Nature’s first green is gold,
Her hardest hue to hold.
Her early leaf’s a flower;
But only for an hour.
Nature is where Idyllwild Art in the Park artist Nichole Vikdal finds her inspiration and this fragment of a poem by Robert Frost has always captivated her. “I feel Nature’s mysteries envelope me when I create; magical, ever moving, changing, like clay moving through my hands on the wheel. This fuels my passion and defines my purpose: To attempt to capture a piece of that nature and hold its allure and elegance in my work.”
A porcelain clay potter, she has drawn from that inspiration to create beautiful crystalline creations in flowing, organic shapes. Nichole mixes her own crystalline glazes from raw materials, creating “color recipes” which she uses to finish her pieces. And she is constantly working on more, offering a new palate to satisfy all artistic tastes.
There is much more to Nichole’s art than just the color, however. Crystalline glazing, “a process where crystals are grown in the glaze during the firing stage, (and) is similar to how geodes and gems are grown in nature.” There is no way to predict the outcome after firing; therefore, each piece is unique and one-of-a-kind.
“In the pottery world, the success rate is much lower for this glaze than others, often resulting in poor quality, no crystals, or breaking under the intense heat (in the kiln).” This accounts for a much smaller success rate than traditionally fired ceramics. In addition, due to the lengthy amount of time it takes to master the technique and the care that must be taken during mixing and firing, few potters are using this type of glaze today.
Fortunately for all, Nichole Vikdal has mastered this difficult technique and shares her elegant creations at different locations throughout Southern California. She can be found at the Indian Wells Art Festival from March 29-31. And beginning the weekend of May 25-26, Nichole will be a regular participant at Idyllwild Art in the Park, sharing her love of nature through her inspiring talent.
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We are currently accepting applications for artists for 2019. We suggest submitting applications as soon as possible as all artists must be juried in for participation.
Applications can be requested through our website: www.IdyllwildArtInThePark.com
(Please do not ask for applications on this blogsite.)
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