Nicole Thomas is a high school Ceramics Teacher by day and a Potter by night. Each summer season, Nicole takes a deep breath before diving deeper into her home studio practice. Nicole’s wheel-thrown ceramics focuses on incorporating her Signature Style with a colorful surface full of movement and visual texture.
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What is a pin on Instagram?
I pin on Instagram is when you take content that you have posted and you pin it to the top of your profile page.
How many are you allowed to pin at any given time?
You can pin three different pieces of content at the top of your Instagram page.
What does that visually do to your page?
So the thing that is interesting about pinning content to the top of your Instagram profile is it gives you an opportunity to highlight the three most important things that you want people to see when they come to your page.
It’s an opportunity to show people where else they can find you and what other offerings you have for them besides what you are offering on your page.
If I make a pin is it forever?
No, it’s not forever. You can change them out as often as you want to. And you can curate the pin to be whatever you want it to be. So something that is interesting is a lot of the time if creators have content that go viral they will pin that viral piece of content to the top of their page. So when you visit their page you will see that content. I don’t prefer to use that strategy because I think that is a piece of content is going to go viral the algorithm is already going to roll that content around out to people so pinning isn’t going to do much to boost it. But having one of your offerings at the top of your page will show someone that did come to your profile through a viral reel what else you have to offer them. For example I have pinned the supplies I use from Amazon, my Etsy shop, and my YouTube videos.
So you pin things for other kinds of content and other places of engagement?
Absolutely. One of the key words that people sometimes use would be funneling. So you could pin those first three pieces of content to funnel people to where you want them to go next.
How does a person go about pinning a post on Instagram?
If you want to pin a post of Instagram you can make your Instagram post with still photos or you can make a reel. You can post that piece of content and once the piece of content is posted you can tap the little three circles in the top right hand corner and you will see an option to pin it to the top of your profile and then once you do that that piece of content will stay in one of the top three squares at the beginning of your profile until you decide to unpin it or replace it.
What do you do when you are not teaching or making?
That’s a great question. When I am not teaching or making I do a lot of hiking. I do a lot of road trips with my husband and our yellow lab, Lacy. And I also do a lot of cooking. I have always been interested in food and nutrition and being active but recently I have started joking around with people and telling them I want to make art until I’m a hundred years old and I feel like if I speak it out into the universe it will happen. But more important than that I also need to be taking care of my body so I can be making art until I’m a hundred years old. Just like staying active, walking my dog, trying to focus on cooking healthy meals as much as I can. Those are the things I focus on when I am not teaching or in the studio making work.
Greek Sphinx figure is riveting. Whenever I see its beautiful wings and lion’s paws, it puzzles and inspires me to create. The sphinxes look mystical, enigmatic and surreal. When I went to Greece I revived my interest in this art symbol. I’ve found that the Greek sphinxes are different from the Egyptian ones. Moreover, the Greek art has some near east influences as a similar bird-the griffin- shows up in the archeology of Greece. Let’s discover their history together to understand how ancient cultures developed, mixed and created art with various meaning and symbolism.
Sphinx from Spata, a stele crown, 570-550 BCE, this is a copy of the original displayed in the Athens National Museum. This copy is on view at the airport in Athens.
The enigmatic world of Greek sphinx: its history & artistic influences
Both griffins and sphinxes are mythical creatures that show up in the archeological museums in Greece. The Greek sphinx figure shape seems to be a combination of the Near East griffin and the Egyptian sphynx visually.
1. The Griffins of Greece
The griffin originated in the Near East and got adopted by the Greeks in art. Griffins are frequently shown as protectors or guardians. They might be flanking entrances or royal figures.
Golden figure of a griffin, Delphi archeological museum, Greece, photo: Veronica Winters.
SHAPE:The griffin has the body of a lion (sometimes winged) and the head and wings of an eagle. The griffins have a powerful stance and curled tongues.
Panel with a griffin, Byzantine art of 1250, marble, at the Met | Made for Christian use, the panel shows the mythical griffins as guardian figures of the dead, and symbols of power and authority. The panel probably comes from a tomb. According to the Met, griffins may have meant both to protect the people buried within the tomb and to symbolize their royalty status. The fleurs-de-lis on the griffin’s shoulder and haunch typify the era’s complex cultural interplay, as similar motifs are found in contemporary Islamic and Crusader depictions of animals. https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/472849Griffin figures in KnossosPalace, Crete, Greece, photo: Veronica Winters. | The fresco of high-relief Griffins tethered to columns decorated the “Great East Hall” of the palace of Knossos. The decoration of the hall also included religious emblems and representations in relief of boxing and bull-leaping games. According to Arthur Evans, this hall, located next to the “Grand Staircase”, was used for official ceremonies by the palace rulers. Knossos Palace, Neopalatial period (1600-1450 BC). Griffins in Knossos don’t look menacing, rather they appear decorative and kind.Examples of the bronze heads of griffins, Delphi archeological museum, Greece, photo: Veronica Winters.Bronze head of a griffin, Olympia, Greece, third quarter of the 7th century BCE, the Met. http://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/255367 . According to the museum’s description, bronze cauldrons were set on tripods or conical stands. Cast in bronze, griffins’ heads decorated the cauldron rims that stood in Greek sanctuaries between 8-6th centuries B.C. Some of the cauldrons were colossal as Herodotus mentions the giant cauldron made for King Kroisos of Lydia that could hold 2,700 gallons. Over six hundred similar griffins exist nowadays, with most of them found at the sanctuary of Zeus at Olympia and at one of Hera on Samos.I took this picture at the archeological museum in Delphi. It looks like a demonic sphinx figure, although it could also be a griffin or a fleeing gorgon. The facial expression and multiple hands remind me of the Indian gods as well. There were several golden plaques like this one in the museum, showing these demonic creatures. Mythological creatures like gorgons and sphinxes often functioned as apotropaic images (had the power to avert evil or bad luck) that protected the grave.
2. The Egyptian Sphinxes
The Sphinx of Tanis, Louvre, photo: Veronica WintersThis is the Egyptian statue of a lion I saw displayed in the Vatican museums. photo: Veronica Winters
SHAPE: The Egyptian sphinx is a creature with a lion’s body and a human (male) head. The Egyptian sphinx typically possesses a pharaoh’s face, blurring the lines between the human and the divine to symbolize the enduring power of the ruler. Egyptian sphinxes had no bird features and were associated with protection and power.
The Sphinx of Tanis, 2620-1866 , the Louvre, Département des Antiquités égyptiennes, A 23 – https://collections.louvre.fr/ark:/53355/cl010010062 – https://collections.louvre.fr/CGUThe Sphinx of Tanis, 2620-1866, Height: 183 cm; Length: 480cm; Width: 154 cm, pink granite, place of discovery: Tanis, currently displayed in the Louvre. Sphinx de Tanis, du Louvre, Département des Antiquités égyptiennes, A 23 – https://collections.louvre.fr/ark:/53355/cl010010062 – https://collections.louvre.fr/CGU
These figures served as guardians of the dead, often flanking tombs or standing watch at temples. Over time, the sphinx evolved as a concept, with variations featuring the head of a ram or a falcon depending on the specific deity being honored. Egyptian sphinxes were primarily crafted from limestone but granite was also used to carve detailed figures.
