, 244 race street: just a 1/2 block from the clay studio - the opening is friday night during the first friday festivities! please stop by! there are 2 other shows here by my good friends: Rain Harris: Simulacrum & Paul Donnelly: Inferred Landscape.

Watershed Showcase
room 408 of the philly downtown marriott, right next to the convention center

The Mutter Museum Shop
the College of Physicians of Philadelphia
19 s 22nd street

The Clay Studio Shop
139 n 2nd street

announcement #2
my website has been updated! pics of my new work have been posted!
www.meredithhost.com

in progress

2010-03-25T16:09:00.006-05:00

my new work in progress.

paper stencils & thermofax screenings.

getting ready for the bisque kiln.

3 settings bisqued.

first round of glazing. lined & waxed.

decal-o-mania!

all the work traveled to philadelphia safely! finished pics coming soon.

new work.

2010-03-24T15:09:00.000-05:00

for my upcoming show Dot Dot Dash, i started a new body of work!

i've always been fascinated by overlooked patterns. so, toilet paper & paper towel patterns are the main focus in my new work. i posted this before a long time ago in my blog, but because it's SOOO good...here it is again.

a scene from the movie volver.

the patterns are taken from my large collection of samples. i have collected for years, finding them in numerous public & private bathrooms & kitchens. here's a snapshot of some of the collection...along with the beginnings of making the patterns ready to be transferred to porcelain.

Domestic Discomforts

2010-03-23T22:15:00.000-05:00

better late than never! some images of the Domestic Discomforts show.

Domestic Discomforts

2010-02-22T21:38:00.000-06:00

opening this thursday night!

KCAI Clay : Post Y2K

2010-01-23T22:03:00.001-06:00

Craft in America recently had a program featuring the Kansas City Art Institute Ceramics Department airing back in October '09. They just put up a Virtual Exhibition: KCAI Clay : Post Y2K. It's fun to see some of the pieces that were made by my classmates from back in the day.
My carved platter in the exhibition is 10 years old! ay ay ay!

renegade update: long overdue!

2010-01-20T22:04:00.000-06:00

rain & i traveled to chicago in the beginning of december for the renegade holiday craft fair. a bag of weird cheetos was purchased at a gas station, called chester's puffcorn.

who would have thought it would keep us entertained during the long drive. it pretty much seemed like the puffcorns were the end cast offs of the cheese puff machine. what to do with these weird things? make them a new product! they kinda are like cloud animals...sooo...i give you the cheese puff animals.
and now back to the serious stuff. the show was a success!
here are a couple images of my display.
ok, back to the silliness.
the whirlwind weekend was over and as we were packing up and leaving the fair, we managed to sneak in a couple quick photo booth pictures. we were NOT prepared for the first round of pictures...we realized the machine was already taking pictures while we were still getting settled. doh!
please see below.
this was by far the best set.

HAPPY 2010!

2010-01-10T10:29:00.000-06:00

the new year is full of news to share!

i am a part of a 3 person show Domestic Discomforts at UMKC's Gallery of Art curated by Kati Toivanen. the show runs from February 23rd - March 27th, with the opening Thursday February 25th 5-8pm. there will be a gallery talk/panel discussion at 6pm.

and the news as of yesterday...i will be showing during NCECA this year!

Dot Dot Dash

March 30th- May 31^st 2010 : opening Friday April 2^nd 5-8:30
at Flotsam + Jetsam, 244 Race Street, Philadelphia PA
there will be 2 other simultaneous shows at the gallery:
Rain Harris Simulacrum & Paul Donnelly Inferred Landscape.

so all this means...
i have a TON of work to do!olive wishes everyone a happy new year!

foldedpigs on Twitter!

2009-11-26T14:11:00.001-06:00

that's right! i joined the bandwagon...

please follow foldedpigs on twitter.

get update on new designs, studio updates, craft fair appearances, sale codes & more!

RENEGADE HOLIDAY FAIR

2009-11-21T22:04:00.000-06:00

i'll be in chicago the first weekend of december for the renegade craft fair holiday sale edition!foldedpigs will be in full effect!

RIC RAC ROUNDUP!

2009-11-16T18:54:00.001-06:00

this thursday evening (nov 19th) i will be participating in the RIC RAC ROUNDUP put on by bon bon atelier in westport with my foldedpigs ware. it's from 5-9 at Californos, check it out! click on the image to see the details a bit more clearly!

ALSO there is a preview article in present magazine about the event.
foldedpigs is on page 5 of the article.

Women's Work at UNIT 5 Gallery

2009-11-05T16:33:00.001-06:00

please click on the image for a larger/readable view.

i am a part of a show opening this november first friday (6-9) at UNIT 5 Gallery.
stop on by and say hello! the show runs through December.

UNIT 5 Gallery
1920 Wyandotte #5
Kansas City, MO

KCAC: OPEN STUDIOS!

2009-10-14T15:16:00.001-05:00

OPEN STUDIO & HOLIDAY SALE

WHEN:
Saturday the 17th 10 - 4 &
Sunday the 18th 11 - 4

WHERE:
The ALLSMAN Building
708 E 31st Street, KCMO

WHY:

You get to see where I work everyday….it’s where the magic happens!

And there will be treats…

Not only can you check out my studio artwork , BUT I will also have my foldedpigs commercial line on display as well.

PLUS there will be seconds at discounted rates, so it might be a good time to stock up on some holiday gifts!

Just sayin’….

KC STAR

2009-08-16T22:26:00.000-05:00

the Kansas City Star has been good to me the past couple of weeks.

first up, an article about tattoos and art in the sunday (8.9.09) House & Home section...i'm not really a part of the article per say, but there's a pic of my tattooed arm with a foldedpigs Super Duper Cupcake Cup!
The Tattoo & The Place Mat
secondly, an article on the Pecha Kucha Night i participated in last month. The article from this sunday (8.16.09) starts out with a little description of my presentation...it says i'm funny! they like me, they really really like me!
Pecha Kucha Night: 6 min 40 sec

confectionary slaughterhouse

2009-08-15T15:29:00.000-05:00

oh....my....god....
i saw this on a posted facebook link and KNEW i had to blog about it immediately. HUMAN BREAD!
Kittiwat Unarrom (Potharam, Thailand) is the mastermind behind this work.
"When people see the bread, they don't want to eat it. But when they taste it, it's just normal bread," he said. "The lesson is 'don't judge just by outer appearances."
i LOVE this.

Pecha Kucha Night #6

2009-07-22T16:26:00.000-05:00

pecha kucha #6 was a rousing success! there was a blog post about it on the main pecah kucha website.
i was 3rd in the lineup of 9. my whole presentation was a whirlwind...i barely even remember being up there. turns out 6 min 40 sec goes by even quicker than you'd imagine... being blinded by a spotlight helped.

the crowd at cross town station.

the mouse turds look gigantic on a large screen.
you know i had to talk about horror movies!

PECHA KUCHA NIGHT

2009-07-13T10:42:00.000-05:00

don't ask me how to pronounce it as i really am not sure, but i am participating in the Pecha Kucha: Kansas City #6 this Thursday July 16th at Crosstown Station. i'm billed as a ceramist/roller derby chick (they added the last part).
it's freeeeeeee!

i'm in a lineup of other presenters where we each give a slide presentation of 20 slides/20 seconds each. which makes a 6 min 40 sec presentation (did i do the math right?). more on it courtesy of the main Pecha Kucha website.

now i gotta get my presentation together.

east coast craft fair tour. RECAP!

2009-07-01T10:08:00.001-05:00

well...i feel like a slacker...we've been back from the whirlwind trip out east for two weeks now. this week should be full of updates to make up for the non-posting weeks.
renegade was awesome: met a ton of people, picked up some nifty things, saw a lot of french bulldogs (which made me miss my little olive), forgot to eat due to being busy, attempted to avoid the sun...lusterbunny & foldedpigs were in a sweet lineup of vendors. nice neighbors indeed!
renegade was held at mccarrin park in brooklyn. i knew we were going to be set up around a track, but for some reason i didn't expect people to actually be using it. there were a ton of runners and numerous soccer games happening throughout the weekend. there were a few rogue soccer balls that managed to hit our booths. thankfully no damages.

it took a few days of recovery in philly. the week ended with Art for the Cash Poor at the Crane Arts building. after the long brooklyn weekend, it was awesome to be inside and have a quick easy one table set up. here was a quick snap of my table.
more to come regarding the week in philly. it was packed full of good times and sweet sites to see!

hittin' the road!

