DENISE LYNCH

Title: Bird Bath with Lily

Dimensions: 24” h 10.5” w

Medium: Stoneware clay, iron metal paint, patina activator

Date Made: June 30, 2019

Retail Price: $475 

Artist’s Statement (meaning/inspiration, etc.): My pieces are inspired by rhythmic patterns of scrolling and interlacing lines with finishes that invoke an old-world aesthetic.  During the making process, as forms are created, they call to complementary shapes and decoration.  I would state that “the piece designs itself; I just show up”. Bronze, gold, silver, satin, charcoal, old white and mother of pearl are among my favorite glazes as they complement timelessness of the scrollwork designs. The birds and the bees theme inspired in me a piece about the laws of attraction and the fulfillment of basic needs.  The concept of a bird bath with lilies invites the birds and bees to satisfy their need for nourishment.

The piece was made in 7 sections thrown on the pottery wheel.  The carvings were created from a plaster sprig mold I made from a frame which hung in my grandmother’s home.  The 7 sections were attached to create three using magic water as to fit in my little 17 inches tall kiln.  Once the sections were fired to maturity at cone 6 I used auto body fill to attached them and create a solid bond.  The bird bath was painted with Modern Masters Metallic Iron paint then a patina was applied to create the rust affects.  This paint will continue to oxidize with time.  The inside was treated with a sealer so as to prevent further oxidation and seal the pain.  The flower was made with white stoneware and fired to cone 5.  The glaze is white satin with mother of pearl and gold luster fired to cone 018.

Denise Lynch grew up on the shores of Nova Scotia, where there was always a patch of dark red clay to be found when the tide went out. She would dig it up, take it home and make gifts for those she cherished. Today, she continues in that tradition and creates timeless pieces to share with you. Denise’s pieces are inspired by rhythmic patterns of scrolling and interlacing lines with finishes that invoke an old world aesthetic.

Continuous scroll decoration has a long history, patterns were an essential element in classical and medieval decoration. Today you will see scroll work in almost every decorative application, including furniture, metalwork, porcelain, engraving and wallpaper designs.

Denise has developed a studio practice that uses several techniques when creating a piece. Scrolls and decorative patterns are carved in clay on a flat surface. A plaster mold is then created. The mold is then used in whole or in parts to create decorations for a piece. Traditional wheel throwing is used to create forms for bases and bowls which then may be altered and added to another form. Drape molds are also used to form a piece which has detailed surface patterns.

During the making process, as forms are created, they call to complementary shapes and decoration. Denise would state that “the piece designs itself¨--  she just shows up.  Bronze, gold, silver, satin, charcoal, old white and mother of pearl are among her favorite glazes as they compliment the timelessness of the scrollwork designs.

Denise is a juried member of Craft Nova Scotia, member of the Nova Scotia Potters Guild and Creative Pictou County.