Artist: Kelly Frink
Title: House and Garden
Medium: ceramic
Size: 9″ h x 14″ w
Since moving to Tucson in 1995, I have been creating artwork for our large yard using a variety of materials. In 2008, I began taking classes in ceramics and have stayed mainly with that medium trying many techniques for a wide variety of pieces from large garden totems to very small ceramic succulents.
House and Garden shows the connection of our home to the desert. Using black, red and porcelain clay for the base form the design is in sgraffito, scratching to reveal underlying layers, using black and white slip with very little additional color.
Clay represents traditional adobe construction prevalent in the Southwest. The front designs mirror the cactus and succulent gardens that invite visitors to our homes and the openings on the back of each piece reflect the simple, utilitarian homebuilding principles that are in all hot, arid climates.