Living Rock
This ceramic piece is made entirely out of local wild clay. I dug the clay, processed it myself, and hand-sculpted it using coils and carving it out.
I chose to create a rhino because his beautiful rough skin makes him look like he could be made of clay and rock himself.
This was a very experimental piece with many factors. I had to conduct tests to discover the properties of this "wild clay" that I harvested.
I discovered that this clay has a particularly low melting point, I found this out after my test tiles burnt to a crisp after firing!
Some of the clay that I harvested was a cool grey tone, but some was blue! After the first firing, the grey clay became an earthy orange and to my surprise, the blue turned creamy white.
After doing some research, I found that this is because the blue clay is in fact from glaciers!
Simon Leis Jr.
Together with my mentor, Tom Tsuchiya we created a three-foot diameter bronze medallion honoring Sheriff Simon Leis, Jr.
I am very meticulous with detail. I feel that it adds much value and a "wow" factor to the piece.
I prefer using the small tools, sometimes even toothpicks to achieve the desired effect in the clay.
For this piece, I put a great deal of time into making the American flag look like real fabric.
The bronze medallion is housed at
the Hamilton County Justice Center in Cincinnati, Ohio.
Campania International - Garden Statue Artist
If you are in the Cincinnati area, these garden sculptures can be purchased
at Renaissance Garden Accents on Madison Road, or through the Cincinnati Zoo.
If you are not local to Cincinnati, see the link below to find a retailer near you.