Artists Describing Their Art:

John Obrien - Dimensional canvases of expression, is one way to describe the artwork of John O'Brien. Whether it is a graceful vase or a sculpture making a statement he is always pushing the limitations of the medium. John O'Brien is competitive by nature he has always taken his art seriously, continuing to learn and challenge himself. He feels that the versatility of the clay is only limited by the hands and mind of the artist that places the clay on the wheel. He strives to create something that has not already been created. John has studied every aspect of the art form - from building his own wheels and kilns, to the chemistry of the clay and glazes. He has more than 30 years invested in his knowledge and ability of ceramic art. Presently, throwing on the wheel and sculpting are his primary forms. ...

Setyo Mardiyantoro - Setyo Mardiyatoro was born in Java, Indonesia the 13/04/64 and got a degree in Agricultural technology at the National University of Jember, Indonesia in 1990. In'91 he came to Italy to follow his real vocation which is artistic. At present he lives in Naples where he works as a painter. In his work there is all the history of his experience which has matured in two completely different worlds similar only for their richness and variety of traditional cultures and the production of works of art. The remembrance and the nostalgia for an exuberant nature can be seen in the Italian landscapes which admiration covers with a golden light and which are enriched with stylized birds, the symbol of sentiments and thoughts which they have recalled up. Images of oriental fairy tales, mythological scenes and animals confront one another with the enigmatic faces of western women in thoughtful attitudes. In his first works he is inspired by the technique of Indonesian Batik, where the "tik" is the drop of wax used to leave a point uncolored. In his contact with traditional western art he has found that pointillism is particularly near in it's results to this ...

Ivar Mackay - I work within the classic tradition of wheel-thrown ceramics. My medium is porcelain and I use a blend of Limoges, mixed with other porcelain bodies to achieve a high level of translucency. I seek painterly effects in my glazes and prefer the natural characteristics of reduction firing to augment the decorative process. Whilst I aim for control in my forms I attempt to induce elemental or spontaneous qualities in my glazes. My work is an ongoing process of study and experimentation. This results in a high level of kiln failures, however I feel that this is an inevitable, but acceptable outcome, that has ultimately enabled me to express my ideas in many different ways. I have always loved colour. In painting my inspiration comes primarily from the Impressionists. Other painters such as Rembrandt and Rothko used layers of transparency and colour in their painting technique to create luminosity. I approach glazes like copper red and celadon in much the same way. My recent work demonstrates my current preoccupation with mark-making and splash effects. The randomness and apparent spontaneity of this particular glaze game comes from a practised technique of application that has evolved through a number of mutations ...