About My Work
Sleeping birds, jumping rabbits, owls and imagined animals. These are some of the creatures that are I carve and sculpt into clay platters, tiles, vessels and wall works.
Using imagery from nature and fantasy, my narratives are depicted with intricate surface textures. The glazes in my palette allow me to achieve distinctive and vibrant surfaces, which characterize my art.
I am a juried exhibiting member of Artspace Artists Association, the Piedmont Craftsmen's Guild and Carolina Designer Craftsmen Guild, from which I was awarded the 2003 Dino Reed Award.
How I work
Each clay piece is one-of-a-kind, created in a series. The wall works and sculptures begin with deep red terra cotta clay; the shapes take form using a hand-building process called slab and pinch.
I sometimes use my own molds and hand-made stamps as aids in the forming and texturing of the surface. Other times I draw into moist slabs of clay with my finger or carve using wood block carving tools.
After a couple of weeks of very slow drying the sculpture is painted with colored clay slip or engobe, then fired in a kiln to 1900 degrees. After it has cooled the piece is hand painted with ceramic glazes. The glazes are often very temperamental. Re-firing the piece with more glazes, lustres, crystal glazes is often necessary to achieve the vibrant surfaces that characterize my art.
Where I work
I do my clay work in a studio building in the woods of Orange County, North Carolina, that I share with my husband Mark Brown, a fine art painter.
Studio visits are by appointment, at my two annual open studio/sales, and other special open studio dates.
If you want to stop by to see me, give me a call at 919-968-8438, or email me cathy@cathykiffney.com.
• See a schedule of upcoming events.
• See a map to the studio.
WORK I ADMIRE
Mark Brown www.markbrownpaintings.com
Marina Bossetti http://www.bosettiarttile.com/
Susan Strozier www.bantamdesigns.com
Mary Jo Kiffney http://greenmangardeningpa.com
Patricia Kiffney http://greenponygarden.com