Barbara Stevens' work

I have always lived in the country and felt close to the land.  My main area of concentration is handbuilt ceramic sculpture that feels rather like primitive pottery as if one has come upon it while hiking.  My decorative techniques come from engobes, saggar firings, staining and beeswax.

Engobe 

Saggar fired potStained potStained with beeswax finish

My new love is carved brick relief sculpture.  My first wall was 3' by 6' installed on a three foot brick basin that holds a few inches of water.  The relief sculpture is of the "Wind Spirit" and the water in the basin gives the visual of the wind.

Small 2 brick insert in brick walk.

My two-dimensional work is usually in mixed media or acrylic portraits.  My latest favorite is the portrait of my father on his 95th birthday.  I painted it in the fall of 2009 after his death, Feb. 2, 2008, a couple months before his 96th birthday.  The painting is 25 1/2" x 30 1/2".

Another favorite is the portrait of my son right after his first child's birth, a daughter, entitled "A Father's Love".  It is 18"x24".

newest brick mural of boy fishing, 4'x6', "A Good Day", Fall 2010

front view

close up of boy fishing

close up of fish

fence posts by river, fields above

tree with waterfall in background

The first bench we carved was my design but carved with the help of visiting artist, Mara Smith from Seattle, Washington.  Students were also invited to try out our new media and several assisted in a few areas.  Friends Joe, employee of the college, and CCCC art alum Carol Urban also assisted Mara and I in carving this bench.  It was a fun collaboration in which we all learned so much from Mara.

l-r: Joe Urban, Carol Urban, Richard Cyphers, Sister Ramona Medina, Mara Smith, Barbara Stevens.  Completed wet brick bench before tearing it down and sending it to Cloud Ceramics to be fired, spring, 2009.

my first brick bench installed outside art department on CCCC campus, 2 seats/front to back, back of seat carved by Joe and Carol Urban

This back, seat, front and side carved by Barbara Stevens

"Thunder" bird carved by Mara Smith, career brick carver from Seattle, Washington

side view/tree trunk carved by students

frogs by Carol Urban

Only one brick exploded when the bench bricks were sent through the flash firing at Cloud Ceramics.  Although the bench was installed last May (2010), the final brick replacement was installed this September.  James Cyphers, local brick mason and his assistant Dean have been invaluable in helping us install permanent art on our campus for the first time.  Their enthusiasm for our vision for the brick program is greatly appreciated.

James Cyphers pulling wires as he sets the last brick.

James Cyphers setting the last brick. Fall 2010

James Cyphers, brick mason and assistant Dean