40 Urns
The show took place Oct 3rd, 2008 here is Danielle's write up.
This show is dedicated to my grandmother.
Five years ago, Mary passed away and I was given money from her estate to buy a potter's wheel. Thus began my journey with clay.
Last January, Kate followed. I had made an urn for her ...but the funeral home expected it would be too small. Thus began my journey throwing bigger pieces and thinking of urns. I had an expression in the back of my head "40 days of mourning". Originally I had planned to make an urna day for 40 days, but that proved impossible. This represents 8 months of work.
This show is really about my journey through grief, a celebration of life and a stretching of myself as an artist. This is my first show and this because this is the first time I have really felt I had anything to say that I could express specifically with clay.
Many of the urns are traditional both others reflect the whimsey that is inherent in a lot of my work. I have enjoyed not being tied to glazing things to be "food safe" and mixing various media and clays.
There are 40 finished urns, these will stand the test of time. I have also included a small collection of unfired pieces. These works will be reclaimed by the earth along with the ashes they hold.
These vessels can be used for anything....
Enjoy.....
Danielle Sawada
P.S. Kate fit perfectly in the original one I had made.