Fine Arts by James Gianforti

Three pieces from yesterday’s kiln firing:

Ripple Chawan (hand built stoneware, Nuka ash glaze w/ iron oxide wash, cone 10 reduction),

Black Series Vase (hand built stoneware, Varden black glaze, cone 10 reduction),

Black Series Pitcher (hand built stoneware, Varden black glaze, cone 10 reduction).

Just a reminder for people living in or near New Orleans, LA or Alexander, VA: I have pieces showing in exhibitions which open today and run until 29 Oct. I’d love to see some photos of my work “in situ” among the other artists’ piece at the galleries. Anyway, I hope some of you can make it. Thank you!

So very pleased to announce that three of my recent works in my Salt & Iron series of Japanese tea bowls have been accepted into the Del Ray Artisans exhibit “Return to Eating, Drinking, and Merriment” from 07-29 October in Alexandria VA! While I will not be able to attend in person, I hope that some of my friends and family from the area may be able to stop by and see my works.

The following are my favorites from the most recent firing here. The descriptions and names for each are in the captions. All of the chawan/yunomi are from a series I am calling “Salt & Iron”. They were glazed in a white salt glaze and accented with iron oxide wash with some wonderful results IMO. The bottle was glazed in a true nuka glaze according to Master Potter Shoji Hamada’s recipe, then accented with the iron oxide wash as well.

Very pleased and excited to announce that my recent ceramic art piece, “Murder Cup”, has been accepted into the annual Halloween season juried exhibit, Creep Show IV, at the Clay Center of New Orleans from October 7-29.

So, the kiln gods were good! I had some failures and a couple breakages, some decent results, some really good ones, and three great ones. That’s just how it goes. I’m posting the best three here with a description of each in the captions. Two are for sale so message me if you’d like to see more detailed photos of a particular piece.

After a very long hiatus, I am finally back in the ceramic swing! The gas kiln is going in full Cone 10 reduction with some new pots of mine and fellow potter, James Buckler. Kiln opening tomorrow afternoon and photos of finished work to follow!

Pretty good day at the kiln. I am very pleased with these four pieces described below. Message me for more details if interested in purchasing:

Long Neck Bottle Vase
Stoneware with Sunshine yellow over iron oxide wash; Cone 10 reduction

Temmoku Bottle Vase
Stoneware with temmoku glaze; Cone 10 reduction

Two sushi plates
Stoneware with green Oribe glaze over iron oxide wash; Cone 10 reduction

From my past are ghosts
Malevolent creations
Begging to be fed

With Cruel Intentions - Mr. X
Acrylic, oil, clay dust
16”W x 20”H

I had some doubts about whether or not this mug would be any good. Now that it is finally done with the luster I just love it. If you want art that is symmetric with clean lines look somewhere else. If you’re like me and you like stuff that is weird, wonky, wabi-sabi, and wonderful then I’m your man!

Poison Skull Mug
Stoneware with luster

Hey friends! There are 18 days left to bid on some great art at the Mutual Aid Auction of the Visual Arts Exchange Raleigh. Also, all proceeds go directly to artists! I am showing two pieces for your consideration as well - “Manticore” and “Neo-COVID Man”. Check it out at:

https://e.givesmart.com/events/eVu/i/

Hand built stoneware bottle with Spectrum 882 Orchid Pink Raku glaze fired to Cone 06.

5.58”H x 4.35”W x 4.10”D

Hatriotism
36”H x 48”W
Acrylic, spray paint, and oil on canvas

Super excited to have submitted two works - “Manticore” and “Neo-COVID Man” - for the VAE Raleigh Mutual Aid Art Auction which goes live at 8 am on 6 March. All proceeds go directly to the artists, many of who are struggling through the pandemic. So, get online and bid on some sick art and support artists!

https://vaeraleigh.org/art-auction

First painting of 2021 completed!

Manticore
Acrylic and oil on canvas
24”x24”x1.5”

A three piece commission for a fellow potter: two story townhouse, English cottage, and an outdoor brick kiln. These are all hand built bottles which are painted then clear glazed to finish.

I made this mug with the intent of entering it into a ceramics competition coming up in March. I combined my love of pottery, painting and drawing to make this hand built & hand painted coffee mug. For the theme I looked to medieval manuscripts and became fascinated with the recurring images of killer rabbits in the margins (monk humor). I have always loved the animated movie “Watership Down” as a child so I decided to merge the two concepts. I have depicted three rabbits marching off to battle, going to or from a castle tucked in behind the handle. In the inside of the mug I have renedered Lord Frith from “Watership Down”, who was the rabbit creator deity of that story. The handle reads “Frith mit Uns!” which is play on the Teutonic crusader knights battle cry of “Gott mit Uns!” (God with Us!). I have also thrown in a fun Easter egg in the image so bonus points if you can identify it!

The art world lost another titan yesterday. Welsh potter, Phil Rogers, died yesterday after a short illness at the still very young age of 69. Phil’s works have been on of my inspirations and influences and he was one of the greatest contemporary potters IMO.

Tried my hand at some hand drawing/painting a couple ceramic pieces for the first time. One piece is a small bottle painted as a Victorian London home and the other is a Devil’s Goat bowl. I found that there are many uniques challenges and I will need to practice more but I am pretty happy with these initial results.

Two new tiny bottles for my series of tiny bottles. With these, I painted in black underglaze on the raw clay body while leather-hard then painted over with a white underglaze wash before bisque firing. Afterwards applied a clear glaze and fired again.

Two new Raku pieces today. The first is a play on words: it is a “Che-wan”. A chawan made with Ernesto “Che” Guevara’s likeness done in sgraffito. The other is another in my series of small bottles: a white moon bottle with crackles.

Stepping out of my comfort zone and did this hand built salt cellar with lid and used underglazes for the first time by commission.

Just finished this painting today based on the painting “Saturn Devouring His Son” by Francisco Goya. This is part of my series on re-presenting classic paintings in my own style. I have reversed the roles in my interpretation.

Baby Zeus Devouring His Father (somewhat after Goya)
Acrylic and oil on canvas
36”x48”

Another successful Raku firing today. One chawan, two small bottles, and a teddy bear just for fun!

Finished chawan experimenting with dark glazes. Used Mayco Black Matte (SW-140) and Dark Magma (SW-406) fired to cone 6 in oxidation.

My little hand me down kiln working hard to get to cone 6 but she’ll get there! Hopefully will birth a beautiful chawan by tomorrow morning.

This little pinch pot was wrapped in a foil saggar containing various salts and chemical oxides then pit fired to get these luscious purple tones and subtle green accents. Krylon semi-gloss clear coat for the finish.

Dark Matter
Stoneware, saggar/pit fired
2.50”H x 3.50”W x 3.45”D

Did a “little” Raku today (get it?) and a sagger pit fired piece. The pinch pot that was pit fired is still drying from clean up but after I throw some Krylon clear coat on her the colors will pop!

Tiny Raku Bottle #1 & #2
Raku clay Cone 05

Dark Matter
Raku clay pinch pot, saggar pit fired

Two tiny bottles for Raku and a small pot for saggar firing.

I haven’t worked in clay in about eight months. Decided to hand build and raku fire this little bowl. I’m digging the pearlescent colors from the carbon reduction.

Raku Bowl - Copper
Raku clay w/ Amaco R19 Copper Matte glaze
6”W x 2.85”H x 6”D