RESUME

Artist Statement:

For me my art is an alternate world, a place of possibility and discovery where I am at my most capable and where the rules are of my own making.  Through my art I make intangible worlds tangible.  Art gives

me a serious playground that holds me enthralled for as long as it takes to complete the work.

Drawing is basic to my art, drawing in black and white and color.  It’s play.  It’s memory.  It’s a refuge.  On another level, it serves as a tool for examining the world directly, and for thinking through ideas and projects.

Clay is a versatile and challenging material.  I work in in clay to sculpt, and use it as a ground for drawing and painting.  It is a versatile and challenging material.  Porcelain’s fine texture is perfect for small sculptures and complex drawings.  Colors are at their most brilliant on top of porcelain.  A heavy duty stoneware clay works well for creating my large scale sculptures.

I create my figurative sculptures from imagination informed by my studies from life.  Often these three dimensional pieces double as grounds for my drawings. 

My artwork is eclectic.  I use whatever I need at the moment, color and tone, 2D and 3D, giant and tiny.  Often opposites attract, for example a sculptural volume that flattens into a drawing, going from 3D to 2D and back to 3D again, or a twice life sized figure that contains a miniature world.    

I design and construct gardens as well, sometimes using my ceramics to create the hardscape.  Gardens take time to experience and time to develop.  Gardens are space sculpted by form, form made of a composition of hardscape and nature, that can only be experienced through movement and time.

These are the three art mediums I work with: drawing, sculpture, and space.

Resume

Exhibitions:

‘4FourFreedom’.  invitational Exhibition and benefit for Washington Immigrant Solidarity Network’s Fair Fight Bond Fund, curated by

Kathleen Skeels at Gallery IMA, 123 S. Jackson St., Seattle WA., Sept. 2019.

‘Politics and Clay’, Invitational Exhibition curated by Richard Notkin, Seattle WA., Feb. 2018.

‘Invitational Ceramics’, Gallery IMA, 123 S. Jackson St., Seattle WA., Setember-October 2016.

‘Kathleen Skeels Retrospective’, Gallery IMA, 123 S. Jackson St., Seattle WA., June, 2016

’Annual Group Exhibition’,  Gallery IMA, 123 S Jackson St., Seattle WA., Dec. 3rd-Jan. 2nd, 2016.

‘Monstrous’, Invitational Exhibition at Kirkland Arts Center, 620 Market St., Kirkland WA., Oct. 16th-Dec. 5th, 2015.

‘Extraordinary, Exotic, and Sometimes Erotic Soup Tureens Exhibition, Bellevue College Gallery Space, Rm. 271, Bldg. D, 3000 Landerholm Circle SE., Bellevue WA.   Nov. 11th - Dec. 16th, 2015.

‘Kathleen Skeels, New Work’ Solo Exhibition.,  October 16th 2014 through March 18th, 2015.,  Seward Park Clay Studio Gallery, Seattle Design Center, 5701 6th Ave. S., Suite 182.       

‘Reaching Beyond: Northwest Designer Craftsmen at 60’, Fall 2014, Whatcom Museum Washington.

‘4th Annual Workhouse Clay National 2014’,  Workhouse Arts Center, Lorton WA., 22079.  Juror Richard Notkin. 

‘Hard Times’, Seattle WA., 2014, for a 4Culture grant in a Storefront to be decided.

‘Diversiform’, An invitational exhibition of figurative ceramic sculpture, Seward Park Clay Studio Gallery at Seattle Design Center, Suite 182, 5701 6th Ave. S.,  Seattle WA.,  Sept.-Dec., 2013  Curated by Doug Jeck, Tip Toland and Jamie Walker.

‘Un-Wedged 2012’, Pottery Northwest, Seattle WA., Nov.,-Dec., 2012. 

‘Local Produce’, Harborview Ceramic Show, Harborview Medical Center,  Seattle WA., 2012.

‘Kathleen Skeels’, Solo exhibition in conjunction with the 46th Annual Conference of the National Council on Education for the Ceramic Arts, NCECA, Seattle Design Center, Seattle WA., Feb. 22nd-May 31st, 2012.

‘Tulipieres’ Exhibition at the Museum of Northwest Art, La Conner WA., Mar. 24th-June 6th 2012.

‘The Realm of the Feminine: Interior Edge‘  Gage Academy of Art, Steele Gallery, 1501 10th Ave. E., Seattle WA., Mar.-25th-April 14th, 2012.

‘Teapots on the Edge‘  Bellevue College Gallery Space D271, Bellevue Wa.,  Mar., 5th-April 5th 2012.

