Under the direction of Dave Daniels, eight exceptional fine artists working in a variety of media presented an impressive debut exhibition this past weekend at the Paa-Ko events center in Sandia Park, New Mexico. Featured artists included Gloria Casale, Anita Daniels, Jane Gaines, Rich Irwin, Semiramis, Dorothy McGeorge, Chris and Trish Meyer.
Ceramic sculptor Rick Irwin is a self-taught artist who began to pursue a lifelong interest in ceramics as he phased out his practice of optometry in Austin. From the beginning he gravitated toward hand-building due to the great versatility of form it offers. His work has gradually morphed from functional pieces to more complex sculptural forms, primarily figurative. The very talented Irwin says, “I never tire of the places clay takes you, the satisfaction of watching a piece develop during the forming process, the anticipation of opening the kiln to see the finished piece for the first time, and the warm feeling when someone actually likes a piece enough to take it home.”
