Jerry Rush |
Ceramic
artist Jerry Rush been evolved in the arts for most of his life. Rush
realized early that he was unable to follow a particular curriculum in
art classes, always tending to do things his own way, which was often
not the easiest or most direct. For this reason he considers himself
largely self-taught, picking up knowledge where he could, and developing
techniques that allow him the freedom to remain fully engaged. He
has explored both painting and sculpture, and has enjoyed some success
in thirty years working in San Francisco. His work has been represented
by the Dorothy Weiss Gallery, and exhibited by the San Francisco Craft
& Folk Art Museum, and the Oakland Museum. In the 1980s and 1990s he
was production manager and partner in a ceramic jewelry business, where
he learned about the production of low-fire ceramics. After many
years of city life, he felt it was time to reconnect with nature, and
relocated to a quiet ranch along the Fresno River. This change in his
living situation helped to return his work to nature, and allowed him to
explore the intuitive feeling of his earlier works. His
current pieces are low-fire stoneware, hand built using the pinch pot
method, and fired in an electric kiln.
find that I have just the right amount of control using this most
basic of techniques. Once he has made the basic form he uses a paddle to
make it square or rounder, and hand tools to carve, incise, and
manipulate the surface before applying any color. Usually an engobe
(colored slip) is applied before firing the greenware. He then applies
more coats of engobe, wiping some off and firing between coats. Then
it's time to underpaint any images and cover with a transparent crackle
glaze. After firing, the piece is rubbed down with black ink to accent
the crackle finish.
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