About [me]
Ahh, the “About” page…
one of the more challenging pages to create for a website. Only a request for an “artist statement” causes more consternation in the hearts and minds of artists.
So, curious Reader, since the rest of my website is pretty formal, dry even, and since I’d rather be working in studio than looking at a screen, I write this page very informally so that you can truly get a sense about me, as if we were having a conversation. I’ve started with some questions that I am commonly asked, like…
“So what’s up with all the jars and cups in your work?”
If you had told me twenty or so years ago that ceramic jars and cups would still be a primary motif in my work, I would have been very skeptical. The truth is that they still fascinate me. Whether empty or full, whole or broken in pieces, ceramic vessels reflect history and cultural practices. Is it the form, the scale, the pattern, the traditions, and the memories I associate with those objects? Yes, to all that and more; I think we often overlook the beauty in what is considered mundane. And, for a moment, a cup can hold a whole world in itself because whether it is full or empty, in my eyes it always has potential.
“What’s your working process like, Romi?”
Well, I work pretty intuitively and I work on quite a few things at once in a range of materials: mixed media drawings, paintings, ceramics and sculpture; I've also worked with video and collaborated with a filmmaker. Part of the reason is that while I can be very patient, I am just not patient enough to watch paint dry. So I work on a number of pieces at once and those pieces typically inform each other. And honestly, my studio is a mess and I have come to accept it that way. There have been wonderful moments when I’ve been trying to find a solution to a piece and in shifting a pile of papers to unearth something, I have encountered an unexpected juxtaposition and run with it.
“What the heck is a collagraph?”
You’ll see that I reference the term "collagraph print" in my works. The short answer is that it is a specific print process where you build a printing plate by gluing down different textures to create a range of lights and darks to fabricate your image, and then print it like an etching plate. Curious to learn more? Here’s a more detailed explanation on the collagraph process. I will note that although I do still use print processes in my work, over the years I have branched out and incorporated all sorts of media (painting, drawing, & collage) and more recently have even circled back to working with ceramics.
"Do you have an artist's statement?"
An artist's statement can be a blessing and a curse! But it is essentially an opportunity to try to articulate some of the thinking behind what is, for me, the intuitive process of making work. So here are some thoughts...
“Where can I buy your work?”
You can contact me directly to buy off my website but if you’re not comfortable with that, I am happy to provide the contacts of dealers who represent my work. The prices are the same whether you buy directly from me or from a gallery because I believe someone should not have to pay more because they fell in love with my work at a gallery. I also work with great people and would not undercut them given their support of my work over the years. If you are in London or the Santa Fe area we can arrange an appointment so you can take a look at work in person, with absolutely no pressure.
“Do you do commissions?”
Indeed I do! I call it the “no obligation” commission, where I discuss with potential clients what they are interested in—color palette, motif, size, and proportion, for instance—and I create several works for them to select from. I believe that art in the home becomes part of the fabric of your life, so it should truly resonate with you. And if you don’t connect with what you’re looking for, I'm confident that someone out there somewhere will likely respond to those pieces, so you are under no obligation to purchase a piece.
So, this is pretty long, and is totally contrary to how experts say one should construct an "About" page. But if you've read down to this point, I appreciate your time. And I am grateful for your visiting my website and taking a look at one woman's musings and investigations carried out on paper, canvas and fabric...Thank you.
one of the more challenging pages to create for a website. Only a request for an “artist statement” causes more consternation in the hearts and minds of artists.
So, curious Reader, since the rest of my website is pretty formal, dry even, and since I’d rather be working in studio than looking at a screen, I write this page very informally so that you can truly get a sense about me, as if we were having a conversation. I’ve started with some questions that I am commonly asked, like…
“So what’s up with all the jars and cups in your work?”
If you had told me twenty or so years ago that ceramic jars and cups would still be a primary motif in my work, I would have been very skeptical. The truth is that they still fascinate me. Whether empty or full, whole or broken in pieces, ceramic vessels reflect history and cultural practices. Is it the form, the scale, the pattern, the traditions, and the memories I associate with those objects? Yes, to all that and more; I think we often overlook the beauty in what is considered mundane. And, for a moment, a cup can hold a whole world in itself because whether it is full or empty, in my eyes it always has potential.
“What’s your working process like, Romi?”
Well, I work pretty intuitively and I work on quite a few things at once in a range of materials: mixed media drawings, paintings, ceramics and sculpture; I've also worked with video and collaborated with a filmmaker. Part of the reason is that while I can be very patient, I am just not patient enough to watch paint dry. So I work on a number of pieces at once and those pieces typically inform each other. And honestly, my studio is a mess and I have come to accept it that way. There have been wonderful moments when I’ve been trying to find a solution to a piece and in shifting a pile of papers to unearth something, I have encountered an unexpected juxtaposition and run with it.
“What the heck is a collagraph?”
You’ll see that I reference the term "collagraph print" in my works. The short answer is that it is a specific print process where you build a printing plate by gluing down different textures to create a range of lights and darks to fabricate your image, and then print it like an etching plate. Curious to learn more? Here’s a more detailed explanation on the collagraph process. I will note that although I do still use print processes in my work, over the years I have branched out and incorporated all sorts of media (painting, drawing, & collage) and more recently have even circled back to working with ceramics.
"Do you have an artist's statement?"
An artist's statement can be a blessing and a curse! But it is essentially an opportunity to try to articulate some of the thinking behind what is, for me, the intuitive process of making work. So here are some thoughts...
“Where can I buy your work?”
You can contact me directly to buy off my website but if you’re not comfortable with that, I am happy to provide the contacts of dealers who represent my work. The prices are the same whether you buy directly from me or from a gallery because I believe someone should not have to pay more because they fell in love with my work at a gallery. I also work with great people and would not undercut them given their support of my work over the years. If you are in London or the Santa Fe area we can arrange an appointment so you can take a look at work in person, with absolutely no pressure.
“Do you do commissions?”
Indeed I do! I call it the “no obligation” commission, where I discuss with potential clients what they are interested in—color palette, motif, size, and proportion, for instance—and I create several works for them to select from. I believe that art in the home becomes part of the fabric of your life, so it should truly resonate with you. And if you don’t connect with what you’re looking for, I'm confident that someone out there somewhere will likely respond to those pieces, so you are under no obligation to purchase a piece.
So, this is pretty long, and is totally contrary to how experts say one should construct an "About" page. But if you've read down to this point, I appreciate your time. And I am grateful for your visiting my website and taking a look at one woman's musings and investigations carried out on paper, canvas and fabric...Thank you.