Artist Statement
Starting a sculpture is lonely. It’s just me with my idea. I start pushing and rolling and squeezing the clay, all the time saying in my mind and in my hands “rhino” or “dragon”, trying to get the soul of the animal into the clay. At this point, creation is a monologue. Much faith is needed. The magic and excitement come at some unexpected moment when the spirit of the piece begins to reside within the clay. It’s not just me anymore. Now there can be a dialogue. I try to help the piece emerge, but I have less and less responsibility for the conversation. When the sculpture is done, I am no longer necessary at all. If the piece is successful it will speak its rhino-ness or its dragon-ness on its own.
Every sculpture is handmade and unique, each with its own personality. Because of my love for the natural colors and textures of clay, I usually use different colored clay bodies in a single piece so that contrasting earth tones add vibrancy while the natural beauty of the clay is retained. I finish pieces primarily with stains that highlight the clay’s qualities rather than glazes that cover them.
Jennifer Rudkin Resume
Gallery Representation and Arts Organizations
- Art for a Cause, Louisville, CO
- EBCA in East Boulder County, CO
- The Evergreen Gallery in Evergreen, CO
- Lunachick in Cambridge, MD
- pARTiculars in Lafayette, CO
- The Playful Garden in Napa, CA