Sphinx of Hatshepsut, New Kingdom, 1479–1458 B.C. the Met, NY. It was one of at least six granite sphinxes that stood in Hatshepsut’s mortuary temple at Deir el-Bahri. http://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/544442Seals found in Knossos palace, Crete, photo: Veronica Winters. SEALS: Egyptian scarabs and seals with scenes rendered in the typical naturalistic style of the Neo palatial and Final Palatial periods (1650-1350 BC). Many scenes with animals like wild goats, bulls, lions and caprids were popular depictions of the natural world. A distinctive example is the rare gold seal depicting a barking guard dog sitting on a garden enclosure. The seals’ craftsmanship reaches technical and aesthetic perfection. Artists used semiprecious stones- sard, cornelian, agate, amethyst, jasper, rock crystal, hematite, sardonyx, chalcedony, lapis and bronze tools – small chisels, burins, drills and polishing materials. The hole was made before the final engraving. Many tools, raw materials, unfinished, broken seals and processing debris of the seal-carvers’ workshops have been found at Poros, the harbor-town of Knossos.These are various Greek figures created in the Egyptian style I saw in Greece. Look at the awkward anatomy of these figures. It seems to me that the Greeks were inspired by the Egyptian art but learning the human anatomy and proportion took time to master. From left to right: Egyptian-style figures (Athens); Archaic period figures, 7th century BC (Heraklion, Crete), Egyptian-style figure (Eleusis), and the 6th-century BC statues displayed in Delphi from the temple of Apollo. By looking at these sculptures as an example we can say that the ancient Greek art was strongly influenced by the Egyptian art.
3. The Assyrian Sphinxes
These are the examples of the Assyrian sphinxes I found on the website of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Although they have the sphinx shape, their heads can vary.
Openwork furniture plaque with a striding ram-headed sphinx, Assyrian, 9 BCE, the Met. NY. http://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/325666Plaque with a striding sphinx, Assyrian, 8 BCE, the Met, NYThe British Museum, London. Photo: V.WintersGolden Bracelet with the image of winged griffin, The British Museum, London. Photo: V.WintersThese art instruction books are on sale on Amazon!
The Greek Sphinx emerges: history & symbolism
SHAPE: The sphinx was a mythical being with the body of a lion, the wings of an eagle, and the head of a woman. Some could have a long tail. Sphinxes are depicted in a seated position, often with a strange smile and facial features resembling ancient near eastern art.
The Greeks adapted the sphinx concept (guardians of the dead) from Egypt through trade and cultural contacts. Greek sphinxes appeared before the 12th century BCE. After a hiatus of about 400 years, the sphinx reappeared in Greek art around the 8th century BCE. It appeared on coins, pottery, and funerary monuments as grave stelai.
Grave Stele
GRAVE STELE or STELAI, 600-500 BC. Greece. Photo: Veronica Winters. Below you’ll find a museum’s description that I’ve adapted for better reading experience in English.
Funerary monuments appeared on the graves of important people starting from the Mycenaean period. Such example is the discovery of the stelai in the Grave Circle A at Mycenae, Greece. There is little information available on the early Geometric period in Greece based on today’s research. There’s more archeological information available dating from the late Geometric period. The excavations in Attica region (Athens) revealed the findings of large vases, amphoras and crates that depicted the mourning scenes and other epiphora of the dead that functioned as the funerary monuments. Grave marks were small, plain stones during that time period.
From the end of the 7th century B.C. the tombs got marked with a monumental stele, which was either incised, painted or done in relief. The early grave markers were tall and narrow. One side of it represented the deceased. They were crowned by a finial in the shape of a concave molding, influenced by the Egyptian art. In the first quarter of the 6th century BC, the finial was low. Later, it became taller and more elaborate with incised or relief decorations with leaves, rosettes, guilloche, lotuses and rare human figures. The finial toped the demonic figure of a sphinx, the guardian of a tomb. Around 550 BC, the form of the finial becomes even more elaborate with double volutes that assume the shape of an inverted lyre. The Sphinx remains the principal element of the crowning. This stele type dominates Greece until about 525BC.
Around 530 B.C, the overall form of the stele changes again. It becomes lower and narrower, and the Sphinx usually placed on the finial gets replaced by two single or double volutes with the Anthemion (design consisting of a number of radiating petals), influenced by the Ionian and Egyptian art. Many of these grave markers had a painted decoration representing the deceased and various animals like horses, roosters, dogs, etc. The name of the dead appeared written in the possessive case at the bottom of the stele or on its base.
The largest and most important group of the Archaic funerary steles comes from Attica with representations of athletes and warriors. It’s rare to find other figures depicted on steles. Besides Attica, other places manufactured the grave markers in Greece. The grave steles were smaller found in the Aegean islands and Ionia. In the 6th century, they were also crowned with the anthemion and showed various figures, such as the youth, young women, children or elderly men. The islands, lonia and other areas of Greece produced grave steles without interruption. In Attica, however, the production of funerary stones ceases around 6th century BC. Possibly after a prohibition by Kleisthenes aiming at curtailing the use of luxurious memorials. The reintroduction of the funerary monuments in Athens takes place during the Peloponnesian War around 430-420 BC.
Marble grave stele of Antigenes with a painted figure (not incised or done in relief), 6th century BC, the MetMarble stele, grave marker of a hoplite foot soldier, 525 BCE, the Met
The Anthemion shape
These are the examples of the Anthemion shape flower I found in several archeological museums of Greece. These vases and other fragments vary in dates.Marble stele (grave marker) with a youth and little girl, and a capital and finial in the form of a sphinx, Greek, Attic, ca. 530 BCE, the MET. 13 feet high. “The youth on the shaft is shown as an athlete, with an aryballos (oil flask) suspended from his wrist. Athletics were an important part of every boy’s education, and oil was used as a cleanser after exercise. He holds a pomegranate—a fruit associated with both fecundity and death in Greek myths—perhaps indicating that he had reached puberty before his death. The little girl, presumably a younger sister, holds a flower. The sphinx crowned a funerary stele as a symbolic protector for the deceased Megakles from the powerful clan of the Alkmeonidai.” The monument stood in Attica (the region around Athens) where people could see it from a great distance. http://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/248500Marble stele (grave marker) with finial in the form of a sphinx, Greek, Attic, ca. 530 BCE, the Met, NY.ATTIC FUNERARY MONUMENTS
The reappearance of private funerary monuments in Attica in the first decade of the Peloponnesian War (431-404 BC), after a long hiatus that began with the prohibitive law of Kleisthenes, is associated with the destructive effect of the plague that broke out in Athens in the beginning of the great war with Sparta. Full of fear and sorrow, the Athenians cremated their dead in masses, in an attempt to limit the fast spreading of the plague that lasted until 425 BC. Perikles himself was among the victims of the deadly illness. The political and economic upheaval brought about by the war and the concomitant changes in the population’s moral and religious beliefs as a result of the plague strengthened the conservative powers, which succeeded in restoring the ancient custom of erecting private memorials. This practice lasted until 317 or 307 BC, when the erection of luxurious funerary monuments ceased again, after a law issued by Demetrius of Phaleron. In contrast to the Archaic period, in the Classical period statues are uncommon as funerary monuments. Their place is taken by grave stelai and marble funerary vases. The form and decoration of funerary monuments varies according to the sex, age, social class and origin of the dead. Towards the end of the fifth century BC, grave reliefs adorn primarily the graves of women, youths and children. On the contrary, memorials for male citizens are mostly plain; they give emphasis on the personal name of the dead, the name of their father as well as that of their deme of origin, which indicates their civil rights. Memorials for foreigners record their personal and ethnic names, whereas those for slaves provide only their personal name. In the numerous cemeteries of the city and the coastal and inland demes of Attica, the large grave plots of prominent families point to the importance acquired in this period by the family a fact also indicated by contemporary drama. The center of the plot is occupied by a tall stele crowned by an anthemion and decorated only with rosettes. The stele lists the names of the family dead in succession and is framed by other monuments -stelai, gravestones in the shape of naiskoi, and marble funerary vases decorated in relief or in paint. The commonest theme is the so-called dexiosis, where the dead is shown in handshake with his or her kin. Another typical theme is the representation of the dead man with his young attendant, or the dead woman with her maid. Children are depicted with their pets and toys. The Athenians selected a marble funerary loutrophoros for youthful, unmarried dead, symbolically offering them a nuptial bath. Characteristic of Classical funerary imagery are the idealistic rendering of the dead with controlled emotions, and the avoidance of immediate references to death. An exception is formed by the dead in war, women who died in childbirth, as well as foreigners. Differences are observed in the imagery of marble vases, which are influenced by the sepulchral themes of white-ground lekythoi.
