<![CDATA[AARON T KENT - Blog]]>Fri, 10 May 2024 18:49:01 -0700Weebly<![CDATA[Ceramics and Studio Move]]>Sat, 21 Oct 2023 10:48:22 GMThttp://aarontkent.art/blog/october-21st-2023I have been working in the studio, still doing a lot of pit firing with my ceramics. I am also exploring ways to combine screen printing and ceramics in my current series, called "Stains." Incorporating screen printing and ceramics can add a unique and visually striking aspect to my work. Screen printing allows me to transfer intricate designs onto various surfaces, including ceramics, with precision and consistency. It opens up endless possibilities for adding patterns, textures, or even bold graphics to my ceramic pieces. By merging the two mediums, I can create one-of-a-kind artworks that showcase the beauty of both techniques. The contrast between the smoothness of ceramics and the precise lines or vibrant colors produced by screen printing can result in visually captivating pieces. Moreover, this fusion gives me an opportunity to experiment with different materials and explore new ideas. I can play around with combining glazes and screen-printed images, or experiment with layering techniques to achieve unique effects. I am considering experimenting with taking a finished pit-fired bowl and photographing specific burn or reactive elements fired onto the bowl after the pit firing process. This will allow me to create screen prints that capture the unique visual effects produced during the firing. This will highlight the stains left behind from the process. Additionally, I plan to showcase the ceramic piece with a 2-dimensional screen print behind it, although I am still working out the details in my head. I feel I am getting close to a finished piece of artwork.

On another note, I have to dismantle one of my studios and relocate it to a new space. I am not particularly excited about this task because it involves moving 20 years' worth of art and accumulated raw materials. Relocating a studio can be a daunting task, especially when it involves moving years' worth of artwork and raw materials. However, it is also an opportunity for a fresh start in a new space that could potentially inspire new ideas and creative growth. With careful planning and organization, the process can be made more manageable and less overwhelming.
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I am excited about the new possibilities of showcasing and promoting more prints and represented artists from the new studio. In today's digital age, the world of art is no longer confined to the walls of galleries and museums. With the advent of technology, I now have an extraordinary opportunity to showcase and promote their prints and represent artists like never before. This new era brings with it a sense of excitement and endless possibilities. I am definitely looking forward to bringing old techniques into the new world, along with new and beautiful artwork editions, as well as numerous screen prints. But for now, I just have to get the studio moved! Until next time, and I will try to keep you posted on the studio move. 
]]><![CDATA[Ceramics, Pit Fire, & Raku]]>Sun, 17 Sep 2023 12:55:22 GMThttp://aarontkent.art/blog/ceramics-pit-fire-rakuI need to post more blogs LOL I need to use it more for my thought process and journal writing. Sometimes, I feel like I lack the necessary writing skills, which makes it difficult for me to write. As a result, I often avoid it. However, I have decided to embrace technology and downloaded a writing app to see if it can help me write more and overcome my writing insecurities.

