Earth, Sea, Sky

Jan 8 - Feb 12, 2023

Opening Reception - January 12, 5-7PM

Landscape and seascape have been an inspiration for artists since the first artists tried to represent the world around them.

In Earth, Sea, Sky, Suzanne Hill, Liz Newell and Barbara Willis present unique visions of landscapes in clay and fiber arts.

Suzanne Hill Artist Statement

I work in clay, which is, just by definition, earth. My inspiration comes from the sweep of earth and sky I see on my travels. My favorite spots are places where you can see for miles, where the sky becomes an entity that interacts with the landscape, where the changes in light and the atmosphere result in a constantly changing set of colors and shapes. I find inspiration in places like coastlines, in the mountains, in the broad sweep of the desert southwest. My favorite times of day are the sunset and sunrise, where everything softens, and the angles of light combined with the atmosphere accentuate the shapes of the land. I also find inspiration in the sky, with its constant change of color, light and clouds. I try to include in my work bits of the natural world; driftwood, ghostwood or stone handles on the covered jars. The materials I work with in my firings are mostly naturally occurring; saltmarsh hay, seaweed, horsehair, Spanish moss, salt, green hay, and sawdust, to name a few. The colors come from the smoke produced in each saggar, another kind of atmosphere.

Liz Newell Artist Statement

For me the outdoors provides a space for contemplation; time spent outdoors fosters a connection to the textures and rhythms of nature. The space between earth and sky, whether graced by trees, rocks, rivers, waves, grassland or even ice - the vastness and quiet allows a renewal of spirit; a place to breathe. Paradoxically, the larger landscape is where I often notice the small things - the crunch of leaves underfoot, the quiet swoosh of an eagle’s wings as it soars above the silent desert, clattering of beach rocks with the tides, that one blue rock with a red stripe, roar of a river rapid, lines in canyon walls etched by wind and water. Working in clay allows me to explore texture, colors and sounds inspired by the natural world. The innate resonance of clay and its malleability offer a multitude of ways to produce sound and varied surfaces. The natural process of raku, where blackened clay shows the fire’s burn, also plays a part.

Barbara Willis Artist Statement

Watching sunsets over Fort Pond, the emerging colors of feathers on a juvenile barred owl, and seeing colorful fish while snorkeling bring wonder and the desire to weave those colors. I need to feel an excitement, a connection, before bringing the colors and textures to garments and wall hangings. Handwoven fabrics from Africa have been a starting place to inspire and complement garments that I create – Mudcloth from Mali (bogo/lan/fini – earth or mud/with/cloth), Kente cloth from the Akan-Ashanti kingdoms in Ghana. I hand dye some of my yarns, painting with fiber reactive dyes, creating color combinations that swim across the surface of the piece. In addition to the inspiration that I find in nature around me, I find inspiration in painted or printed images from others - a print of tree branches against a blue sky, colors of a Christmas Wrasse seen while snorkeling, a painting in blues of a peasant woman in an orchard by Vincent Van Gogh. My goal is to then recreate the essence of the colors into scarves, clothing, and wall hangings. I love to weave and share my work with others.

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