Needles in the Middle

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 Gail's work: