winokurblackburn

Cindy Blackburn:
Bio Statement: My fascination with bonsai was sparked while enjoying a bonsai display at the Baltimore Civic Center in 1981. I took a basic bonsai class taught by Arschel Morell and worked with him extensively through the years while becoming an active member of the Baltimore Bonsai Club. Sharing the passion with fellow members and exchanging perspectives of bonsai cultivation nurtured my vision and skills. I have held the office of Vice-President of my club and also with the Potomac Bonsai Association. I have enjoyed many symposiums and workshops. My learning now is largely fed by the experiences I have with my sixty-plus trees.

Artist Statement: I feel every tree I select to bonsai has a spirit that can be expressed in many ways. I begin to visualize this expression, keeping in mind the nature of its species and environment. This tree came to me with a double trunk and two pom-poms of foliage. I removed one trunk and cut back 90% of the foliage, leaving small budding branches down a gently curving trunk. I encouraged these branches and wired them keeping open spaces and maintaining a rugged yet delicate style. I am excited to see, through this unique collaborative effort, how this tree will change perspective by becoming a part of the ceramic artist's creation.

Paula Winokur + Cindy Blackburn
Paula Winokur Bio Statement: BFA, 1958, Tyler School of Art. Professor, Ceramics: Arcadia University, Glenside, PA. NEA visual arts fellowships, 1976/1988. PA council for the Arts fellowship, 1986. Honorary Fellow, NCECA, 1983. Collections: American Craft Museum, Montreal Museum of Decorative Arts, National Museum of American Art (Renwick), International Ceramic Studio, Kecskemet, Hungary, etc. Gallery Representation: Helen Drutt, Philadelphia. I have been working in clay since 1963 and began using porcelain in 1970 and found it to be seductive and appropriate for my sensibilities. For the most part, my imagery is in response to various aspects of the landscape. Artist Statement: Since my work normally deals with aspects of the landscape, making this piece seemed quite appropriate. Enclosing space in some way to focus on a specific project is an idea I have explored in a variety of ways. In this case, using the idea of a "shrine" seemed to emphasize the uniqueness of the tree and also the whole concept of bonsai.
		Click here for a detail of the image above. Shrine for a Bonsai porcelain, glaze, sulfates fired to cone10, reduction 15 l x 14w x 26h 2002 Bonsai Tree Information: Botanical Name: Juniperus chinensis'Shimpaku' Common Name: Shimpaku Juniper Style: Informal Upright Estimated Age: 26 years Time in Training: 14years Source of Plant: Nursery stock
		Cindy Blackburn: Bio Statement: My fascination with bonsai was sparked while enjoying a bonsai display at the Baltimore Civic Center in 1981. I took a basic bonsai class taught by Arschel Morell and worked with him extensively through the years while becoming an active member of the Baltimore Bonsai Club. Sharing the passion with fellow members and exchanging perspectives of bonsai cultivation nurtured my vision and skills. I have held the office of Vice-President of my club and also with the Potomac Bonsai Association. I have enjoyed many symposiums and workshops. My learning now is largely fed by the experiences I have with my sixty-plus trees. Artist Statement: I feel every tree I select to bonsai has a spirit that can be expressed in many ways. I begin to visualize this expression, keeping in mind the nature of its species and environment. This tree came to me with a double trunk and two pom-poms of foliage. I removed one trunk and cut back 90% of the foliage, leaving small budding branches down a gently curving trunk. I encouraged these branches and wired them keeping open spaces and maintaining a rugged yet delicate style. I am excited to see, through this unique collaborative effort, how this tree will change perspective by becoming a part of the ceramic artist's creation.