Western Art Collector November 2010, Issue 39
Excerpted from the article “Small works and Miniatures Today”
Copyright Western Art Collector magazine. Used with permission.
Preening Kestrel
Tammy Bality, well known for her raku fired clay, carved stone and bronze sculptures, pushes the limits in her new smaller works, adding innovative elements to make her work truly unique.
“Working in a smaller format is rewarding because it really allows me to experiment with different materials and incorporate them together,” says Bality. “For instance, Preening Kestrel is sculpted in porcelain clay and high fired. Then I add feathers that I have coated with PMC (precious metal clay), fired the metal to 99.9% fine silver and at the same time the real feather burns away, leaving a pure silver image of the feather. PMC is generally used for jewelry, but I like the challenge of incorporating it into sculptures and the smaller format allows for that.”
Additionally, Bality is making several one-of-a-kind falcons and ravens in porcelain and adding silver or bronze feathers. She comments, “They are “flying’ out of my studio and gallery as fast as I make them.”
