NoDa Roxx Festival Sat. 27th

Come join the fun this Saturday July 27th from Noon to 8pm in NoDa for the first

NoDa Roxx Festival! I will be there as an art vendor. 

Below is a map of where in NoDa the festival is happening.

The festival is FREE to attend :)

Rumor has it that there is going to be a water gun fight for the kids. So please bring

any water guns you may have at home. Activities for the kids are planned for Noon-3pm.

Come enjoy the art, music, and good food.

Local Art in NoDa

Art Vending in NoDa

E.36th and N. Davidson, Charlotte, NC

I've proudly been an Art Vendor in NoDa for the past seven years. During the

summer you can find me (Desiree) in NoDa on Friday and Saturday nights selling my handmade goods like pottery, and jewelry. 

Though the heat can be trying at times, I love the eclectic atmosphere in the neighborhood.

My favorite part about vending in NoDa is the open and honest feedback I get from people about my art.

I invite you all to come and check NoDa out if you haven't already. There is something fun

for everyone. Awesome restaurants like Revolution Pizza, Soltice, Cabo Fish Taco and

Boudreaux's Louisiana Kitchen are a must visit.

For those interested in joining the NoDa Art Vending Scene please visit http://nodarioty.org/

for a complete list of rules and regulations. 

Don't Forget the pups at home, because NoDa is very Dog Friendly :)

My dog Hazel comes down with me to sell. Besides getting EVERYONE to pet her,

her favorite activity is visiting The Dog Bar in NoDa.

That's right I said Dog Bar. It is the best place to bring your friendly pup.

Can you really beat watching your dog play and have fun while you relax? 

Live Rock inspired Plates

Live Rock inspired plates stacked. 

People tell me it's unusual that I have chosen to decorate the bottom of the plate.

I made that decision because I wanted to feel the texture I have created when handling the plate. 

Texture has always been a driving force in my ceramic work. Though an impressive visual experience is important to me I believe a powerful tactile experience is necessary for a intimate connection between  the consumer and a pottery piece. 

These plates are inspired by the porous nature of Reef Rock, also called Live Rock. 

In the broadest terms Live Rock is what it sounds like, reef rocks that are alive with billions of microscopic organisms, and many that you can see like tube worms, feather dusters, shrimp, tiny fish and more.

It is the Live Rock that is the backbone of any reef environment. 

Reef Plate -C121

Reef Plate -C122

Reef Plate -C120

Reef Plate- C119

Sea Critters Depot. Saltwater Aquarium Shop

Sea Critters Depot

3002-A Airport Blvd,  N. Myrtle Beach, SC  29582 * 843-272-3657

On my recent visit down to North Myrtle Beach I discovered Sea Critters Depot. 

I was very impressed with the quality of the tanks. It was apparent how much Bruce Campbell

cares about the sea critters, because all the marine life looked very healthy and well looked after.

Saltwater stores like Sea Critters Depot is where I go to get inspiration for both my pottery

and ceramic sculpture. Bruce was kind enough to let me snap some photos for 

reference in my future work. Thanks Bruce :)

Anemone.

Mantis Shrimp 

Mushroom Corals are my favorite.

A beautiful specimen of  Red Sea Lettuce.
It was extremely hard to capture the light and fluid nature of sea lettuce in clay.

And last but not least I must mention the mascot of Sea Critters Depot....Mia!
Mia is a super sweet dog who keeps the fish and Bruce company during store hours.

Sea Anemone inspired Bowls continued...

 I was so pleased with how the glaze came out on these bowls. During this particular kiln firing I sprayed the bowls directly with tons of Soda Ash solution. This essentially made the layers of glazes run down the outside of the bowls vigorously. 

Regardless of the time I spent grinding melted glaze off the kiln shelves.... it was so worth it.

Believe it or not all of the Sea Anemone inspired bowls have the same combinations of glazes. 

It doesn't matter how many kilns I fire, the variety glaze can offer still dazzles me...

Sea Anemone Bowl -C118

Sea Anemone Bowl -C117

Sea Anemone Bowl -C116

Sea Anemone Bowl -C115

Sea Anemone Bowl -C114

Sea Anemone Bowl -C113

I currently use the same interior glaze for all of my functional ware. The glaze is called Candance Black. In the Soda Kiln it yields a brilliant glossy black, and reveals gorgeous spotting effects.

Unfortunately the extreme glossy nature of this glaze makes it really hard to photograph.

Reef Cups continued...

My last Soda Kiln was so full I wasn't sure I was going to be able to fit all of my Reef Mugs.

It took quite a bit of rearranging, but I managed to fit everything in.

Loading a full kiln is very much like a puzzle. 

Reef Mug -C107

Reef Mug -C108

Reef Mug -C106

Sea Anemone inspired Bowls!

Here are a few of my Sea Anemone inspired Bowls. These were so much fun to make. 

I am very much captivated by the evolving form of sea anemones. My intention was to capture

a bowl form that appears to be in a state of flux. 

Even though my work is made out of clay, a rigid material but I push to eliminate the stagnant quality pottery can often possess. When making these bowls I imagined what bowls would look like if they were living creatures and how would they react to our touch.  

Check later for more Sea Anemone inspired bowls!

Sea Anemone Bowl -C112

 Sea Anemone Bowl -C111