TheNaxian Sphinx
The base of the giant Naxian Sphinx, marble, Halos, Delphi. Photo: Veronica Winters.
The colossal Naxian Sphinx stood on a 12-meter high ionic column in ancient Greece. Today the giant sphinx is on display at the Museum of Delphi. Mentioned in the myth of Oedipus, the Sphinxes were linked to the primitive cults. They were considered to be the guardians of tombs and sanctuaries placed as funerary monuments and votive offerings. A highly popular image in ancient Greece, the demonic Sphinx was a loan from the East to ancient Greek art. This colossal statue of the Sphinx of Delphi was offered by the Naxians in the 6th century BC.
The giant Naxian Sphinx in the Halos, Delphi: The Naxian Sphinx got created around 560 BC, preceding the construction of the Siphnian treasury – a building at the Ancient Greek cult center of Delphi, in which the priests hosted the offerings from the city of Siphnos. The building stood on the “Sacred Way” road going through the Sanctuary of Apollo.
Naxos, a wealthy island of the Cyclades, sent a gigantic offering to the Sanctuary of Apollo of Delphi – the statue of the mythical Sphinx. Its colossal size, imposing appearance and location in the sanctuary (near the rock of Sibylla -the Sibyl rock-and in the foreground of the polygonal retaining wall of the temple) commemorated political and artistic supremacy of Naxos in the Archaic era. This demonic creature with the female face and enigmatic smile was supposed to be warding off the evil. Placed on the capital of a 12.50m tall ionic column, the sphinx became the oldest element in the ionic order in Delphi.
Carved from a huge Naxian marble block, the Sphinx shows solid structure with beautiful rendering of the hair, chest and wings, giving the impression of lightness. Dated to the 4th century BC, the incised inscription on the column’s base states that the priests of Apollo honored the people of Naxos with the privilege of promanteia, that is, priority in receiving an oracle.
Close up views of the giant Naxian Sphinx figure in Delphi, photo: V.WintersLimestone funerary stele shaft surmounted by 2 sphinxes, Cypriot, 5th century BCE, the Met, NY. http://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/242050Beautiful views of a limestone statue of a Greek sphinx, 550 BCE, the Met, NY. http://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/254504
What does the Greek Sphinx mean? A lot of ancient Greek sphinxes are found as grave offerings in tombs, funerary monuments and sacred vessels in palaces. While the meaning of a Greek sphinx appearing on an ancient vase can probably vary some, most of the monuments seem to be connected to the world of the dead. The demonic creature was supposed to be warding off the evil, being the guardian of tombs and sanctuaries placed as funerary monuments.
For example, the Spata Sphinx is one of the most beautiful, well-preserved Greek sphinxes seen in Athens today.
Originally found in the Athens airport area, the Statue of a Sphinx was erected as finial of a grave stele in Attica. One of the earliest known Archaic Sphinxes, it was made of a Pentelic marble around 570 B.С.
“A series of vases of the early and late Geometric period (9th-8th Century B.C.) came from a cemetery at the northern area of the airport. These were the first artefacts to inform us about the inhabitants of the land of that period. A network of dirt roads ran next to a cemetery, which crisscrossed fields, olive groves, vineyards, and linked the rural communities of the Attica. The family tombs of local aristocracy, who owned the best land in the area, dotted the landscape in the 6th century B.C. Powerful “Spata Sphinx,” now in the National Archaeological Museum in Athens, belonged to one of such luxury funerary monuments. A replica of this sphinx is exhibited at the airport’s museum.”
Limestone funerary stele with antithetical sphinxes, Cypriot, 450 century BCE, the Met, NY. http://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/242406
The Greeks placed the statues of a Sphinx as finial of a grave stele or as luxury grave monuments to be the guardians of the dead, similar to how sphinxes were viewed in Egypt. The Greek sphinx was also associated with riddles and challenges, as seen in the myth of Oedipus. The demonic statues were also decorative elements in small vases and perfume boxes.
Here are some Sphinxes and Griffins incised on tombs’ decorations I saw in Eleusis, Greece. Eleusis was an important ancient Greek cult center that got destroyed with the rise of Christianity.
Ancient Greek Vessels showing the statue of a Sphinx:
Black-figure Amphora showing the sphinx figure (Storage Vessel): Attributed to the Phineus Painter South Italian or Greek, “Chalcidian” (probably made in Rhegium [modern Reggio Calabria], South Italy), ca. 520-510 BC, Ceramic. Tampa Museum of Art, US. Photo: V. Winters This elegant, large sphinx is painted in the shape and “Chalcidian” painting style of black-figure vases. The name of this style comes from the Greek town of Chalcis but thought by many scholars to have been produced in South Italy.A Greek vase showing two sphinxes, photo: V. WintersLarge Sphinx figure is painted on a vase exhibited in Eleusis, the cult center. In the 7th century, the population of Eleusis declined, probably due to drought and famine. With high child mortality, the majority of the burials consisted of infants and toddlers buried in jars. This amphora depicting a winged sphinx was used for a toddler burial. Archaic artisans were experimenting with new decorative patterns and techniques coming from the East. Note the optical illusion on the neck of the vessel! The opposing heads of the panther and the lion create a face that stares right at us.Terracotta stand, Greek, Attic, ca. 520 BCE, On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 157.
A lot of Attic pottery was manufactured and exported to Etruria. “Indigenous Etruscan shapes were reinterpreted in Athenian workshops; the Hellenized variants then sold to Etruscan patrons in the west and often buried in their tombs. The Etruscan prototypes generally exist in the sturdy black ware called bucchero. This pair of stands represents the phenomenon of adaptation with a shape unique in Attic vase-painting. They probably held floral or vegetal offerings.” https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/255195
Ancient Greek vase with two sphinxes, photo: V. WintersAncient Greek vase with some sphinxes and animals, photo: V. Winters.
