Karen Miller: : Ceramics

Today we are visiting the home studio of Karen Miller, ceramist and owner of Binx Ceramics. Karen is a master at creating all things miniature: woodland creatures, cottages, mushrooms, holiday figures and gnomes (her best seller). She also makes jewelry, hair accessories and miniature vases. (This year she will be releasing a collection of necklaces.)

Seven years ago, Karen began making miniatures with paper clay. She enjoyed this medium, but many of her customers wanted her figures for their terrariums and fairy gardens. The paper clay was not water resistant enough to last, and Karen began experimenting with ceramics. Five years ago, Binx was born. Binx is named after two very loved cats in Karen's life.

Karen started small and fired her work at a local clay studio. As her business and customer base grew, Karen knew she would need to be able to fire from home. Meet Bertha, Karen's kiln.

And here are Karen's beds of nails. Seriously. That's what they're called, and they ensure that Karen's work does not get stuck to anything in the kiln while it is being fired at up to 1945 degrees.

In these trays, you can see Karen's sculptures before they are painted.

Here are some gnomes that are painted, but not fired or glazed.

And here is a finished matryoshka doll. 

By day, Karen works at Webster University. At night, she works at her kitchen table and makes her art. This year, she will do around 16 shows - all in the St. Louis area. Karen is thinking about starting to travel with Binx. She has a following now, and knows that several of her customers come to St. Louis for her shows. 

"If you loved cute, tiny things when you were little," she said, "you will love them when you're older." This evening, Karen was making earrings. These small shapes are going to be birds, or post earrings made from button molds. 

I asked Karen about recycling and upcycling. She reports that she has very little waste in her work. She uses a low fire technique with her kiln, which uses less energy, and her glazes are all non-toxic and food safe.

Here is an example of Karen's art upcycling. She uses vintage buttons to make molds. Then, she makes clay beads and buttons for her accessory pieces. These molds...

helped to make these hair clips...

And this mold was used to make these post earrings. Adorable!

Karen is impeccably organized. She works at her kitchen table and uses one of her bedrooms for storage, display and works in progress. She reuses egg cartons to hold her miniatures safely. She is so organized that I told her I thought she should become best friends with this artist immediately!

Karen is inspired by colors from vintage miniatures. She has an impressive collection of them.

She also tries to focus on more "common" creatures in her art. She calls them "backyard buddies" and purposefully stays away from exotic animals to be true to the aesthetic she is creating.

Fall and the Christmas seasons are her busiest. This winter alone, she participated in 12 shows. 

Her routine is also purposeful and organized.

For this first quarter, she sculpted in January, she will paint and glaze in February and she'll work on presentation and preparation for her shows in March. She also works from large to small so that everything gets enough drying time.

Advice for new artists? "Just make it happen!" Karen said. She recommends finding a local, non-juried show and signing up. Once a person has a spot in a show, s/he has a goal. Karen said you can figure the rest out from there.

This approach certainly has worked for her. Karen loves going to shows - juried and non-juried. And her business is thriving. (This ladybug is new this year.)

She has too much demand right now to stock an online shop and she has enlisted her parents as her "employees." She jokes that her mom (who helps with glazing and firing) is her Vice President and her dad is her General Manager. "I couldn't keep up with the volume of my work without them," Karen said.

This little cottage is one of my very favorite things that Karen makes.

And here is a little bonus look into Karen's life. One of the perks of having a home studio is that you can be surrounded by the things you love most. In addition to vintage figurines, Karen collects garden gazing globes. Did you know that gazing globes date back to the 13th century?  Karen's collection is extensive. The photos below show about half of it.

Karen's next show will be Green with Indie on March 8th. I should have mentioned earlier that Karen is hilarious! She often posts funny anecdotes, photos of her works in progress and show updates on her Facebook page. 

Karen's Facebook page

Karen's website:

www.binxceramic.com

Thank you Karen!!!

Amy Thompson : : Letterpress

Today we are visiting the studio of fine artist Amy Thompson. Amy is the owner of Paper Boat Studios, located on Historic Cherokee Street in St. Louis.

