applying wax resist

A Part Together - solo show at farm projects

My solo sculptural installation at FARM, A Part Together is a narrative journey. It is an exploration of ceramic material through hand-building and slip-casting. It is a weaving together of nature with human form, and of thoughts drifting during the making process, asking, seeking and exploring. 

The free-standing sculptures echo tree trunks where the roots sink into the ground.

The small pinched pots are like funny sprites popping up among flowers.

The "remnant shells" are hollowed out remains, sometimes found enveloped in vines, home to insects and other magical creatures. The wrought iron wall mounts were forged by Ken Roby in his Ohio-based studio, The Village Blacksmith.

The word tiles are thoughts that surface during the making process. 

Growing up in St. Petersburg, Russia, I was surrounded by the historically rich world of Imperial Russia. Summers were spent outside the city, at my family dachya, not far from tsars’ summer marble and stone residences. In direct contrast, our rustic dachya was built by great-grandfather Simon, with wood found on the property.   

Family legends describe Simon’s soft spoken demeanor and  the healing power of being in his presence. Great-grandpa Simon built the dachya after his return from Siberia. He served in exile after being found guilty of owning his own business. 

Surrounded by a deep pine forest, he found solace in working with his hands. Immersed in nature, it was an escape from busy city life, perhaps an escape from his Siberian experiences. His serene presence is still felt there. The meditative repetitive motion of hand-building with porcelain, connects me to experiences from the dachya. With nature as my muse, my work explores human vulnerability, fragility, unease, and resilience. 

all about change

This year is all about change, and adapting to the new. Even though the past six months have been incredibly challenging, I am, what feels like, on the other side. 

The Covid pandemic has forced me to close my brick and mortar shop, my wholesale business plummeted, but I have seen customers shop online in greater numbers, and with kind words of support and encouragement. 

I am in a new studio space, in a building populated by artists and entrepreneurs. For the first time since grad school, I feel part of an artist community where the building’s owner is invested in my success.  

It has taken me two months to set up the new space, moving studio is much more work than moving my house. The kilns are finally working properly just last week, and I am back to making. It has taken me some time to establish a routine. 

Here are some views of my new space, which I hope will be gleena’s home for a very long time. This is my seventh (lucky!) studio:

I have a nice showroom, where visitors are welcome, please make an appointment for a visit by emailing info@gleena.com, or calling 216-310-5718.

The making studio is naturally separated from the showroom by the layout of the space. It feels quite different from one side to the other. I like this very clear separateness. 

The kiln goddess presides over all the firings, I created her in grad school almost 20 years ago. 

My two kilns, Big and Thor, which I have had for about ten years. They are a pain to move, mostly because they are so very fragile. Luckily, over the years, I have learned to fix any electrical issues that might arise. 

I was finally able to unpack my “remnant” series, an installation started in grad school, which I hope to continue exploring. Being in this space is urging me to create more sculpture.

The beginning of a sculpture, though the holiday season, which is a robber of free time, is right around the corner. I am hoping to have at least two pieces made by the end of the year.

I even have a small office, where I can catch up on computer work without getting clay all over the keyboard.

working while isolating

I am fortunate to be able to continue to work while many cannot due to the current Covid crisis. Studio life is generally an isolated life, and with the shop being closed since March 12th, it is just me in the space. The freedom from the regular hours of the shop allows me to run errand for my parents who live nearby and have been staying in. It is an odd, surreal experience to be driving on nearly empty streets every day. All days feel like Sunday morning due to no traffic. I am grateful for my work, the kilns which beg to be filled, to retain a bit of normalcy.

My focus has been on gleena.com, filling the website with all the items from the physical store. It is a time-consuming endeavor, photographing and color-correcting images, measuring, uploading and describing product. I am offering free shipping for now.

The weather has been odd, in one day we had a thunderstorm, snow, sun, hail, high winds, temperatures from 60’s dropping to 30’s. As if nature is also confused as to what day or season it is.

A heartfelt thank you to customers, shops and galleries, to friends, neighbors, and family, who have reached out with words of support, love, encouragement and understanding. Thank you to my sweet customers who purchase online. I am grateful for all the kindness. With long daily walks I turn to nature for peace and inspiration. Spring is pushing forward regardless, with many flowers popping up despite weather’s mixed signals. Be well, everyone.

a very happy new year

Happy New Year! 2019 was a full and colorful year. The year was most notable for raising my very high-energy enthusiastic super friendly and funny pup named Bernie. He was able to come to the shop with me, until he grew too big and hairy.

Also new for 2019: the shop hosted many workshops, and a few open studio work sessions. During the summer months, when filling wholesale orders slowed down a bit, I had space to invite students who had taken my workshops to make any project they choose. It's been inspiring seeing student creativity and enthusiasm.

I feel that 2020 is a year of big change for me. I am looking forward to it. I hope it is a good year for you, too.

behind the scenes

For me, it’s the process that keeps me making. So much beauty happens before the finished piece comes out of the final firing. Here are a few moments from behind the scenes:

The handle of the mugs is attached when clay is in “leather hard” stage, a gorgeous matt finish, which is a pleasure to work with.

After the piece is dry, it is loaded into the first firing, the bisque. I try fitting as many pieces tightly together as possible. In this firing, sides can touch without getting stuck together – there is no glaze yet. Lovely patterns emerge as each kiln shelf is filled up.

I apply wax-resist to the bisque pieces wherever I don’t want the glaze to soak into the surface. Glazing usually takes two days, the insides are glazed first, dried overnight, and then the outside is dipped.

After the pieces are dry, they are loaded into the second firing, the glaze firing. Again lovely patterns emerge as I fit as many pieces as possible on a shelf, sides cannot touch in this firing.

And opening the finished glaze kiln is always a joy. Even if pieces don’t turn out as planned, it is a learning experience. The anxiety and anticipation has not diminished over the years. Which is a good thing. Some pieces will remain with just glaze, and others will have an image applied, and fired one more time.

Lately, I am moving more toward no imagery on my work. I just love the feel of porcelain well-functioning form, with a gorgeous glaze. Simple, with a complex process.

30 years of clay in my life

As I celebrated my 50th this month, I kept thinking how clay (gleena in Russian) has been a companion, muse, and guide for 30 of my years on this lovely planet. From the very first shapes that emerged back in 1988 while I took a hand-building elective at University of Cincinnati:

to building large pinchpots on the kitchen table during my time in NYC:

to throwing 100 pots, each a different form, for an independent study:

to RISD grad school installation of slip-cast pieces that hooked me on the process I still use today:

to an independent studio and shop owner:

Having lived in 5 big cities, 12 homes, and 5 studios, gleena has been a stabilizing constant in my life. I feel fortunate, and grateful.