Similar designs on a pottery can be seen at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Terracotta dinos, 630 BCE, the Met, NY. http://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/256846Terracotta pyxis, cosmetic box, Greek, 550 BCE, the Met, NY http://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/239949
Color
A fragment of a colored wing I saw in the Athens archeological museum.
Color: “Polychromy” means “many colors” in Greek. Artists painted the statues of the sphinx figures and other sculptures using very bright colors including blue (azurite) and red. Traces of hues are left on the archaic limestone sphinxes dating from the early 6th century BCE. The sphinx displayed at the Met shows traces of cinnabar red, yellow ochre, carbon-based black, and blue pigments. According to the researchers at the Met, they identified 2 blue pigments – Egyptian blue (synthetic color developed in Egypt in the Late Bronze Age) and Azurite blue. Expensive Cinnabar Red was imported from Iberia (Spain). Red ochre was made of hematite.
These are the colors used in ancient Greece to color their monuments as as seen in the archeological museum in Athens. The display shows the original pigments coming from various regions beyond Greece itself. Fragments of a white stone show colored wings dated at 570 BC! Lapis (blue color) consists of many minerals, mainly lazurite from Afghanistan. Conichalcite (green), Malachite & Azurite pigments come from the Laurion mines. White comes from Western Melos Island and consist of kaolinite, alunite, titanium dioxide. Ochre (yellow) comes from the copper mine in Cyprus and consists of jarosite. Red hematite mixed with iron hydroxides comes from the islands in Greece. There is a display of synthetic pigments- white and blue. Lead white is cerussite+ hydrocerussite. The Egyptian blue is marble powder+ quartz+ copper + alkali cooked at 860 degrees Celsius.
Other popular materials:
Ivory Elephant ivory: this raw material and the Hippopotamus ivory (also in use during the Mycenean era) came from Near East & Egypt. Elephant ivory was reserved for large and expensive art pieces. In the palatial period (14th-13th centuries BC), artisans worked ivory in specialized workshops to make luxury objects, like the elaborate male or female figurines made for religious purposes, jewelry boxes, ivory handles for bronze mirrors, combs and musical instruments. They also produced massive amounts of ivory plaques-inlays in luxury furniture (beds, chairs, footstools) and even the chariot parts. Groups of plaques were in the shape of bull heads, figure-of-eight shields, columns, lilies or ivy leaves. According to the Linear B texts, ivory had inlays with gold, silver or kyanos (blue glass). Ivory objects or plaques depicted the human figures, griffins, sphinxes or animals in relief. Rosettes, half-rosettes or spirals had the decorative intent.
The figure of a small sphinx, Mykines, photo: Veronica Winters
Miniature art in bronze and gold:
Minoan miniature metal sphinxes (525-500 BC & 475-450BC) and pomegranate (6th BCE), Heraklion, Crete.
During the Neo palatial period, Minoan artists specialized in miniature art, producing works in gold and ivory plaques and mold-cast inlays in vitreous materials such as faience and glass paste. Their artistic motifs included images of nature and sacred symbols (like the double axe and the seated ivory child from Palaikastro). The arms of a figurines have traces of the veins showing artistic precision captured in miniature art.
Bronze statuette of a sphinx, Greek, 5th century BCE, the Met http://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/256231This is one of the bronze vessels I saw in the museum in Athens. The vase shows strong Egyptian influences in art depicting the sphinxes, figures and animals.Bronze vase handle in a shape of a sphinx figure.Bronze mirror with a sphinx figure, photo: Veronica WintersBronze mirror with a winged figure, photo: Veronica WintersBronze mirror supported by a female figure with two sphinxes, 520 BC. photo: Veronica WintersGold earring with a sphinx, Greek, 4th century BCE, the Met Gold pendant in the form of a sphinx, Greek, 5th century BCE, the Met, NY.
Oedipus and the SphinxMythology:
Two-handled jar (amphora) depicting Oedipus and the Sphinx of Thebes, the Achilles Painter, Greek, Classical Period, 450–440 B.C, Place of Manufacture: Greece, Attica, Athens, on view at Museum of Fine Arts Boston.
Embodying danger, destruction, and riddles, the most famous Greek sphinx is the one guarding Thebes in the story of Oedipus. This sphinx presented a deadly riddle to travelers, devouring those who couldn't answer it. No one could until the day Oedipus showed up. The riddle: "What is that which has one voice and yet becomes four-footed, two-footed, and three-footed?" Oedipus gives the answer that it's a man. He's four-footed as a baby. He walks on two feet as an adult and gets the third foot- a cane when he gets old.
Oedipus, king of Thebes, is a classic Greek tragedy of fate and free will.
A Doomed Prophecy: King Laius and Queen Jocasta of Thebes learn from an oracle that their son will kill Laius and marry Jocasta. Horrified, they try to prevent this by piercing the infant’s ankles (hence the name “Oedipus,” meaning “swollen foot”) and abandoning him on a mountain.
Twist of Fate: A shepherd finds the baby and takes him to the king and queen of Corinth, who raise him as their own.
Fleeing Fate: Years later, Oedipus consults an oracle and receives the same chilling prophecy – he will kill his father and marry his mother. Believing his Corinthian parents to be his true ones, he flees Corinth to escape this fate.
Unknowingly Fulfilling the Prophecy: On his journey, Oedipus gets into an argument with an older man (Laius) at a crossroads and unknowingly kills him. He then arrives at Thebes, where the city is plagued by the Sphinx, a creature who devours travelers who cannot answer her riddle. Oedipus solves the riddle, defeating the Sphinx.
Reward and Unwitting Marriage: As a reward, Oedipus is declared the new king and marries the widowed queen – Jocasta, his biological mother, thus unknowingly committing the sin of incest. They have children together.
Unraveling the Truth: A plague falls upon Thebes. Seeking the cause, Oedipus uncovers the truth of his past through a series of revelations, including a blind prophet and a shepherd.
Tragic Consequences: Realizing the horror of his actions, Jocasta takes her own life and Oedipus, in despair, blinds himself. He is ultimately exiled from Thebes, condemned to wander with his daughters as his guides.
Attic cup: Oedipus and the Sphinx, interior of an Attic red-figured kylix (cup or drinking vessel), c. 470 BCE; in the Gregorian Etruscan Museum, the Vatican Museums, Rome.
The tragic end of Oedipus, when the truth was revealed, served as the ultimate lesson in Delphic theology. It means that all humans should live a life of virtue, knowing that their fate has been predetermined by the gods. This is something that even Socrates, the wisest of men according to Pythian Apollo, admitted in Plato’s Apology, just before meeting his own end.
The Oracle; Camillo Miola (Biacca) (Italian (Neapolitan), 1840 – 1919); 1880; Oil on canvas; 108 x 142.9 cm (42 1/2 x 56 1/4 in.); The J. Paul Getty Museum in Los Angeles has a painting called The Oracle by Camillo Miola (Biacca), 42x56in, 1880 that depicts the Oracle of Delphi chosen by Apollo-the Pythia. The painting includes the omphalos, a sacred object at Delphi that was considered the center of the world. The ancient Greeks consulted the Delphic Oracle as she spoke the truth channeling prophecies coming from God Apollo.
The story explores themes of fate versus free will, the power of knowledge and self-discovery, and the devastating consequences of defying the gods’ will. The sphinx mythology remained a popular motif in Greek art and literature for centuries and was revived in the 19th-century European art. The examples of which I’m including below.
