For My Valentine

Description

Jack & AJ Ferrell - Tile Paintings
with Guest Artists

at Schriver Gallery & Studio #122
in the Tannery Arts Center
1050 River Street, Santa Cruz, CA 95060
Free Event


JACK FERRELL - ART BIOGRAPHY
Written By Karen Kaplan 2013

One day, explains Ferrell, "I woke up and there were two tons of clay and eight hundred gallons of glaze in the yard." Ferrell accepted the materials on hand and developed his own experimental technique of mixing glazes to create high contrast, sculptural, textural, fine art clay paintings on tile. Ferrell is a first class act in a world arena, when it comes to concocting beautiful glazes. The colors are permanent, glowing with life and brilliance.

Ferrell had taken courses in bronze casting, metal sculpture, oil painting and silkscreen at Central Washington University, where he received his Bachelor of Arts Degree. In Stockholm, Sweden he studied ancient mural techniques, frescoes, stucco lustroes, sgraffitos and became proficient in stone lithography at the Konstfackskolan. Ferrell researched clay and resin sculpture, independently.

Ferrell has always loved animals and juxtaposes repetitive, intertwining patterns of salmon, koi, elk, porpoises, cranes, frogs, ducks and horses in his imagery. Occasionally, Ferrell may paint a larger central image of a woman or flowers, but still uses small glazed tile squares as flat patterns interplay throughout the figure and background. At times, Ferrell picks up found objects such as wood or metal and imbeds them in tile, as a collage. He also experiments with works on paper. Jack’s new series includes sailboats and palm trees.

"It takes a lot of physical stamina to press the tiles" says Ferrell, who had previously built a bronze casting foundry and furnace. He does not fear the high temperature environment of the kiln, required to fire his work. Sizes range from small slabs only a few inches wide, to mural pieces that could extend longer than sixteen feet.

Ferrell's diverse background, from teaching children in the Los Angeles school district to being the co-founder of a clay factory and studio, where he developed custom glazes for professional potters and apprentices, has influenced his work. At times, his images portray a playful, childlike quality, but are expertly achieved by the adept professionalism of a fine craftsman who has been involved with the many facets of his business, from actual clay production to the wholesale manufacturing of custom glazes.

As an internationally renowned artist, Ferrell's works are collected in Sweden, Japan, Hawaii, Alaska, Canada and the United States. They are in notable collections of Mayor Hannibal Tavares of Maui, Mayor Charlotte Spadero of Beverly Hills, California, Mayor Gretchen Wilbert of Gig Harbor, Washington, Major General Jack Walker in Washington, Robert and Sally Weist of Los Angeles and Kauai, and Dennis and Vicki Florendo of Portland, Oregon.

A large mural is prominently displayed in Salty's Restaurant in Spokane, Washington. The Seattle Arts Commission installed Ferrell's catfish tiles in a sidewalk of the Ballard Historical District in Seattle, Washington. A sixteen foot mural of Carnegie Pond is in the children's wing at Tacoma Public Library. Serious collectors such as Nancie Bottmeyer of the Madison Company in Marin County, California, Seafirst Bank in Seattle, Washington, Yamagata Hotel in Japan, the State Foundation for Culture and the Arts in Wailuku, Maui, Amgen Corporation in Los Angeles, California and Salty's Restaurant in Redondo Beach, Washington have purchased Ferrell's works for public viewing. The State of Alaska commissioned Ferrell to paint a tile mural for Bethel Regional Hospital.

Ferrell's works have received outstanding reviews by art critics, many blue ribbons and he has appeared several times on television with Mayor Spadero of Beverly Hills and in conjunction with Harbor Days in Olympia, Washington. Among the numerous awards Ferrell received are the First Place Award at the Capitola Art and Wine Festival for sculptural painting, the Mayor's Purchase Award for Best in Division at the Beverly Hills Affaire in the Garden and an Award of Excellence at the Saratoga Arts Festival. His work was chosen among the top twenty-five best artists for the prestigious preview show at Paul Masson Mountain Winery: Prelude to the Saratoga Arts Festival.

Ferrell is a member of the Lahaina Art Society in Maui, Hawaii and is represented by Pro Art Gallery in Gig Harbor, Washington, The Village Galleries of Maui and Genesis Gallery: Waikoloa King Shops on the Big Island of Hawaii. He exhibited at Runnings Gallery in Seattle, Washington, Gallery of Great Things in Waimea, Hawaii, Amy Burnett Gallery in Bremerton, Washington, The Gallery of Contemporary Art and Burien Art Gallery in Burien, Washington, Blue Heron Art Gallery in Vashon Island, Washington and many art festivals in Florida and New York.

Jack Ferrell was born in Longview, Washington and although he has lived in several other places, such as Santa Cruz, California, Maui, the Big Island of Hawaii and has travelled extensively throughout Europe, he returned to Washington where he resides with his wife, AJ.

Contact AJ Ferrell: (561) 478-5853 or (253) 312-5211.

More Info

Link

http://www.stephanieschriver.com