Long time no see, blogging world. For various reasons, this blog fell off my radar for years. However, after some encouragement from those around me, as well as some projects that specifically make sense to share in a blog format, here I am again.

Before diving into new content, some background and updates are appropriate. Last year was quite the big year; I got married to the man who was so frequently featured here (and likely will be again) and shortly after we moved to the Big Island of Hawaii for him to start his new position as Assistant Professor at the University of Hawaii at Hilo. It was a huge transition going from the same 9-5 job for the past four years to unemployed/freelance life. Since I didn’t have a job lined up when moving here, I decided this was the time to actually focus on my art and photography. That job that had been so comfortable had also used up most of my time, and my personal (i.e. creative) photography was largely pushed aside as a result.

Which leads me to this post today, as an introduction to a new project: Artist Series (working title).

We were all given studio spaces in grad school, which were boring, transformed old offices. It was fascinating to me how my classmates made those spaces their own. The things they filled the space with and the way they interacted with the room seemed to say a lot about them as an artist and how they worked. With the extra time on my hands and with a strong artist community here in Hawaii, it seemed like the perfect opportunity to dive in! I was hoping to wait to blog these until I had more artists under my belt, but COVID-19 has put a pause on photographing new artists and I decided I might as well get the ball rolling on these now. 

It’s also worth saying that this is not a new idea or project. But, so often the focus of these types of images tends to be big-name artists. Instead, I am interested in local artists as well as artisans. I love seeing the makeshift spaces and hearing the scrappy stories of how they got to where they are. I want to share some of those stories and images with others and in doing so help promote other artists.

So, with all that said (I promise these won’t normally be so long), I’d like to introduce my first artist:

Moving Castle Pottery

Moving Castle Pottery is run by the incredibly kind and talented, Bella. Bella grew up here on the Big Island and was essentially raised in ceramics, as both her parents are ceramic artists. She was kind enough to let me into her family’s studio back in February and make some pieces while I snapped away. It was such a unique space, with work absolutely everywhere. You could tell this was the studio of very productive artists and ones who love to push their creativity as well.

While I was there Bella was using clay that had been recycled from her family’s large scrap bin. If you aren’t familiar with recycling clay, it essentially means that you are rehydrating and kneading old, dried out clay. It’s fascinating to me that those scraps all have their own history, their own original purpose, and are now being used in her work. The colors that she got out of those mixed up clays was really unique and special, with drastically different shades available as well. She also had a small piece (which I am now the proud owner of!) from playing around with some clay she dug up from the ground, which was really interesting to see!

Watching ceramic artists at work, especially on the wheel, is always mesmerizing to me. The wedging of the clay and the smooth spinning of the wheel is very calming. The methodical nature of it all is very pleasing and satisfying.

There is also something special about being so physically connected to your material and you can see that with ceramic artists. I (obviously) love photography, but being able to get your hands dirty and manipulate a physical object is a very different sort of process.

Bella’s work is very playful and whimsical. Her designs draw heavily from nature, with the colors and textures seemingly direct from the earth itself. Lots of her imagery is also mythological, with all sorts of fantastic creatures. She also has started making some pots in female forms, which I couldn’t resist purchasing for my own home and potting a fern in it.

A huge thank you, once again, to Bella for allowing me into her studio! If you would like to see more of her work or purchase anything from her, you can find her on Etsy.

Lastly, I am searching for more artists to photograph here on the Big Island! If you happen to know someone who you think would be interested, or if you yourself are an artist and would like to be photographed, shoot me a message or leave a comment below!