Oedipus and the Sphinx, Gustave Moreau, French,1864, The Met. The legendary Greek prince Oedipus confronts the malevolent Sphinx, who torments travelers with a riddle, remains of which who answered incorrectly litter the foreground: “What creature walks on four legs in the morning, two legs at noon, and three legs in the evening?” (The solution is the human, who crawls as a baby, strides upright in maturity, and uses a cane in old age.)
Moreau exhibited this painting at the Paris Salon of 1864. Despite the emergence of new painting ideas and style in art at that time, the artist focused on painting surreal, mythological, and imaginary stories. His mystical art inspired many artists, including Odilon Redon and Oscar Wilde.
Oedipus and the Sphinx, Gustave Moreau, French,1864, The Met. Closeup.The Silent Councillor from the Portfolio, engraving done after painting by Tadema http://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/668073Ingres, Oedipus and the Sphinx, 1864, the Walters Museum of Art. and Ingres in The National Gallery, 1826, London. Ingres painted the story of Oedipus several times refining composition and even reversing the figures in a mirror-like image. One of the paintings is in The National Gallery, London and a reversed one is in The Walters Art Museum. Can you see the difference? 🙂 The London one looks like a developed sketch but not a finished painting. There’s also another (finished) painting on view in the Louvre dated to 1808.Claude Ferdinand Gaillard, engraving done after Ingres, the Met, NY.
This black-and-white image is an engraving – a form of printmaking that allowed to make hand-pulled copies of art for mass distribution. Printmakers usually made engravings of famous paintings thus giving them a much wider reach.
Scottish National Gallery, a closeup of a painting depicting a golden chair with a sphinx figure.
Conclusion
When I decide to write an article about any subject, it quickly spirals into a rabbit hole of endless information. While I start with my basic knowledge on the subject, it becomes an extensive research based on my travel photography, books and descriptions at the art museums. I hope you enjoyed reading about the origins and artistic development of this enigmatic sphinx figure that will inspire you to both create and share this article with your friends!
References: While most of my writing is based on my trip to Greece where I took pictures of descriptions and art in the archeological museums and sites in Athens, Heraklion, Mycenae, Delphi, etc, I also found beautiful images and descriptions on the Met website that I included throughout the article. Main links are below:
Award winning Toronto artist, Alison Brannen makes one of a kind hand made ceramics. A creative risk taker, educator and avid sailor, Alison can’t get enough of the wind and the fire! Inspired by her summer voyage on the Atlantic Ocean Alison creates dynamic patterns that ebb and flow along the surface of her beautiful organic vessels. Alison’s work has been exhibited in Canada and the USA, with Fusion Clay and Glass, the Art Gallery of Burlington, Clay and Glass Gallery Waterloo, Oeno Gallery and Craft Ontario among others. Alison teaches pottery and Kintsugi workshops in her downtown Toronto studio where she lives with her husband Craig and her two beach loving dogs Ruby and Tilly.
The preferred printing supplier for potters everywhere! SmallDogPrints.com
Is it really critical to have the big pot to put the smaller pieces in? Why can’t you just put it straight into the kiln?
I could put it straight in the kiln and the big pieces I do but the saggar that I make contains the smaller pots. I like to fire, if I can, fifteen small pots at once.
So the big pot is to contain the small pots and not necessarily to get the impact of the finished product? Is that accurate?
No, I think it helps the impact for the smaller product, I find that large pieces that aren’t in the double saggar, they are not quite as strong and not quite as consistent in color.
When you do fire straight in the kiln with your larger pieces do you have to clean out your kiln specially after the fact?
Oh yes, of course.
How do you go about cleaning the kiln?
Vacuum, sweep it, check the coils. Sweep up the ash.
It’s usually done outside so is it really important to have a well ventilated area?
Absolutely. Very important. I don’t think you should do it without it.
What is the risk?
Your health risk. My risk is zero because I am never in the kiln room when it’s firing.
How much material do you actually put in the kiln?
Well, a lot of the carbonate is actually in the slip or on the slip. And salt, I use maybe a tablespoon. Two tablespoons of salt, table salt, and it’s sprinkled. I have seen firings where they actually pour cups of salt on top of the carbonates, and I don’t use anywhere near that much.
You mentioned you like to wrap your pieces in aluminum foil. Does the metal impact the product itself?
I use aluminum foil just to hold the clay and the clay slip next to the pot. So I really just use it as a wrapping material.
Is there anything that I missed or wish I would have asked you about?
Yes, I wished that you would have asked me about fusion clay and glass. So we have an association in Ontario and I am the vice president, I have been the vise president for a few years, Catarina Gold is the president and we put on conferences and exhibitions and workshops. We have an Instagram and we hold interviews called Faces of Fusion. I really want to give fusion a plug because guilds and fusion help to promote ceramics in Canada and in Ontario.
Summer Brendlinger’s philosophy is centered on enriching everyday life through her pottery creations, aiming to bring joy and a handmade touch of artistry into people’s homes. Summer’s journey began in 1994 with a high school ceramics class. After a career in teaching, Summer returned to her passion for pottery, creating a studio in her backyard and teaching ceramics workshops at Talent Maker City.
The preferred printing supplier for potters everywhere! SmallDogPrints.com
What were the cues that told you change was needed?
The cues would have been a lack of satisfaction with my life as it was. Knowing there is something better for me and my family really.
Why is balance so critical for a person?
I can speak for myself; balance is incredibly critical because without it things don’t get the attention they deserve and when we ignore important things is our life like family or passion, we become lopsided and I think we quit growing and we quit appreciating life as it is. As beautiful as it can be.
It seems like we think if we stop we are going to lose the progress we made. Why is it important to not care about progress if it means we are going to lose our sanity?
Such a good question. I think all the progress that you’ve made at any point that you decide to change carries on into the next chapter. So it’s not wasted progress, it’s actually prior learning that gets you to the point you are supposed to be at in that time in your life.
That doesn’t mean that goals are irrelevant. Correct?
Goals are necessary.
It’s properly placed goals then. Would that be better said?
I think so. Properly placed goals and for me you’ve got your big goal of what you want to see your life become. And that one you are constantly reaching towards and the goals that are smaller and quicker to attain those ones you reach them or you are on your way to reaching them and you decide this doesn’t feel right to get to that over arching goal of the life that you want to live.
Why is variety important for you?
It’s way more fun for me. If I am doing the same thing I don’t get to express myself. And you know, just as the seasons change what I make changes because life is changing. And what I find beautiful in nature usually shows up in my work and it’s changing. I mean I have to have variety.
Studio life. Do you like it quiet or do you like music or podcasts in the background?
On par with me and variety it changes. I’ll do podcasts. I love audio books. I still want to call them books on tape. And then music and if it’s music it’s classic rock, Tom Petty is my number one. It changes, I recognize what my mood needs and it’s rarely ever quiet in my studio.
Book
Mastering Hand Building: Techniques, Tips, and Tricks for Slabs, Coils, and More by Sunshine Cobb
The Enigmatic World of Greek Sphinxes: history, mythology & art
Explore the world of Greek sphinxes in this fascinating video, delving into history, mythology, and art. From ancient pottery to colorful myths, uncover the mysteries of these enigmatic creatures!
