Lea Wood
415 518-9663
contactme@leawoodceramics.com
Many of my artistic influences are still directly linked to my childhood in Southern Africa. The African colors, textures and family English china combined to make up the collage that heavily influences me.Today, after living in California for more than half my life, there is a much broader fusion of these two worlds. This cultural melding mixed with my love for both the tribal and urban has remained with me and sparks the tension in my creative vision.
Many years of risk taking, experimentation, dedication and patience (including lots of excellent mistakes) have contributed to achieving very unexpected but exciting results over the years. My aim is to create a line of contemporary, functional serving pieces and dinnerware that you will love and not think twice about using daily. All of my pieces are 100% hand made with great care and consideration-from the sculpting to the firing and glazing. They are also food safe and incredibly durable. I wanted to create pieces that are visually strong enough to stand alone as decorative sculpture, but may also work to highlight, serve and frame a beautiful meal on your table.
Each piece is unique and is signed.
I believe that it's not just an object that’s passed down that connects us.... to other traditions, our heritage, rituals past and new ones started. It may also be objects that simply cross our path or fall into our hands. My hope is that my pieces carry with them in essence a part of my life's journey and inspiration. Although often uncharted, my love for the artistic process has not only enabled me to change direction many times, but it has also allowed me to embrace the creative unknown and keep this as exciting and fresh as the day I began.
Some history!
In South Africa I studied to be a Fashion Designer and created, drafted, painted, beaded and sewed everything I wore! Times were different then but surface design was always my ultimate truth.
As a student during the 70's at the San Francisco Art Institute, I discovered that I have an undiminished dedication and love for the tactile feeling and fluid unformed mass that is clay. I have designed, hand made and sold my ceramics for the past 30+ years at least, both nationally and internationally. My studio in the 90's was located in San Rafael California and was called 'Expecting to Fly'. I starting with ceramic ostrich eggs of every mood and design including African wild animal skins which were presented singularly in square cardboard boxes with straw and feathers. These got the attention of the visual merchandising crowd and it took off from there. I had the best time designing and painting all kinds of things for large department store chains like Saks Fifth Ave that did not use them for resale. Props were great fun!!
I later decided to do more functional items and found my way with lots of sad 'seconds' into the fascinating but very frustrating practice of tying to control glazes.
I hand painted with glazes and as I did not know what I was doing, some great lessons were in the making. I had studied ceramic sculpture at school and hand-painted my ceramics with house paint and acrylics. So, I was in another whole territory. One that I am still trying to fathom out years and years later. It is so tricky and technical unless you are willing into give up the 'control completely' and just let it happen. I cant do that.
My line went from eggs to free-form dinnerware, serving pieces, platters and a wide variety of bowls, vases, and many decorative accessories for the home. A popular dinnerware line called Menu included custom wording capabilities for weddings, anniversary's and all special occasions.
Sculpture and my love of playing with coils and making funky shaped containers has started to take a big front seat and I intend to do a lot more of that in the near future.
Thanks for your interest in my work.
415 518-9663
contactme@leawoodceramics.com
Many of my artistic influences are still directly linked to my childhood in Southern Africa. The African colors, textures and family English china combined to make up the collage that heavily influences me.Today, after living in California for more than half my life, there is a much broader fusion of these two worlds. This cultural melding mixed with my love for both the tribal and urban has remained with me and sparks the tension in my creative vision.
Many years of risk taking, experimentation, dedication and patience (including lots of excellent mistakes) have contributed to achieving very unexpected but exciting results over the years. My aim is to create a line of contemporary, functional serving pieces and dinnerware that you will love and not think twice about using daily. All of my pieces are 100% hand made with great care and consideration-from the sculpting to the firing and glazing. They are also food safe and incredibly durable. I wanted to create pieces that are visually strong enough to stand alone as decorative sculpture, but may also work to highlight, serve and frame a beautiful meal on your table.
Each piece is unique and is signed.
I believe that it's not just an object that’s passed down that connects us.... to other traditions, our heritage, rituals past and new ones started. It may also be objects that simply cross our path or fall into our hands. My hope is that my pieces carry with them in essence a part of my life's journey and inspiration. Although often uncharted, my love for the artistic process has not only enabled me to change direction many times, but it has also allowed me to embrace the creative unknown and keep this as exciting and fresh as the day I began.
Some history!
In South Africa I studied to be a Fashion Designer and created, drafted, painted, beaded and sewed everything I wore! Times were different then but surface design was always my ultimate truth.
As a student during the 70's at the San Francisco Art Institute, I discovered that I have an undiminished dedication and love for the tactile feeling and fluid unformed mass that is clay. I have designed, hand made and sold my ceramics for the past 30+ years at least, both nationally and internationally. My studio in the 90's was located in San Rafael California and was called 'Expecting to Fly'. I starting with ceramic ostrich eggs of every mood and design including African wild animal skins which were presented singularly in square cardboard boxes with straw and feathers. These got the attention of the visual merchandising crowd and it took off from there. I had the best time designing and painting all kinds of things for large department store chains like Saks Fifth Ave that did not use them for resale. Props were great fun!!
I later decided to do more functional items and found my way with lots of sad 'seconds' into the fascinating but very frustrating practice of tying to control glazes.
I hand painted with glazes and as I did not know what I was doing, some great lessons were in the making. I had studied ceramic sculpture at school and hand-painted my ceramics with house paint and acrylics. So, I was in another whole territory. One that I am still trying to fathom out years and years later. It is so tricky and technical unless you are willing into give up the 'control completely' and just let it happen. I cant do that.
My line went from eggs to free-form dinnerware, serving pieces, platters and a wide variety of bowls, vases, and many decorative accessories for the home. A popular dinnerware line called Menu included custom wording capabilities for weddings, anniversary's and all special occasions.
Sculpture and my love of playing with coils and making funky shaped containers has started to take a big front seat and I intend to do a lot more of that in the near future.
Thanks for your interest in my work.