‘Cliff Hanger’  Solo exhibition at the Helen Smith Gallery, Green River Community College, Auburn Wa., Sept.-Oct., 2011.

‘Converging, Never Touching’ Solo exhibit at Canoe Gallery, Seattle, WA., March-April, 2010.

‘Art of Drawing and Ceramics’, Bellevue College, Bellevue, Wa., Jan.-Feb., 2010.

 

‘The Nature of Growth’ Invitational clay show, Bellevue College, Bellevue, Wa., Feb.-Mar., 2008.

‘Red’,  Ceramic exhibition, curator Richard Notkin, Baltimore Clay Works, Baltimore, Md., Oct.-Nov., 2007.

‘Starbrick Clay National 2006’,  A national juried exhibition of contemporary ceramic art.  Curated by Chris Staley. Nelsonville, OH., Feb.- Mar., 2006.

‘Skin Deep’,   A national juried exhibition celebrating the variety of ceramic surfaces.  Curated by Val Cushing. Francis Marion University, Florence, SC., Jan.- Apr., 2006.

‘Feats of Clay’, Lincoln Arts Center, Lincoln, Ca., Apr.-May, 2005.  Curated by Rodney Mott.

‘Gigantic Ceramic Figurines’, Kirkland Arts Center, Feb-Apr., 2004.  Curated by Patti Warashina.

‘Biennial Competition’, Tacoma Art Museum, WA., March-May, 1993

Gallery Representation:

Gallery IMA. 123 S. Jackson St., Seattle WA 2015. 

Teaching Experience:

Ceramic sculpture, hand building, hand building with Porcelain, Seward Park Clay Studio, Seattle WA, since 2010

Cone Five Paperclay, Moshier Arts Center, Burien, WA., 2014, 2015

Creating a convincing sculpture of a child, from birth through childhood.  Seward Park Clay Studio, Seattle WA, Fall, 2013.

Drawing and painting on clay, including Majolica, scraffito and inlay, Seward Park Clay Studio Seattle WA., 2012/2013.

Work with porcelain and porcelain paperclay,  Seward Park Clay Studio Seattle, WA., 2012, 2013 and 2014.

Create a convincing sculpture of a child, from birth through childhood.  Seward Park Clay Studio Seattle, WA., Fall 2013.

Presentations:      

Pechakucha, For Clay and Politics, Feb. 2018.

                        

Talk for the series; ‘Psychoanalysis and Visuals Arts’, Northwest Psychoanalytic Society and Institute, Seattle WA. 2015.

Presentation for ‘Albatross’, Seward Park Clay Studio Gallery, Seattle Design Center, Seattle WA., February and April,  2015

Presentation for ‘Kathleen Skeels Solo Exhibition’ in conjunction with the National Conference of the Ceramic Arts, NCECA, Seattle Design Center Gallery 254, March, 28th 2012.

Presentation for the exhibition ‘Cliff Hanger’,  Green River Community College., Auburn Wa.,  October 2011.

Symposium presentation for the exhibition ‘The Nature of Growth’, an invitational clay show, Purser Art Gallery, Bellevue College, Bellevue Wa., Feb., 2008  

Awards:

Project Grant for Storefronts Seattle Program, 2013/2014

4Culture Grant for Individual Artists Projects, Seattle WA., through July 1, 2014

Burien Storefront Invitational, 2018

Publications:

Ceramic Monthly,  September 2014

Elan Magazine, August 2014 Photo Calendar Feature, Alice Nodine editor, Great Falls VA.

Lark Books, ‘500 Figures in Clay Volume 2’, February 2014.

Architectural Ceramics:

Boyer Garden 2109 Boyer E., Seattle, 2008

Maki Garden, 811 33rd Ave. E., Seattle, 2007

Alcove, "Apogee of Celery," Apex Co-op, 2225 1st Ave., Seattle, 1985

Graphics:

"The Meaning of the Word," comic strip in Bumbercomix, a publication of the Bumbershoot Arts Festival, Seattle, Wa.,1985.

Awarded an And/Or Alternative Art Space grant for publication of a 32-page comic book, Seattle,  Wa., 1984.

Graphic art, illustrations, and banners for Continuing Medical Education, University of Washington, 1980-1985.

Graphic artist for The Daily Zeitgeist, a publication of the Bumbershoot Arts Festival, Seattle, WA,. 1980-1984.

Comic strip, "Boxing," for Nine One One Art Journal, Seattle, WA., 1983.

Illustrations in ‘Scientific Illustrations’ by Phyllis Wood (Van Nostrand Reinhold, 1979).

Associations:

Washington Clay Association

Designer Craftsmen Association