In this episode I share my research about ancient Greek Sphinxes. I explore cultural influences, places and meaning of the Sphinx that’s based on my trip to Greece. A lot of information also comes from the Met’ website. It’s best to either watch a video or see the pictures of ancient Greek art on my blog.
When Lyndsey Roberts was seven, her mother gifted her a toy potter’s wheel. That one gift sparked a bone deep, lifelong love for ceramics. Lyndsey went on to get her BFA in ceramics from UNCA, and has been doing her best to make her little seven year old self as proud as possible.
The preferred printing supplier for potters everywhere! SmallDogPrints.com
What is your favorite tool in the studio?
Well, the Air Pen is definitely at the top of that list and I am not saying that because they pay me to say it. I also think the wet boxes are one of my favorite tools just because it gives me the flexibility to make work and take the break that my body needs in between the process of throwing and trimming. I no longer lose work in the meantime, every potter knows how devastating it is to spend hours making something and to miss your window because of the temperature outside.
What is a tool you don’t use very often but you would not get rid of?
Probably my metal ribs. I don’t like metal ribs very often because I tend to cut myself on them, but they are really great for specific things. If I am making a pot that I want a little extra detail I can take my Dremel and create a shape on a metal rib that will give me a template that I can press clay into and I can get a pattern from it. So, for that reason I keep my metal ribs around but I don’t use them for any other reason.
Who is one maker who inspires you to be better?
Danny Meisinger. I hope I am saying his last name correctly. I follow him on Instagram and I am lucky enough to have some of his mugs from NCECA. He throws big and throws these really big round jars, not jars, they are vases or bottles with tiny openings. I watch him to kind of learn and be inspiration for what I can do and hopefully one day I will be able to make large, round forms.
You devote so much of your time to making, how does art improve the world?
I think it makes it a happier place. It sparks our imagination. Which I think adults need more of, we take ourselves way too seriously. And art kind of demands your attention. It’s a wonderful opportunity to take yourself out of your own life and to immerse yourself in something somebody else has made that isn’t something that you would see normally and just allow your imagination to play with it.
When people describe you what kind of words pop up?
Lately I have been described as intense. (laughter) Creatively intense. I have very specific ideas of what I want to make. Usually people say that I am very funny. I definitely make people laugh a lot. Probably they would say that I’m a little weird or eccentric.
Explore the must-see places on Santorini, from ancient Thera to Oia! Immerse yourself in the history, stunning views, and vibrant blue and white colors of this cinematic island.
https://youtu.be/Jx0jy5DLgIg
When we planed our trip, it was really hard to decide how much time we needed to spend on each island in Greece. Many people talked about spending a week on each one but I found that I needed 2,5 days to see everything I wanted to on Santorini without being rushed. These were long days but because I wasn’t into the beaches, boats and night life, I explored the island’s natural beauty, archeology and villages instead. Plan to spend more time here if you’re into the boat tours, wineries and beaches! Also, this island can be a challenge to visit for older folks since there is a lot of up and down action that can be hard on legs and feet.
Brief history of Santorini: an archaeological journey
Some theorize that the end of the Minoan civilization and Ancient Thera (Santorini) volcanic formation is the lost Atlantis. The first written source for the myth of Atlantis comes from the Athenian philosopher Plato (427- 437 BC) but there is little evidence that Santorini is the lost Atlantis.
The first settlers arrived to the island around 3000 BC (Neolithic Period). They named the island “Strogili,” meaning “the round one” due to its original circular shape. Santorini flourished during the Minoan era, known for their advanced civilization centered on Crete (early Bronze Age – 2000 BC). The Akrotiri settlement, preserved by volcanic ash, is a prime example of the Minoan civilization. Here, archaeologists unearthed multi-story buildings with color frescoes, advanced drainage systems, and pottery, all mirroring Minoan culture that led to speculation about the lost city of Atlantis. Personally, I find it unlikely because the Minoan art on Crete looked immature in comparison to ancient Egypt, for example. And Atlantis is said to be an advanced civilization. The Minoan culture got destroyed after a catastrophic volcanic eruption that devastated the Aegean island of Thera- also called Santorini (Late Bronze Age – 1600 BC). Thera, perched on Mesa Vouno Mountain, became the island’s central settlement (Doric Era – 9th century BC onwards). The ruins include the Sanctuary of Artemis, the Agora (marketplace), the Royal Portico, and the Gymnasium.
Ancient Thera view
6 must-see places in Santorini:
Santorini island, hike to Oia
#1. Scenic trail
We walked from Fira to Oia through a scenic trail stretching across the mountains for 6.5 miles. The views were stunning! It was the most amazing place I saw on Santorini. The hike connects the two most popular destinations on the island – Fira and Oia. These are the largest traditional villages with whitewashed houses and blue domes. Many house caves overlooked deep turquoise-blue waters of the caldera. Wear good shoes and bring water and snacks to have a comfortable, 3-hour hike. The elevation is 1,069 ft, so you may feel a bit dizzy or tired walking there.
A distant view of Oia on a hike from Fira.
#2 Ancient Thera
Situated on top of the mountain between Perissa and Kamari, Ancient Thera became the island’s central settlement. The volcanic eruption around 1600 BC reshaped the island, creating the iconic caldera and contributing to the decline of the Minoan civilization due to tsunamis. Following the eruption, Dorians from Sparta arrived around the 9th century BC, renaming the island “Thera” after their king. Today the Doric settlement is basically ruins that combines different architectural styles and epochs. All buildings were constructed of the local limestone of the mountain. By walking through the ruins located 396 m. above the sea level, you can enjoy amazing panoramic views of the island.
To get there, you can have an easy drive up to the Ancient Thera from Kamari. We had a steep climb to the top of the mountain walking from Perissa. It was quite long, difficult and unexpected but the views were fantastic!
Sanctuary of Egyptian gods:
"During the Hellenistic times, a period of great receptivity to new gods and cults, the worship of eastern and Egyptian deities is spread across the Greek territory. In Thera, the Egyptian gods Serapis, Isis and Anubis become accepted in the early 3rd century B.C. and their cult is quickly integrated into the public and private religious life of the inhabitants of the island. The cult of the Egyptian triad of gods in Thera, which, in this period, belongs to the possessions of the Ptolemies, monarchs of the Hellenistic kingdom of Egypt, is closely associated with the presence and activity on the island of a large Ptolemaic garrison. A sanctuary in honor of the Egyptian gods is founded in the first half of the 3rd century B.C. The sanctuary consisted of an unusual outdoor construction, that is a terrace, constructed mainly with artificial earth fill, the two sides of which were defined by the rocky land. We can see the rock-cut part of the sanctuary today, with niches for votive offerings on one side and a bench for the placement of cult statues on the other. Two cisterns placed next to the sanctuary provided "sacred water" the necessary for worship."
Maya Efstathiou, archaeologist.
Kouros or kouroi sculptures displayed in Athens archeological museum. Some of them came from ancient Thera. Kouros were over life-size statues of nude youths dated about to 7th century BC. All statues were found in the burials below the city.
Sanctuary of Apollo Karneios:
The Sanctuary of Apollo was a cult center erected around the 7th c. B.C. The Karneia was his annual festival. The cult of Apollo Karneios, God of the Dorians, existed in Ancient Thera in antiquity. There’s not much to see but the rocks on the ground that used to be the sanctuary with the temple, gates and other buildings. The Apollo of Thera is the best found statue dating from the 6 BCE. There was a basilica built on the ruins of the temple, around the 6th century A.D, which destroyed the the upper structure of the temple.
