Woman in Real Life: Gifts for Him and Her: ORIGINAL ART BY LAURIE APPLEBY-WILLIAMS

Tuesday, November 19, 2013

Gifts for Him and Her: ORIGINAL ART BY LAURIE APPLEBY-WILLIAMS

ORIGINAL SCULPTURE

Laurie Appleby-Williams

Art can take an ordinary home and turn it into something extraordinary - a place that reflects the hearts and minds of the people who live there. My husband and I have made some effort to collect original art over the years and we are thankful for every last piece. We're not talking Picassos here - art doesn't have to be expensive. It just has to appeal to you.

We were thrilled to bits to get these amazing sculptural ceramic pieces from Kentucky-based artist Laurie Appleby-Williams recently. Laurie's incredible work makes an original, creative gift for men and women alike. My husband is truly impressed with these pieces (and that doesn't happen often!). We sort of fought over where they would go - my office or his basement music room. But these pieces don't belong in a basement (so yeah, I won). That's them in my office, above, keeping me company while I write each day.

These pieces would also look fabulous in a nursery or kid's room. Buy several to create a colourful installation. Each sculpture is made with a combination of molds and hand-building. After they are fired, Laurie applies a wash of dark underglaze to emphasize the texture and create depth. Then she applies a brightly coloured glaze and fires each piece a second time. Each cell has a key hole carved into the back for easy hanging, and no two pieces are alike!

Says Laurie, "Even though my work is inspired by cells of the body (not any specific one, I think they're all pretty cool), when I am creating these little guys there is no plan. I often have a little Zen moment and the final result is oftentimes shaped by my subconscious. Finding out what others see in them is a big reason why I continue to create them."

Visit Laurie's Etsy shop to view more of her creations.

About Laurie

Growing up, Laurie wanted to be an animator for Disney (back when images were painstakingly hand-drawn). After high school her desire to be an artist inexplicably disappeared. She decided to major in psychology instead. But, after a move from Minnesota to Kentucky to be with her man, something changed. "Suddenly I knew that art was what I wanted to do. At first I studied photography, then moved to fiber arts and then on to ceramics," says Laurie. "I really love dabbling in all mediums but I love playing with clay because, well, it's dirty! I get to get dirty and create this cool form out of what starts as a block of blah-colored clay from a cardboard box." Laurie says that when she opens a kiln after firing "it still feels like Christmas morning."

Read how Laurie got into making her signature cells on her blog. Be sure to read about her adventures with her adorable daughter Ruby too!.