Amy creates fine mixed media art, stationery (she specializes in custom wedding invitations) and home goods. Her work is very diverse - but everything includes the letterpress.

In her space ("Around 450 square feet and bursting!" Amy explains), she has her studio, a small store front display and a couch and table for meeting with clients, for friends who pop in and most often, for her constant companions Boomer and India. India is below. See the paper boats floating in the window? Amy was inspired to name her business Paper Boat Studios after being on a rowing team in college.

And here is India's view of Amy when she works. Amy has an MFA with a focus on printmaking. She has been in this studio for three and a half years. Before this, she had a space in the Loft District downtown.

Here are some of the home products/greeting cards Amy creates. You can see more in her etsy shop!

 

Amy has two presses on site, and they are named Leona (after Amy's grandma whose name is ironically not Leona) and Doll (after Dolly Parton). "They're like two strong women," Amy said. Leona was made in 1903 and Doll was made in 1907. Amy has a third press in storage at her grandmother's home in Montana.

Amy says one of her biggest personal challenges as a full time artist is staying organized. She has also claimed 2014 as her year to spend some time focusing on balance. She teaches as an adjunct professor at two local universities, maintains her invitation/stationery work business and makes time to continue her passion for fine art. Her current fine art project includes a study of Spirograph designs.

This collection is now on display at the Meramec Gallery of Contemporary Art as part of a show called "Under Pressure." It runs until February 14th.

Amy's mother gave her these toys to remind her to keep her "ducks in a row". Do you remember when I featured Carol Carter in this space? She told me that all artists have toys in their studios, and I am finding that to be true.

Before Amy was a printer, she worked as a graphic artist. She combines traditional and modern methods in her work.

"Because people often want to make small changes in their invitations, it is easier to work with a pdf that can handle tiny changes and be edited immediately," she said. "And then I have photo polymer plates made in New York." Box Car Press in Syracuse, creates Amy's plates and they also recycle all of her used scraps. These are recycled and used in composite decks and benches.

Amy says that the move to Cherokee Street has been perfect for her art and her business. She walked by her studio, saw the "For Rent" sign in the window and knew it was the space for her before she even stepped inside. (There are more paper boats hanging on her back wall.)

 I think her presses are so beautiful. They're like sculpture all on their own.

Here is some of Amy's work in progress. A tip that Amy shared for aspiring paper artists is to use a surgical scalpel rather than an X-Acto knife for cutting. "They're sharper, cheaper and thinner,"Amy explained. "The blade almost never breaks and they never roll off a table!"

Some of Amy's fine art work.

Here is Amy with Boomer (right) and India (left). Thank you Amy!

Paper Boat Studios

2308 1/2 Cherokee Street

St. Louis

Amy's website

Sherwood Linders: : Upcycled Metals

Today we are visiting the home studio space of Sherwood Linders, a self proclaimed tinkerer who transforms everyday cans from this:

Into this:

Luminaries! Just a few years ago, Sherwood bought a friend's welding tank and rig with the intention of "playing around" and learning the equipment. This is his workshop:

He started working with cans - they came in all sizes and were readily available. So he tinkered and experimented and eventually started making luminaries. 

Sherwood's equipment provided all the support he needed to make his luminaries except for the fine detail work, so eventually he purchased a jewelers torch.

Sherwood marks his cans using patterns he found at Zen Alcohol Stoves.

His designs are all done freehand.

This wire brush on Sherwood's drill press helps with cleaning and buffing the cans.

When Sherwood's ready to design his luminaries, he heads to his garage so there is plenty of ventilation.

He uses a very small space to make a lot of art!

Schools, friends and a local pizza parlor all pass along their various sized cans. Sherwood can make virtually any can into a luminary.

His luminaries cost between $10 and $35. Sherwood also designed a high-intensity light kit so you can get the 360-degree effect you see in the second photo above. They also work beautifully with candles.

To finish his luminaries, Sherwood paints them all with clear lacquer.

In 2009, Sherwood started selling his luminaries alongside his wife, photographer Jane Linders. Then, in October, he had his first solo booth at Art Outside and his luminaries sold out.   One more before and after:

To inquire about a luminary:

Sherwood's Website

Thank you Sherwood!