
Needles in the Middle
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Gail Ruvalcaba
Ceramics/Basket Making
Art has always been my favorite pastime. As a child in St. Louis,
Missouri, I was always drawing something. As an art major at
Chatham College, I was forever painting. Recently I discovered
that I was really a three dimensional artist. So now I'm
either working in clay or making baskets. Making something look
interesting from every angle is a delightful challenge.
What I am making
at the moment depends on my mood. When I'm serious, I sculpt my cats.
I try to capture them realistically, for these are portraits and a
portrait must look like the animal being portrayed. I follow my cats
around, drawing what I see; then I work from my drawings in clay.
When I'm not quite so serious, I make pots. I decorate
them with animals and other designs, but mostly with natural materials. The
shape of the pot and the position of the holes I put in it give me
a place to start. I keep adding materials until I get something
I like. Often it is something quite different than what I started
out to do.
When I feel really playful, I make baskets. I let myself go
and let the natural materials tell me what to do. What I end
up with is a pleasant surprise.
I find that working in these different ways is good for me. Each
kind of work lets me express myself in a different way, allowing my
creative spirit to always remain fresh.
Galleries displaying my work:
LAA Gallery,
Livermore, CA
Worthington
Gallery West, Pleasanton, CA
Dolphin
Gallery, Gualala, CA
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