Work on View…again

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July 31 – August 18, 2024, two of my sculptures were on view in Then & Now: Art as Foundation, at the Corvallis Museum and Cultural Center in downtown Corvallis: Trophy Wife and Could it Be? — two oldies but goodies. Then and now celebrated the longevity of two organizations (The Arts Center, 61 years, and Blackfish Gallery, 45 years) by honoring the vision of founding members, while embracing new members’ ideas. 

Along with works from Hanna Theiss, Clint Brown, Jennie Castle, Barbara Black, I was honored to be in a show with two pieces from Emily Steele, from The Arts Center’s sculpture collection. During the show’s run, the museum also hosted a panel discussion with two representatives from each organization discussing shared founding values, evolution as needed, and where we go from here. It is fun being seen as an artist again!

Stoneware ceramic torso sculpture with one gold arm making a fist in a triumphant "make a muscle" pose, with an older Asian woman standing next to it copying the pose.

Passing the Torch – New Beginnings

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On June 30, 2024, I had the pleasure of passing the torch to a new Executive Director at The Arts Center and retire after serving the greater Corvallis community for the last ten years. While I’m still doing a bit of volunteer work for my beloved TAC, am happily back in the studio and creating a few pieces for a fall anagama firing at Digger Mountain with my wood camp peeps.

Remember, no donation is too large to gift to The Arts Center!

Are We There Yet?

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Cynthia Spencer Are We There YetThis piece was started at a workshop I taught last spring. It was a request piece and I struggled to get it roughed out in a day but didn’t quite make it. People were patient with my trying to get the floppy sides dried enough to put together. (I didn’t use the naughty words I would’ve been using if alone in my studio.) Finished up the form later that day and then took several days to get it carved into the shape I wanted, tho it slumped a bit more in the firing into this shape. Used a multi-layered color scheme to go with it’s slightly off-beat shape.

12″ x 12″x 8″ – Sold

Sage Green Handled Vase

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Handled Vase

Handled Vase

This style vase has been one of my standard pieces for many years now. Arrangers like the handle and I like the clean lines and timely feel of the shape. Here it is with the sage green glaze that seems to have taken off in popularity this year. 13″ – $75 (Sold)

Woodfired “Ice Queen” Vase

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“Ice Queen” was woodfired at Digger Mtn Anagama Kiln in the Oregon Coast Range. Decoration on this piece came from wood ash flying through the kiln over several days of stoking wood. One of my favorites out of the kiln. Its subtle ash markings are quiet and not as dramatic as I’d hoped, but seem to fit its gently twisting feminine form just perfectly.

13.5x 8x 6.5 inches

For Sale on my Etsy Page.

Dog Treat Canister

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Dog Treat Canister

Dog Treat Canister

This funky, organic shaped canister is meant for one lucky slightly “off-centered” dog lover.
Who keeps human cookies around in a canister anymore? Just don’t last that long–at least at our house… So, this bone handled cutie is probably best for doggie biscuits or treats, rawhides or anything else actually. See how quickly your four-legged friend learns something good is coming at the sound of the lid lifting off this ceramic piece. Good doggie!

Bone handle on the lid is made out of porcelain. The rest is high-fired stoneware, durable for many years of use. Food safe glaze, so if you want to hide your people cookies inside, they’ll be safe here.

11″ x 7″ x 5″

I make these every-once-and-awhile.  Check out my Etsy shop to see if one is listed.

Blushing Ceramic Vase

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Small Porcelain Vase

Small Blushing Porcelain Vase

This porcelain cutie was fired at Hiroshi Ogawa’s woodfire kiln many moons ago but I’m just now really appreciating the subtle markings on it. A hint of pink shows in good light–marks made from copper fuming off other pots in the firing. Will be a nice windowsill vase for short stemmed blooms.
3.5″ tall – $35.

On sale now in my Etsy shop.

Ceramic Butter Dish

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Ceramic Butter Dish

Stoneware Butter Dish

A customer asked for a butter dish to match a sugar and creamer set she purchased from me many years ago. Took me a couple of attempts to figure out the shrinkage to fit over a cube of butter but not be too large to pick up. Then had to get the glazing right. People are seeing all kinds of animal faces… I like that.

These will go nicely with the leaf plates. Dishwasher safe. $40-$45 depending on size.
Green and cream colored versions of this butter dish on my Etsy site.