About Kirsten

Baltimore City - Highlandtown A&E District
 My work is inspired by the ephemeral. Consistently, even in different media, the exploration remains the idea of preserving a moment of beauty within the constant buzz of  the passage of time.  My work is an attempt to provide the viewer with a mindful moment and perhaps stir a personal memory for that individual.

Each work is an attempt to memorialize a particular moment.  The style is rendered in a sort of flawed abstraction to suggest the ravages of a memory over time. These… more

Memento

 These are some of the first works created using the encaustic process. This is the beginning of a total shift in medium.  The next series of works tell a story of a journey as an artist through ceramics and onto mixed media works. Even more recently, I have added aerial movement and large-scale watercolors.  The journey has always included a fascination with the opportunity art provides to memorialize a moment in time.

Curiosities to Curiosity Cabinets.

This series of works tells the story of the journey from functional pottery, onto "Curiosity  Cabinets" and, finally encaustic painting work.
As a functional potter, my work was published twice and I became a member of The Potter's Guild of Baltimore.  This is my story of artistic evolution.

  • Tiki Tray
    Tiki Tray
    Inspired by 1950's nostalgia.
  • Tropical leaf bowl
    Tropical leaf bowl
    Functional work inspired by 1950's Tiki trend.
  • Primus Bacio
    Primus Bacio
    The first kiss. Embedded in the encaustic medium are a vintage text definition of latex and a retro ad for ex-ray specs.
  • Morto Dolce
    Morto Dolce
    Religion, angels, poison mushrooms and drops of encaustic 'blood' weave a fairytale memory.
  • Morto Dolce
    Morto Dolce
    Detail of encaustic.
  • Morto dolce
    Morto dolce
    A patina of age on the old fairytale.
  • Fratello Fungi
    Fratello Fungi
    Humor and danger in innocent figure with poison mushrooms.
  • Macellaria Di Innocenti
    Macellaria Di Innocenti
    The end of innocence. In a spring thaw this boy prepares to make this lamb his dinner.
  • Rispardo in Cintura
    Rispardo in Cintura
    A real childhood souvenir.
  • Rispardo in Cintura
    Rispardo in Cintura
    Lashed splash. Hanging on to childhood is much like preserving a splash.

Curiosities

The materials include: Recycled Paperclay, encaustic paint, lampwork glass and found objects.
This is the first Curiosus. I made this in 2012-13. Previous to this my artwork was typically functional pottery. In the past I have experimented with many ways to explore clay in a way that challenges the user to recognize pottery as art.
City living makes function and space a palpable premium. Baltimore City has many wall space opportunities for an artist. These necessities have led to multiple inventions of putting claywork on a wall. Over time, this led to the invention of my wall art series.
When I first conceived of this new direction for my work it was necessary to learn several techniques in order to achieve my vision. First online research on the formulations for paperclay. Many experiments were involved in creating a glaze that would appear to be lichen; membership in The Potter's Guild of Baltimore was a resource for glaze chemistry. I then attended a lampwork glassmaking class at CCBC. Finally a workshop on encaustic painting at School 33.
This first piece is a Curiosity Cabinet that holds a memory. The staggering beauty of a walk in the woods in Winter is most stunning because it is so transient-ultimately mortal. Lampwork glass icicles and red berries coated in 'ice' are also made of glass-impossible souvenirs from nature. Bones and shells are beautiful, but also reminders of mortality.
In the last four photos are of older works that demonstrate some of the permutations and ideas that developed into Curiosus.
  •  Raindrops Chalice
    Raindrops Chalice
    a single lampwork raindrop.
  • Raindrops Chalice 2011
    Raindrops Chalice 2011
    This is a large (14"x14"x14") pedestal serving piece. The lampwork glass raindrops and rippling interior surface represent raindrops falling on water. In this earlier work the idea of preserving a moment is illustrated.
  • Cherry Blossom Sugar and Creamer 2011
    Cherry Blossom Sugar and Creamer 2011
    In these earlier functional clay works natural imagery was prominent.
  • Cherry Blossom Teapot 2011
    Cherry Blossom Teapot 2011
    This teapot was published in Lark Book's 2013 500 Teapots. This is an example of the work I established prior to the Curiosus works.
  • Arboris Inverno
    Arboris Inverno
    The first Curiosus. This is a curiosity cabinet of a collection from a walk in the woods. glaze was formulated to appear like lichen and frost. Lampwork glass icicles and berries represent tokens that are perishable. The bones and teeth are reminiscent of mortality. The viewer can see the stark beauty and appreciate the quiet morbidity of a forest in winter.
  • detail Arboris Inverno
    detail Arboris Inverno
    This window of the cabinet contains a clay acorn and leaf, a real deer jawbone, a lampwork glass berry and a found porcelain owl. The found objects are from local flea markets, they are 'recycled' and are a nod to the kitschy humor of Baltimore. The paper that the paperclay is formulated from is another kind of recycling-it comes from office shredders.
  • arboris-hart-2.jpg
    arboris-hart-2.jpg
  • arboris-tempus-detail-2.jpg
    arboris-tempus-detail-2.jpg
  • Detail Arboris Inverno
    Detail Arboris Inverno
    A handbuilt clay pinecone wears a light layer of glaze frost.
  • Detail view of Arboris Inverno
    Detail view of Arboris Inverno
    This detail illustrates the texture of the lichen and frost glazes. A lampwork glass icicle hangs in the cabinet window. It was necessary to learn to make lampwork glass in order to include the icicles which are a recurring part of my visual lexicon of impossible souvenirs.

Uprising, Eros and Baltimore

This was a very special series of encaustic paintings that were created for a solo show at Roman's Place immediately after the uprising. My attempt was to express pride, love, and hope for our city. Natural images and local icons are juxtaposed to invoke a sense of rebirth or new life. I was very proud to have sold nearly the entire collection. 100% of the proceeds from this project were donated to Baltimore youth services.
  • prideofbaltimore.jpg
    prideofbaltimore.jpg
    Encaustic painting with photoghraphic transfer and collage.
  • believebaltimore.jpg
    believebaltimore.jpg
    encaustic painting, photographic transfer and collage.
  • homebaltimore.jpg
    homebaltimore.jpg
    Encaustic painting photograph (by artist) transfer.
  • sanddollarpagoda.jpg
    sanddollarpagoda.jpg
    Encaustic painting, photograph (by artist) transfer and collage.
  • pattersonegg.jpg
    pattersonegg.jpg
    encaustic painting photograph (by artist) transfer and collage.
  • dragonflyconservatory.jpg
    dragonflyconservatory.jpg
    Encaustic painting photograph (by artist) and collage.
  • poesy.jpg
    poesy.jpg
    Encaustic painting photograph (by artist) and collage.
  • XIX The SUN
    XIX The SUN
    Encaustic painting photographic transfer and collage.
  • lovebaltimore.jpg
    lovebaltimore.jpg
    Encaustic painting photographic transfer and collage.
  • monarchconservatory.jpg
    monarchconservatory.jpg
    Encaustic painting photograph (by artist) and collage.