500 Raku
My art is featured in the book 500 Raku which is published by Lark Books.
You can order a copy of this groundbreaking new entry in the highly successful 500 book series from the following:
Welcome to Pieces of Art
Art inspired by Jigsaw Puzzle Pieces
I have a love affair with jigsaw puzzles. When I was a young
child, my parents would buy me jigsaw puzzles as gifts.
One reason I love jigsaw puzzles is because of the challenge of
solving a problem that has a definite solution. There is
nothing like seeing a finished masterpiece in front of you. The
second reason I fell in love with jigsaw puzzle pieces is because of
the process involved in putting a puzzle together reminds of the
journey of life. When you work on a puzzle you make
connections. I see myself making connections to people and things
in this world daily. Sometimes the connections are
permanent and sometimes just temporary. My mother and I regularly
work on jigsaw puzzles at her home. Once the puzzles are
complete, we glue them together and hang them on her walls.
My first spherical puzzle piece was drawn in 2-d for an
animation I created for my computer class assignment in college.
I revisited this animation later and had the desire to see the
inside of this flat yet spherical looking shape. Because
I couldn't visualize the inside of the 2-dimensional drawing, I
decided to physically make the 3-D sphere using ceramic clay.
After this experience, the spherical shape became my new clay
canvas.
About My T-Shirts
I first learned to silkscreen in high school and fell in love with the possibility of making copies of a design and sharing it with my family. My first t-shirt design paid homage to my birth home Oklahoma, yes (where the wind comes sweeping down the plain). After high school, I majored in art and learned to make prints on paper and silk. My desire to silkscreen on t-shirt continued, however the message was spiritual-based. My sister and I created several designs and started printing them in our parents' garage in 1994.
Today, the operation continues with some of the same designs as well as a few new ones. On my trip to Ghana, Africa in the Summer of 2007, I learned about the Adinkra symbols used by artist to print on fabric and other objects in their culture. These powerful symbols reflect meanings about God, faith, and other important life lessons. I am currently combining the Adinkra symbols of Africa with the word of God as an expression of faith.
Marilyn Proctor-Givens,
Owner, Operator