PAULA COLLINS

MEDIUM

Ceramics

ARTIST STATEMENT

“Inspired by our 2024 Pageant theme, ‘Á La Mode,’ I imagine ceramic vessels adorned with complex designs, pattern making, and embellishments. By using the fascinating technique of colored clay (porcelain) ‘canes’ the possibilities are endless.”

ARTIST BIO

Paula has been participating in Art Festivals throughout the western U.S. for twenty-five years. She has been honored with receiving numerous awards of recognition for her sculpture work.

This year will be her fifth year showing at the Festival of the Arts.

Paula is excited to share her sculptures and new vessels in 2024. This year she takes a deep dive into colored porcelains that are made into canes. They are made by mixing up batches of custom-colored porcelains (boy, that KitchenAid sure has been handy!). Once there are numerous colors at her disposal, Paula then proceeds to design patterns she wishes to create.

Techniques for creating the patterns include stacking, blending, and extruding the color combinations. She might have ten patterns that are then extruded (or shrunk) to create hundreds of 12” coils with the patterns embedded in them. They are laid out to form a 12”x12” loaf. These blocks can take one month to create providing endless decorated lengths of clay.

Paula uses guitar wire to shave her slices from the “loaf” that are then laminated to an inch thick slab of white porcelain. She can roll out the desired sizes and shapes dependent on what type of vessel she hopes to create. Some forms are wheel thrown and some are hand built.
Each piece is fired multiple times in high fired ranges of 2100 to 2400 degrees.

Paula hopes you will find this new line as exciting as she does. Hope to see you this summer.