2009-06-02T21:10:00.001-05:00

the car is packed and much to my surprise, i can actually see out of the back!

for the first time, we decided to rent tables for renegade and i think this was a good move...the tables apparently take up a ton of room in the car.
lesson learned during the monsoon of chicago renegade....pack everything in PLASTIC bins.

final destination: brooklyn
with a pit stop in columbus & philadelphia.

after brooklyn: back to philly for a week of fun and then Art for the Cash Poor next weekend.

east coast craft fair tour.

2009-05-25T15:21:00.000-05:00

foldedpigs & lusterbunny are hittin' the road next week! we're heading out east for two super lovely craft fairs.

first up: June 6-7: Renegade Brooklyn!

my first time at this fair, and i'm really really excited.
(however, i'm not really excited to drive in nyc.)

second stop: June 13& 14th: Art for the Cash Poor, Philadelphia

i was at this show last year and am looking forward to it again!in preparation for the trip, lotsa little things need to be done...intern wanda & i tag teamed the gocco and printed shopping bags.

and of course...a whole lotta decaling is happening!departure is next wednesday...still a ton to do!

the studio dogs are not the greatest at helping, but they do win for being the cutest nappers.

ceramics Storque article

2009-05-15T07:36:00.000-05:00

i'm busy busy getting ready for renegade brooklyn craft fair. i was notified that foldedpigs is mentioned in this etsy storque article written by Jeff Campana.

Ceramics and Pottery: Facts and Fancies (Part 2)

in other news....my Super Duper Cupcake Cups postcard is finished! the fresh prints are en route to me right now!
the backside of the cards list all the directions for use.
mr. patrick sullivan designed these for me.

super duper cupcake cups!

2009-05-05T23:22:00.000-05:00

i figured out that the cups i use for my foldedpigs line, are perfect for baking treats in! i baked two batches of funfetti cupcakes in the cups. then team intern and i did some heavy duty decorating!

before:decorating commences: paul figured out a sweet sprinkle stenciling system.
mariko became a pro at piping mini flowers:
some of the finished product!
the skull set...ready to serve!
after decorating mania, i did a little photo shoot. mr. patrick sullivan will be designing a kick ass promotional postcard for these bad boys.
i'll share once it's all done.

p.s. they were oh so yummy!

collections in kitchens.

2009-05-02T16:37:00.001-05:00

i have been looking for a house to buy since january. i've looked at a ton online and a ton in person. i saved these two photos of someone's kitchen on my computer desktop about 2 months ago and decided to finally post about them. i never looked at the house (can't remember why) and unfortunately i can't tell you whose house this is (located somewhere in the kansas city vicinity).

the first thing that stood out was the red table and chairs...i have these too! but mine are sparkly red like a carnival ride. second the souviner plate collection.

i really do love the way the plates are displayed.
and the sheer number of them is appealing.i ended up finding a house this past week. it happened oh so quickly...saw the house around 11am, made another visit around 1pm. 2:30pm the offer was made and 3pm the offer was accepted! i am excited and freaked out at the same time. the kitchen is much different than this one, but i have already started to mentally plot out how to display my collections.

Apartment Therapy

2009-04-23T23:07:00.000-05:00

this week my foldedpigs ware was lucky enough to be featured on the design blog: Apartment Therapy: Chicago.
i love their tag line. "saving the world, one room at a time".

here is the post!

thanks to all who ordered items!

blackwell's thrift store: kcmo

2009-04-20T20:28:00.000-05:00

jackpot! rain & paul introduced me to a gem of a "thrift store". it's really more of an antique housewares store.lord knows how much i like kitchen ware. it's pretty amazing...if you need an iron, there's a whole shelving unit fill of them. need a replacement yellow pyrex mixing bowl? there's a stack of 7! (i regret not taking pictures of the massive section of pyrex mixing bowls.)
here are the rolling pin & pots 'n pans sections.

jello molds!
the visit was a successful one. i found a sweet cake plate and metal tray that will show up in a photo shoot in the near future. stay tuned...

jesse small

2009-04-20T20:10:00.000-05:00

this past friday i checked out jesse smal l's new work produced recently while he was in china. the work was moving on to new york for an exhibition.

window treatment with detail.

decal collage on ghosts.
the one on the right reminds me of the death star.
cut metal chandeliers. i'm digging the color.