Other buildings:
There were other buildings and constructions in this place including the structure to worship the Egyptian gods, the theatre (the 2nd c. B.C.), the Stoa at the agora (the 3d c BC) , Gymnasium of the Ephebes, the open-air sanctuary Temenos of Artemidoros (3d c BC), and the church of Agios Stefanos- early Christian Basilica from 8th or 9th c. A.D. http://odysseus.culture.gr/h/3/eh352.jsp?obj_id=2454
There was also the public building built during the Hellenistic times but re-structured during the Roman period. There was a low stone bench with special openings along the sides of its walls. A drain, carrying water into the sewer, ensured its cleaning. The public baths were probably constructed in the mid 2nd century A.D. The baths’ floor rested on stone supports forming a hollow underground space with a burning fire. The hot air was circulating under the floor and within the pipes built into the vertical walls of the room. During the Roman times, public baths were a popular meeting place. The “exedrae”, three buildings in the form of a temple, date to the Roman times (1st-2nd c. A.D.). Built in a line, they housed statues of citizens that belonged to prominent families of Thera and were honored by the city. There are several inscribed bases of the statues with different names in existence today.
You can buy a single ticket to visit or a combined one that includes some local archeological museums.
#3 Oia
This is the largest and most beautiful village on the island that you must visit! It’s also very commercial with many shops, restaurants and activities in the area. The village is situated above a cliff at about 150 m (500 ft) elevation, overlooking the volcano and deep blue water. The views and sunsets are spectacular! The bus station is available with regular service to other parts of Santorini. Also, depending on your interest you can take an excursion boat for a trip around the island or a ferry to Therasia.
#4 Fira
Centrally located, Fira offers stunning views of the caldera with some upscale shopping, beautiful Byzantine church, and walkable alleys. We stayed in Fira, which was a short taxi drive from the airport. Later we found out that the local bus was also available to get to the village.
Fira, Santorini island
Santorini’s color scheme of white buildings and blue domes
Color scheme:
The iconic white and blue color scheme on Santorini’s buildings isn’t rooted in ancient times. It became widespread after the fall of the Greek military junta in 1974. The white reflects the Aegean sunlight, while the blue symbolizes the sea. This color combination was believed to inspire patriotism as the Greek flag is also blue and white.
Also, the white color reflects a lot of the sunlight, keeping the interiors cooler during hot summers. This was crucial before modern air conditioning. Historically, a whitewash made with lime was used to paint the buildings. Limewash has natural disinfectant properties, which may have helped combat the spread of diseases like cholera during outbreaks in the early 20th century.
The design and construction:
Many traditional Santorini dwellings are cave houses, built directly into the volcanic cliffs. This provided natural insulation and protection from the elements. The cave walls themselves are often light-colored volcanic rock, further contributing to the overall white aesthetic. Santorini’s architecture falls under the Cycladic architectural style, common throughout the Aegean islands. These buildings have cubic shapes, minimal windows, flat roofs as terraces and balconies, maximizing usable space. Building materials traditionally included volcanic rock and ash, timber and clay. While modern construction methods and materials are used today, the traditional whitewashed Cycladic style remains a defining characteristic of Santorini’s architecture.
Karterados, near Fira.
#5 Village of Megalochori
The Bell Tower of Megalochori
When you drive through the island from one major town to the next, it looks like a half-abandoned land with some distant white buildings scattered throughout fields of rock and tiny flowers. So, if you’d like to discover untouched settlements on the island, visit small villages like Akrotiri – the site of a Cycladic Bronze Age settlement or Pyrgos and Megalochori. These are not commercial, tiny villages with blue-domed Byzantine churches and whitewashed houses. Mesa Gonia or “the ghost village” is now abandoned village that used to be famous for wineries. We walked to some villages and took a bus to others. All churches were closed there for some odd reason.
Megalochori reminded me of the Tatooine from Star Wars because it was so untouched by our civilization. This village itself is a fairly short walk in a labyrinth of alleys, whitewashed houses and blue-domed churches with bell towers. The village had very few wondering tourists and some beautiful views of the caldera. There were two churches (Agios Nikolaos and Our Lady of Plaka) built into the rock there. Although there were some prehistoric settlements, the village took shape in the 17th century when wealthy merchants and land owners built the village with high walls and reinforced doors to protect themselves from pirates. It’s a place for vineries. There are two beaches- Plaka and Thermi that have no car access. It’s about 9 km away from Fira.
#6 Village of Pyrgos
Pyrgos was a monastery until the arrival of the Venetians in the 13th century. Venetians arriving on Santorini transformed the monastery into a fortified hamlet, one of five on the island, for defense against pirates. A central tower surrounded by thick and tall walls formed the heart of the settlement, with houses built tall within these walls for extra protection. A former capital of the island, Pyrgos retains a strong character of a medieval village with narrow, labyrinthine streets, remnants of fortified walls, and hidden passageways. Despite its central location on Santorini that’s about 7.5 km from Fira, Pyrgos has been relatively untouched by the extensive development and commercialization seen in other parts of the island. Although it was severely damaged like other villages in 1956 earthquake, some buildings were restored.
You can also visit Akrotiri for its museum, excavations, red beach and a small Venetian Castle of Akrotiri nearby.
Beaches:
View to the Kamari beach from Ancient Thera
While the island has many beaches, some of them are hard to get down to. Perissa and Kamari have an easy, walk-in beaches that were quite dirty and unattractive when we visited those in late April. Many people take tours to get access to the nicest beaches. Have flip flops or shoes because the sand on the beach can be really hot during summer months since the sand is a volcanic ash, rocks and pebbles. Red Beach looks secluded between the red rocks but those rocks can be very slippery in water. Secluded and wild, the Baxedes beach is dark sand and pebbles beach. I’d suggest to open the google map and see the locations of the beaches with posted pictures for you to decide which one you want to visit. Some offer snorkeling and boat tours, others umbrellas.
Some people also like fishing and winery tours. The tours around the caldera are popular but were canceled due to crazy weather conditions on our visit to Santorini.
Perissa beach
Transportation:
While it’s a very short flight from Athens to Santorini, the time you spend going through the airport’s regular process is still considerable. Also, it’s often windy on the island, so if you have motion sickness, you’ll get it flying on such a small plane. Get your medication ready to offset the problem.
Take a bus all around Santorini! Its cost is just 2-2,5 euros one-way. Taxies are pricey and not worth it. The bus system is designed for tourists in mind as they have regular schedule to all main sites on the island. You buy the ticket from a driver when you enter the bus. ATV’s are inexpensive to rent for a day or more. While they can be fun for young people to drive around the island, I think they’re too much hassle for older folks. You can also rent a car to drive around the island. There were parking lots available next to sites everywhere we went to.
Seajets offer service at many price points. We went to Crete from Santorini using the fast boat. I must say that if you feel motion sickness, even this big boat isn’t for you or you have to take medication to eliminate motion sickness. We also traveled during crazy weather period that the boat was canceled one day to travel the next, but it still was quite bumpy.