Now, let's get back to the studio! Lately, my main focus has been on ceramics. I've been dedicating a lot of my time to the Raku finishes. Here are three processes I've been focusing on.
Horse Hair
Horse Hair is a special technique where horse hair is used to decorate the surface. Basically, the idea is to burn the hairs onto the surface to create lines. Hairs are laid upon a hot surface, that have just come out from the kiln, they will burn onto the pieces leaving localized carbon marks.
Naked Raku
The Naked Raku technique is a unique form of Raku pottery that allows for the creation of stunning patterns. There are two forms of naked Raku: the two-step technique (using resist slip and glaze) and the one-step technique (using resist slip only)..Note that the resist slip is different in both techniques. The clay used for this type of naked raku is thin and porous, allowing smoke to penetrate inside. As a result, the finished piece does not have any glaze on it. What you see is the natural, unadorned clay. It's an organic method that utilizes the elements of fire, water, air, and earth (in the form of clay).
Pit Firing
Pit firing is the original method of "baking" clay. It dates back nearly 30,000 years ago. Typically, this process is done in a hole in the ground, or a pit, where pots are placed and burned. Pit firing is an atmospheric process where all the colors and patterns are derived from what is consumed in the fire. When items are burned, they transform into vapor and swirl around the pieces in the pit.  If the pieces are heated enough to open their pores, the colored vapor will enter and remain within the pores. Otherwise, the pottery will not have any color except for black, gray, or white. There are several variations on how to perform a pit fire.
My main interest has been pit firing. I have been using and experimenting with various chemicals and organic materials, employing a saggar technique. A saggar is a container used to enclose or protect the ware being fired inside a kiln during the firing process. Saggars have been used to protect ware from open fire, smoke, gases, and kiln debris. I use this technique where I create a bed of sawdust in the container, place the chemicals on top, and then put it into the pit-fire. This process helps me achieve the desired look and feel on my ceramics. it makes it look like an unearthed relic, something that was lost and now found.The colors are earthy and matte, and I absolutely adore the soft and vibrant hues they create.I enjoy the process and if my pieces break, I usually put them back together. Lately, I've been using Raku clay for my pieces, and I've noticed that they are staying intact. This is really cool, but it's also changing everything. I had a lot of fun putting the broken pieces back together after they fell apart. It also gave it a more sculptural element as well. I believe we should continue exploring pit firing and experimenting with different forms to see where it leads us.
Recently, I made the exciting purchase of a slab roller, which has opened up a world of possibilities for me. I have been using slabs to create stunning sculptural elements in my work. Lately, I have been creating smaller elements and weaving them together like building blocks, incorporating intricate weaving patterns. Some of this influence has come from working alongside JonPaul Smith. Watching and studying his work has been fascinating to me. I always enjoy his intricate weaving pieces and the creative ways he transforms them. His work is more 2D, but I'm eager to explore the realm of 3D and see what I can create. I'm almost done putting together the first of many prototypes to take to CoreClay and have it fired. It’s a small piece but it’s a start.
I am excited to start exploring metal leafing on my ceramics. I have aluminum and copper leaf ready for application. I also have a free-form bowl ready to go, but I admit I am a little nervous because it's difficult to envision how it will look or interact with the ceramics. However, I am eagerly embracing the creative process and looking forward to the unique outcomes it will bring. I also have some smaller pieces that I am curious to start working on. I believe that I just need to dive in and do it. Learning and failing are all part of life's journey. Signing off, and hopefully, I will write again sooner rather than later.
]]><![CDATA[Ceramics, Ceramics, and Ceramics]]>Mon, 26 Dec 2022 19:32:19 GMThttp://aarontkent.art/blog/ceramics-ceramics-and-ceramics      It's been a while since I've posted. I guess it's been one hell of a ride because my mom passed away and basically I've been building up a ceramic studio in my basement as well as using CoreClay to help my madness into ceramics. I've been doing a lot of wheel thrown ceramics. I've switched a lot of my focus over to ceramics just because that's what my mom and I did for quite some time before she passed away. That was something that we like to do together.  She like to do wheel throwing and I sorta gravitated to that once she passed. 

     One of the things that I've been gaining a lot of interest in is pit firing. It uses a regular camp fire to color your pottery. I started using detris and chemicals to burn into the ceramics. The fire reacts with the materials and stains the ceramics. I've been having a lot of fun with this. Another thing that's been happening is the bowls tend to break apart due to the thermal shock of the pit fire.  If it cools too fast the shock usually cracks it or breaks it apart. You can use a raku clay to avoid this but I am having fun playing with the reclaim body of clay that I am using. Plus it's way cheaper than the store bought clay. I have a lot of fun putting them back together. This really gives a piece another kind of feel and it looks like it's been dug up and has a very earthen quality. 

