Sculpture

You’ll find some explanatory notes below the gallery.

The Tidepool Bowls, Belly Bowls and Birdy Girls are all by Vanessa Raffi Backer, a wonderful and talented artist who works both in ceramics and jewelry.  You can see much more of her work at www.vanessabacker.com.

Deb Jemmott runs the metals program at the prestigious Idyllwild Summer Arts Program.  And she’s been teaching in San Diego for many, many years.  As such, she’s been Jonna’s metalsmithing and fabrication teacher and mentor since they both were tots.  Deb has forgotten more about metal than the rest of us combined know.  But most important, she is an artist of the highest order, as you’ll see from the work in this gallery.  Learn more about this seriously talented and generous artist at www.debjemmott.com.

The wood carvings are mine.  Here’s the story: when my business partner and I were getting an exhibit company going in the mid-80′s, we regularly worked over 100 hours a week.  At the time, I was a devoted darkroom photographer.  However, having spent so many hours at the office or on the road, I feared, justifiably I thought, that if I then disappeared into the darkroom, my marriage would be in jeopardy.  [Jonna, over the years, has consistently said, "Bosh."]  Whatever.  In any event, I took up carving, an artistic release that could be enjoyed while sitting at our poor, scarred kitchen table.  These are the fruits of that labor of love.