Victoria Rickson is a Canadian ceramic artist based in San Francisco, specializing in nerikomi. With a BFA in Photography from Parsons School of Design, Victoria transitioned to pottery post graduation, mastering the technique of colored clay as a member of community studios. Victoria’s work balances precision with spontaneity, creating one-of-a-kind, color driven pieces.
The preferred printing supplier for potters everywhere! SmallDogPrints.com
I am curious about how you as an artist structure your day?
I have a full-time job so my day is that I wake up and I work all day and then I itch to go down to my basement to work on pottery and I do whatever task I have until 9 pm when it is time to go to bed.
Do you have a way of slowing down your making process so you are not dictated by your clay as your clay wants it to be done?
I think the process is pretty slow on its own. I work in phases. I’ll do the phase where I make the clay and then I will make the block and then on a long weekend or weekend I will say, This is my building weekend. And I will spend all weekend making cups, vases, and plates. So I can monitor all week in the evenings that it’s drying well. And then the next week I am sanding and preparing for the kiln. It’s sort of like I go through each phase when I have the time.
When you are working through problems in your work who do you tend to reach out to to get answers?
I ask my boyfriend a lot. It’s not like it’s a technical answer. I think most of my problems are composition and when it’s a technical answer I love a good google.
Are you interested in exhibitions, in showing your work in actual juried shows? Is that a thing you wish to do?
Yes, that’s my biggest next goal is to get into more official competitions and shows. I am working on pieces that are a little larger, a little more gallery focused at the moment, to work towards that goal.
Do you have shows that you are currently applying for?
Not right this second. There are maybe three or four in the last six months that I made work specifically for and then just chickened out and ended up not applying. I think I am close. I am doing the research and preparing myself mentally but I haven’t actually done the applying yet.
Is social media a struggle or a blessing for you?
So far, it’s a blessing. It’s helped me find a community. It helps me get feedback on my work when I am not showing or selling that often. I don’t mind making, a lot of what I do I make reels to share my knowledge and I think that really helps me build my community.
What is the biggest challenge of working in Nerikomi?
Patience. To expand upon that I think each step of the process takes so much focus and attention and could go wrong at so many points, that having patience with yourself, things are going to go wrong. Try again. That’s kind of key.
What advice would you give to someone starting out in Nerikomi?
It’s weirdly just some of what I just said. It’s patience. It’s understanding that the first thing you make is probably going to crack into a million pieces or you are going to hate it. It takes time to learn every step and you just kind of have to stick with it.
Amy Rae Hill is a ceramic painter who illustrates dramatic celestial scenes on pottery. After receiving her Bachelor of Fine Arts from Western Washington University, Amy worked at a pottery painting studio to develop her current craft. Amy paints with low-fire pottery glaze on earthenware to create her pieces.
The preferred printing supplier for potters everywhere! SmallDogPrints.com
Because you are painting on a 3D object do you have a hard time finding the correct positioning for your compositions?
Yes, I feel like it has gotten easier to compose over time, but you do have to consider the shape of the piece. A tea pot is round and it and you will need to consider a distorted landscape if you are putting that on that surface. Or a cup might have a certain angle to it and that affects the way a spaceship might look on that sort of a surface. So it’s just getting to know your bisqueware shape.
Do you ever have losses for your work?
Very rarely. I usually commit to a piece and if something isn’t working I will wipe it off and then start fresh. It has been probably just a few occasions where I have gotten in deep and I realize that these colors aren’t working together or there are too many layers to go back and fix and really save the piece, so I have to scrap it and start over.
So your losses are more about the design than the pot not making it?
Right, so I probably have an easier time than all the other potters because if something is coming to me damaged then I can report that to my supplier and get a refund for those materials that I have lost and it will go towards my next order. So I have a way easier time with that.
Have you done collaborations with other artists? With other potters?
Yes, I did one with The Monster Inn and there was a couple of monster mugs that we worked on together and they shipped them to me from the UK and I painted a few astronauts climbing up a rocky surface on this monster design and another one had a galaxy on it. And that was really cool to be able to see all of the skill and building of piece and the design of the creature where I got to think about how to make an interesting surface on each of those different designs. A lot more interesting sometimes than a plain cup.
Have you ever used any of the Amaco underglazes?
I haven’t but I have been really tempted to use what all the cool potters use and they all look really good. (laughter) I would have to look into if it works on Earthenware or if I would have to work on more porcelain and stoneware. It seems like a lot of their stuff is higher fired in that case. I am not sure, I would have to research it a little bit more.
Is this your full-time gig?
Yes, it is my full-time gig. I do have a side teaching job a couple of days a weeks that does support my income as well but I am very lucky to have customers that want to buy enough of my work to live on.
In this article you’ll find information about Faber-Castell Polychromos colored pencils and my experience using them on various drawing papers. I’m not an affiliate and I write reviews of art supplies I actually use in my drawings. Below you’ll find the Polychromos lightfastness ratings as well as some of my colored pencil drawings made with these colored pencils.
Properties of Faber-Castell Polychromos colored pencils
Lightfastness: most colors are lightfast/very good to excellent
Durability: excellent
Pigment saturation: very vivid/ excellent
Oil-based
Softness: medium softness/ very good
Faber-Castell polychromos colored pencil set of 120 colors
These colored pencils never break on me. Their durability, color saturation and lighfastness are consistent. Easy to sharpen, Polychromos have a range of beautiful colors with some pinks and purples that have excellent lightfastness ratings, which is difficult to find in other brands, especially in Prismacolor Premier.
Paper & other surfaces for Faber-Castell Polychromos colored pencils
Because they are not very soft, these colored pencils layer nicely and require minimal colored pencil blending. The downside is that you’ve got to find the right paper working with them. Because they are oil-based, they mix and blend more like soft pastels, meaning that the paper should have some texture to adhere the pencils to. And I find that when I work on uart paper, 800 grade or Canson pastel paper, Polychromos impress me a lot more.
They are great for detailed work and blend on their own working on slightly textured paper like Bristol Vellum. These colored pencils tend to glide off of smooth paper like Bristol smooth and seem to need more layering to develop contrast. So I always recommend to draw on Bristol Vellum paper with Polychromos to get maximum realistic detail. I also like them on Canson Art boards and Canson Colorline paper.
While I prefer Luminance and Pablo colored pencils, the Polychromos’ durability and excellent lightfastness make me a fan to draw the details in my art.
https://amzn.to/3xoJjbiInnocence, Polychromos on 9×12 koh-i-noor bristol vellum drawing paper. In this drawing I didn’t do much blending. The colors blended on their own via crosshatching and overlapping. Nymph, colored pencil on UART paper,800grit, 9×12 inches
UArt sanded art paper and Polychromos is the best combination in my view. UArt is designed for pastel drawing and its surface feels like sand paper. Therefore if you use softer colored pencils on it, it will “eat” your soft colored pencils and blending would require solvents. 800 grade is the finest surface and is suitable for colored pencil drawing with Polychromos or other harder colored pencils like Pablo or Koh-i-Noor.
Because oil-based Polychromos act like pastels, the drawing process is similar to pastel painting in layers. It’s blocking in large areas in dark colors and then adding the lighter ones on top. The first, dark layers should be fixed to proceed to the next layer.
Nicaraguan boy, 9×12 inches, lightfast colored pencils on UART paper, in private collectionhttps://amzn.to/4bbYT81
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