        I still feel I am still exploring death but in a different way. Grief, Earth, Fire and Ash are the main components of exploring this new body of work. I will always be using bones if it’s not bone ash or burning the bone to make the fire hotter. I'm also exploring using the remains of the fire ash to make glazes and add to the clay. I'm sure the bones will pop back up again in my artwork but for right now it's more about wheel throwing and mastering the bowl form.  I'm going to be applying for a show in the next couple of day for my ceramics. The show actually is about death and the circle of life which is perfect for me. We'll see if I get in.
]]><![CDATA[Drawing, Screen Printing and Ceramics]]>Fri, 27 Nov 2020 14:22:13 GMThttp://aarontkent.art/blog/drawing-screen-printing-and-ceramicsDrawing 
   So I have my drawing studio up and running but now I have to find the time to sit down and draw. I have to say, I find it quite intimidating looking at all my artist friends and seeing how talented they are and holding myself to those standards. I admit I'm a little self-conscious about my drawings. I’ve always felt that my drawing lacks something and needs improvement. I remember being in drawing class and seeing people who made it look effortless while I always seemed to struggle. My drawings seemed off, or the light didn’t look right, or something. Putting my ideas on paper is not as easy for me compared to sculpting, which seems to come more naturally for me. Seeing ideas in my head and modifying them is always effortless in my mind but sitting down and making it become a reality is much more of a process on paper and sometimes it feels like time wasted. I am probably putting too much emphasis on being perfect and not letting the creativity flow but I am a bit of a perfectionist so it’s hard to let it go and let the process take over. I hope to conquer my fears and start drawing small and start working my way up to these bigger X-Ray drawings I’ve been wanting to work on. But for now I just need to start drawing in my new space and work toward the goal of the X-Ray drawings I am fascinated with.
Screen Printing 
   I am also very excited to be finishing up some killer screen prints. I had the chance to work on these etchings I did a couple months back, and finally got to put the finishing screen print on top of the etchings. I added a very subtle bone detail over the etching making the piece very soft and calming. A different feel altogether and I am very happy with the results I got using the two printing processes. 
   I am also excited to be finishing up another Bones edition. This print was created a little differently then the rest of the series. I created it in Photoshop and printed it as a CMYK, then separated out the layers and printed it as a traditional screen print. This particular print had an overlay over another print using the opacity to lighten up the top layer to let the bottom layer show through. Trying to separate that would be a nightmare so I decided to use a CMYK to catch the details of this edition, and let’s just say the print turned out amazing. Soon to be out on my website and up for sale in the shop. 
Ceramics
   As you know from my last post I have been working on ceramics. While the holidays have cut into my studio time, I also think I’ve hit some problems and need a little help to work through them. So I hired some help from the kind hands of Laura Davis from Core Clay and she is going to get me out of this little rut and push me forward. I have a lot of pots that have been fired and I'm about to get some glazes on them. The pots are nothing fancy but practical and nice to have for home or office. I will be putting them up on Facebook because they will all need a home.


I think that’s about it for now. Thank you for your support! 
]]><![CDATA[Ceramics, Printing Plates, & Screen Printing]]>Thu, 29 Oct 2020 16:21:27 GMThttp://aarontkent.art/blog/ceramics-printing-plates-screen-printing  I have taken up a new art/craft since my Mom died. I have started throwing pots using clay and a potters wheel. It’s pretty process orientated so I tend to gravitate towards it and enjoy making things with my hands. Mom and I started taking clay classes together about 5 years ago and eventually started going to the studio together to make ceramics. It was awesome and I loved spending time with her and talking shit about our family - loving shit - but still shit talking. To fast forward, cancer came and took my Mom which left me pretty empty and alone. I know my Mom would not want me to be down and put life on hold so I went back to making pots again to be close to her. She use to do ceramics in her college years and her pottery was beautiful, so she is an inspiration to get better in ceramics and to continue to make art. As of right now everything is learning. It’s coming along slowly, and trying to teach my hands to mold clay is no easy task. Every little thing I do with my hands changes the shape of the clay, so staying consistent and keeping things centered is very challenging. Things are coming along, and keep your eyes open because there will be a lot of pottery up for grabs : ) 

  Also, I've got more printing plates ready to roll at FUSE Press, and my first bullet plate is up and operational. It’s an 18x18 plate coated in adhesive and then .22 caliber casings were pressed into the adhesive creating a plate to be rolled, inked and printed. After I am done with this printing process I will probably screen print over top of it. I also got started on another bullet plate, a .45 caliber variation of the same idea. 

  Next, I have a copper plate that I need to sand down and make ready for printing after it’s been shot. After I smooth it down I will screen print over it and do a acid bath, or I might just print it as is and then screen print over top of these backgrounds. Either way I have a lot of ideas happening and not enough time to get them all done. I guess that’s a good problem to have.

  I am also working on some screen printing bone designs, and a CMYK screen print. The color steam is very light and transparent and I want to see if I can catch all the detail. Other then that it’s really just trying to find the time to get it all done. As always thank you for catching up with my studio and work!
]]><![CDATA[Plates, Photos, & Website]]>Tue, 04 Aug 2020 18:16:29 GMThttp://aarontkent.art/blog/plates-photos-website   So it's been a crazy year that's for sure. I have been slowly working on my printing plates. Right now I have three plates in progress, two of which are in relief using smashed up bullets to create the plates. When inked and printed I get both the texture of the bullets and the ink impressions on the paper. I’m pretty excited about working on them with Andrew Au from FUSE because he has so much knowledge on printing with this kind of process. The third plate is a copper plate that has been shot several times and now I have to make some decisions about hammering or grinding the plate down so it is printable. I also want to etch some images on the plate but I’m still thinking about the subject matter or design, and it changes depending on how I feel that day. I also have some background etching that I want to do with bone designs. I really enjoy how these two processes work out together. It's a lot of fun using two different processes and getting some amazing results. 