1409 STUDIOS

2009-04-13T22:28:00.000-05:00

this past weekend i was invited to participate in an open studio event by michelle d. at two tone press. a lovely time was had on floor 5!

two tone press: super sweet postcard set. etsy shop for two tone goods.
luke firle: painter extraordinaire. also a resident on floor 5.
sike style : bad ass products : shop here
my contribution : foldedpigs
most photos by sikestyle.thanks!

art axis profile.

2009-04-04T21:44:00.000-05:00

i am excited to be accepted into art axis!
(an evolving independent network of artists)

a description from the artaxis site:
artaxis.org is a growing catalog of contemporary ceramic artists and their work. By compiling the work of many different ceramic artists as well as providing links to the artists' personal websites and e-mail, artaxis.org is providing a resource that can be used by academia, the general public, as well as the artists themselves. The goal of artaxis.org is to create an online community of artists thus promoting discussion, interaction, and collaboration.

check out my profile here.

stencils.

2009-04-02T19:10:00.000-05:00

i'm currently working on a dinner plate set for some friends and took a couple pics of the stenciling process.
gotta love the crispness of paper stencils.
paper stencils placed on the plate. covered in underglaze. paper peeled off.

The Random Lab

2009-03-27T17:55:00.000-05:00

The Random Lab is a collaboration between myself and rain harris. we have been in cahoots for awhile now and are finally joining forces and starting to produce some rad products. nothing is finished as of yet, but we're working on it.

here's an image of some things The Random Lab is dabbling in.(yes there are dinosaurs!)

Thank you for your consideration,
The Random Lab

new studio dog!

2009-03-20T18:26:00.000-05:00

i'm very pleased to introduce the new studio dog: OLIVE.

French Bulldog born Dec 13th: 13 weeks old.

Studio Dogs Unite: Franklin & Olive: instant BFF.

NKOTB

2009-03-13T23:19:00.000-05:00

Rain Harris, Paul Donnelly, and myself had a show "New Kids on the Block" open at Red Star Studios this past week. the show will be up through march.

here are some images of the work in the show. some of my plates(stray hair & food residue) along with a mouse turd cup & saucer stack.
a flower brick made by paul. i love love love the yellow.
my pics of rain's work didn't turn out so well, so in replacement here's a studio photo of one of the represented pieces in the show.
rain, paul, and myself: hangin' tough.

just a side note: i was never a fan of new kids on the block musical group. i was more of a true blue debbie gibson kind of girl.

ps. happy F13

City Museum : St. Louis

2009-03-08T20:03:00.000-05:00

this weekend my roller derby teamed played in st. louis...on the way out of town we stopped by the CITY MUSEUM for a group outing. it was spectacular! it's a gigantic sculpture/jungle gym made out of recycled parts & concrete. this is a shot of the 1st floor which had amazing mosaics all over.
(you can climb up that metal spiral tube into the ceiling tunnel system.)here is a shot of the outside playground of the building which includes two planes.
not so fun if you're afraid of heights.

a description from the city museum website:
Housed in the 600,000 square-foot former International Shoe Company, the museum is an eclectic mixture of children's playground, funhouse, surrealistic pavilion, and architectural marvel made out of unique, found objects. The brainchild of internationally acclaimed artist Bob Cassilly, a classically trained sculptor and serial entrepreneur, the museum opened for visitors in 1997 to the riotous approval of young and old alike. Cassilly and his longtime crew of 20 artisans have constructed the museum from the very stuff of the city; and, as a result, it has urban roots deeper than any other institutions'.

the 7 story high spiral slide.the enchanted caverns were full of secret passages and tiny crawl spaces to discover. not for the claustrophobic! the caverns description from the website:
Painted in mystery and textured with intrigue, the caves of the CITY MUSEUM offer explorers of all ages an opportunity to walk, climb and crawl through the mind of a master artist. Built within a historic shoe factory's spiral conveyor tunnel system, with branches burrowing down into the earth and towering 135' into the surreal industrial space.the city museum also houses the many architectural ceramic building facades, corn dogs through the ages, world's largest pencil, and shoelace factory...
plus much much more.

