SHE Sea Wisdom: Jellyfish/Not Jellyfish (Coral Reef 004)
Slip-cast and Hand-built ceramic coral-inspired sculpture with layers of kiln-fired glazes including real gold luster. The slip-cast torso was added to the hand-coiled base. All the coral and shell shapes on the textured base started as a hand-rolled ball of clay. When completely built the sculpture is bisque kiln-fired. I first with drew the images with stains and glaze to create the jellyfish and images of plastic bags floating in water, on the bisque-fired torso. Three layers of aqua celadon glazes were layered over the drawings. I used about 20 different glazes on the sculpture. The third and final kiln-firing completes the sculpture with details of 18k gold and beautiful opalescent over the glossy body and corals.
Bio
<p>Julia C R Gray, Cardiff by the Sea, California, uses mid-fire clay to cast and sculpt torsos with hand-painted images using layered underglazes & oxides. Her artwork portrays multilayered messages, on the vulnerability and strength of the ocean and women’s bodies. After working as a representational painter, Gray returned to University to focus on sculpture, completing a BFA (2014) with Honors from San Francisco Art Institute. Gray has been awarded scholarships and art grants. Her work is published on the cover of MODIFIED: Living As A Cyborg and in academic texts. She exhibits her work in civic galleries, juried exhibitions and museums and is collected nationally.</p>