   I have also been working with some amazing photographers getting my artwork photographed and up on my website. I just put two more pieces up in current events. I had the great pleasure of working with Sean Huges to get these pieces out of my studio and into the virtual world. Sean definitely gave the sculpture a lot more life and made the work stand on its own. I was very happy with how he handled all the details. The work is very relevant to what's going on today. The two pieces are called Crowd Pleaser and Crowd Pleaser #2, and they deal with all the gun violence and easy accessibility to guns in our world.

   Last but not least, I am getting my drawing studio back up and running. I have some old X-Rays waiting to be used to create some cool drawings using bone shapes to overlay on top of one another. I have been having a lot of fun using my light table and overhead projector to get some great shapes and colors using the X-Rays. 

   I think that’s about it for right now but will keep you posted as the projects progress. 
]]><![CDATA[Etching Screen-Printing & Bullets]]>Tue, 23 Jun 2020 20:53:12 GMThttp://aarontkent.art/blog/etching-screen-printing-bullets  I have been busy in the studio with a few new ideas in the works. So other then continuously working on my Bone obsession I have recently started working on Etching plates. This has been an amazing experience for me. I get to work with an amazing studio, FUSE Press, where I'm learning a lot about etching and have started creating etching backgrounds for my Bones series. The etching backgrounds are filled with so much life and artistic process that I am almost happy to leave them as is. Who knows  some of these backgrounds may just end up in another series I work on from time to time called Stains. Either way I have been having a blast with Nitric acid and steel plates creating lots of backgrounds. Now I just need to come up with some Bone images to screen print on top of these killer backgrounds.

Another Idea I heard about and wanted to try was printing with steelwool. I had a blast researching and figuring out how to print with this new medium. I ended up spreading it out to a thin 18x24 sheet for printing. Then figuring out how to ink it up and get it to print exactly the way I wanted was no easy task. Once I got the desired effect after many test prints it became a beautiful background for a Bones edition I did. I was pretty excited with how it turned out 

    So in all the fun I started coming up with some new ideas. The one I am currently getting together is a copper plate thats been shot with a small caliber rifle. I will have to address the damage its done to the plate and make it printable. Once that is done I will probably print it to see how it looks. After that, I have a ton of brass bullet casings  I will flatten and start soldering the to the copper plate. Once I get a few in place I will continue to print the plate and see where it takes me. I'm going for more of an embossed look with minimal etching, more using the ammo to create the etch or the damage to the plate. This process is helping me work though my issues of all that's wrong in the world.

I think that's about it for right now other than constantly seeing the world through sad eyes with everything that is going on. I see the world through art and it helps me make some sense in my mind of all the craziness. Keep an eye out for more ideas to come and who knows maybe I will open the flood gates and start putting some not so pretty art back out there as food for thought. For if we are not constantly redefining ourselves we will never change and we need to constantly change to keep our world free of hate.
]]><![CDATA[Working on New Work]]>Tue, 27 Aug 2019 19:15:20 GMThttp://aarontkent.art/blog/working-on-new-workSo i have finished three print projects in the last month or so which makes me super happy. I got all my work signed and have to put it up on my website. I also need to send some prints off to some Galleries and Museums for some potential shows. Other than that I am working on a 7 color print and another 24 x 38 big bones print. Very happy with how the halftones are coming out on these bigger one color prints. Also I love how the bone pattern is really developing. I feel I may need to start overlaying these bigger prints one on top of another. I had a happy accident in a test print and may follow that path and see where it takes me. I like the unexpected controlled chaos of what's happening with the patterns and of not knowing what's going to happen.
 
This 7 color print I am working on is going pretty amazing. Basically I found this awesome root system and modified it to make my natural background for the base of my bones. This background is a CMYK with three bone patterns dropped on top giving this piece a very chaotic and yet controlled visual, with the pattern and repetition of the bones and kaleidoscopic root system. I can't wait to see it come to life on the press. A computer is an awesome tool but cold when it comes to looking at artwork. To see a print come to life and feel its breath off the press is just an amazing feeling. Looking forward to finishing it.      