systema somatica

2009-03-05T14:53:00.000-06:00

this past week jen woodin was a visiting artist at kcai. in addition to her sanitation sculptures (think sinks, toilets, urinals, plumbing like the above picture), she had a series of drawings using the plumbing parts/objects she created.

while at a residency in denmark, jen decaled some plain white royal cophenhagen dinnerware with silhouette platinum decals in the same drawing style. i wish i had an image of them, but no dice.
they were super duper lovely, you can take my word for it.

wood grain.

2009-02-24T16:56:00.000-06:00

i have to refer back to my blog post almost a year ago for an intro to this post:
polka dot land

this past week i experimented with some woodgrain decals i made. i used some small salad plates that were part of some older settings.
it was time to fancy them up!

one after the firing. i like the infected phlegm color with the brown decals.
there will be more investigation believe you me...

ch-ch-ch-ah-ah-ah...

2009-02-13T11:14:00.000-06:00

happy friday the 13th! i know it seems to not have too much to do with what's happening in the studio. BUT here's a line from my thesis.

This dinnerware theme evolved into the depths of personal anxieties to diminish the ultimate shock value; less is more. I made a conscious switch from visceral terror to a psychological response, similar to the differences between Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter, a bloody slasher movie, to Rear Window, a Hitchcockian psychological thriller.

in celebration of my favorite day and movie...i give you crispin glover's amazing dance sequence from Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter (part 4). enjoy.

china paint!

2009-02-12T18:22:00.001-06:00

i have always wanted to work more with china paint. about 6 years ago, i bought a bunch of china paints and promptly tucked them away and never took advantage of them. well...the TIME is NOW!

linda lighton, ceramic sculptor and my studio landlord, offered to give a few of us a china painting afternoon workshop on monday. it was a lovely break from the daily grind.

my drawing/painting skills are not so great...but i can draw like a champ with a squeeze bottle. this super sweet ink pen does WONDERS with applying china paint. look at the fine line...i love it! word on the street...the more violin looking the pen, the better.

after the meat slices are fired, i think i'll go back and china paint in the meaty color.

gearin' up for st. valentine.

2009-02-02T20:21:00.000-06:00

today the studio team (me & the interns) put together cards for the big VD (that's valentine's day kids...not venereal disease).

paul & mariko working the dueling Gocco's.
sealed with a heart.

Belger Arts Center

2009-01-31T18:25:00.000-06:00

this week i took a field trip to the Belger Arts Center. when i lived in kansas city the first time around, i have no idea that the Belger Cartage office houses an enormous art collection, which happen to include some lovely ceramic pieces. mo dickens toured us around the current Stackhouse exhibition as well as gave a backstage tour into the amzing office collection. here are just a couple pieces from the collection.

paul sitting amongst the robert arneson pieces.

victor babu's amazing charger
victor's glazing is quite spectacular.
a detail of the snakes and detail of a lizard charger.

LIAEP & KCAC

2009-01-21T23:16:00.000-06:00

7pm on thursday january 22nd, i will be presenting about my summer dresden porcelain residency at the kansas city artist's coalition.

floss or else.

2009-01-15T00:19:00.001-06:00

this week in studio i made a round of cavity tumblers. this was the first week of having a studio intern (oo la la!) and she did a fabulous job helping me press out the molars...and put them in a lovely arrangement to boot!

when these suckers are all done, they may look like these bad boys.

ceramics monthly jan 09

2009-01-08T20:16:00.000-06:00

my cup and saucer stack set (with mouse droppings) was featured in the upfront section of the current issue of ceramics monthly. the set was a part of the "ceramelicious" show at lillstreet art center in chicago.

www.meredithhost.com

2009-01-03T16:17:00.000-06:00

i am pleased to announce... my website is no longer under construction!
check it out: www.meredithhost.com

2009. resolution.

2009-01-01T21:59:00.001-06:00

happy new year!
i am making a resolution.
i will post at least 1 (one) blog post a week.
i'm posting about it so that i can't back out. no excuses.