I feel like I need to get back in to sculpture more because of the plant life I feel I am missing. I also miss working with 3 dimensional form and I've been having tons of ideas and dreams of sculpture that haunt me. One of these ideas is getting into slip casting and start doing my sculptures in ceramic. Just another earth element calling out to me for some reason or another. I have had this idea for years and I'm really hoping I get to the studio and get this rolling. I think I would make some beautiful work but I have to get to the studio first. 

Well thats about it for now but hope to get back into studio soon!
]]><![CDATA[Screen Printing]]>Mon, 22 Jul 2019 20:02:54 GMThttp://aarontkent.art/blog/screen-printingIt's been a busy couple of weeks in the studio but I'm pushing forward, getting things done on my artwork, meeting new friends and getting lots of new inspiration. 

First, FUSE has been doing an amazing job at running my etching plate of Bones that will eventually become a collaboration with Andrew Au.  I know that my copper plate is difficult to print because of all the halftones it has; it holds a ton of ink and is a pain to rub back. It takes almost an hour just to prep the plate for printing. But the color is amazing and I am so excited to see this print come to life! 


Also we made a new friend, Tim Musso, who does woodcuts of nature in a very dark and beautiful way. I was instantly drawn to his artwork for many reasons, mainly because the quality of the work is just amazing. The time it takes to do one of these prints just shows his commitment and love for his art. I could go on for days about how cool these woodcuts are, but better for you to see for yourself, so there is a link for you to go and check it out. Also, Tim has a show lined up at DIY Printing in August 2020 so keep an eye out for his name and more projects to come. 

Another reason life has been so crazy: we had guest artist James Marshall (Dalek) in the studio for 3 straight days, with 12 hours of screen printing each of those days! It was awesome hanging with such an amazing person and artist. We had fun playing with screen printing and putting new ideas down on panels for an upcoming show of his in NYC. We also printed a lot of editions before he got to town so we could use the test prints to create new screen prints on top of the test prints. James is a really down to earth guy so hanging in the studio with him was a super fun time. Watching the artwork come together and being part of that was just an amazing and inspirational experience. It's always nice to make a new friend and just watch the studio come to life with creativity. 

Even with all the chaos I managed to get some printing done on my 24 x 38 Bones print.  After about three test prints and relearning the printing arm I feel I am ready to run another small edition. I am happy with the feel of this particular color but I'm sure it will change as I print this series. I'm feeling pretty good about getting three prints out of the studio within the last month or so. I still need to get over to the clay studio and start working on some sculptural elements, but time and exhaustion catch up with me and I end up at home thinking about ideas and new artwork.


Links to Artist 
James Marshall (Dalek) shopdalek.com/pages/about
 Tim Musso  www.timmusso.com/
Andrew Au FUSE au-purdum.com/
]]><![CDATA[Screen Printing and Etching]]>Mon, 15 Jul 2019 18:00:04 GMThttp://aarontkent.art/blog/screen-printing-and-etchingThis week was pretty epic. I got to play in two studios, FUSE and DIY, plus give a small talk at the Contemporary Arts Center.

FUSE PRESS
I got to finally etch and test print the collaboration project with Andrew Au. It was so awesome being at the FUSE studio and feeling the creative vibe coming out of that place. Keep an eye on them because tons of cool projects and artwork are coming out of that place. Andrew the Etching God pretty much took my hand and showed me the way to etch. He showed me the acid bath (but wouldn't let me play in it, which was probably super smart of him) and basically cared for my copper plate for 2 hours until it was finished. Then he did me a solid and test printed it in the FUSE studio. It turned out better than I imagined and reminded me of the old illustrations in medical books. I am totally obsessed with how it looks and still can't believe all those halftones turned out as amazing as they did. Definitely feeling the artistic motivation flowing through my veins 

DIY Printing
My personal artwork at the studio is progressing. I am working on these bigger screens of more constructed Bones image.  The first screen has been burned and I ran a test print to see what these monster screen prints are going to look like.  Although there are a few kinks that have to be worked out on the printing of the half tones, I am feeling pretty good about the overall result.  It seems like I nailed the color I wanted - a blue print or X-ray effect.  There is still a lot of test printing to do, but it seems like the print is coming along nicely.  It feels so good to be  producing art work again.

CAC
The Contemporary Art Center asked me to give a short presentation this week about my art work.  I’m not going to lie, as I am not the best speaker when it comes to standing in front of people, but it went pretty well - just need to organize my thoughts and condense the information I want to share.  And the best part is that we might have some new young artists coming to DIY Printing. This is a great way to end the week. 

Link to Andrew Au Artwork au-purdum.com/andrew-au

Link to FUSE  au-purdum.com/

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