About Denise Rosser and Smokestone Sculptures

I have trained both formally and informally as a sculptor, and potter: - both as an art student at the formally DDIAE, by working at other people’s potteries, and also through my own very non scientific process of trial and error which has resulted in many spectacular disasters and many equally spectacular successes. This broad foundation of experience has given me a huge amount of freedom to create beautiful sculptures with a look, feel and style that are uniquely their own. All my work is stamped with my stamp (used as the home page background) and signed, except one or two of the smaller pieces that only have my stamp for aesthetic reasons. I have different methods of working with clay, but all of my sculptures result in being uniquely individual works of art, regardless of which methods I use for that particular sculpture or series.  I tend to work in series of works, exploring different concepts and ideas within that framework which ends up morphing into new series /collections …And thus my work continues to evolve… Sculptures that I create from Collections / Series in the Galleries are based around the concepts for that series, but within that concept their can be a huge variation of work. Some Series/Collections are intentionally uniform as that is part of their message on mass, but even these sculptures are individually reworked and are always unique in some way which is what makes every sculpture in my collections beautiful works of art that are alive with an energy that is tangible.

                                           to view series of work available please visit the Gallery. 

Title:  “Classical Hortisculpture”

The same sculpture as above before being bisque fired in a gas kiln to approx 900 degrees. The smooth surface on the above sculpture is from being burnished when leather hard. The wooden tools and stone in this photograph are the main tools I use for sculpting and burnishing all of my work.  The clays I sculpt with are from my local area and range in colour and texture from fine light terracotta, to heavily grogged buff raku clays.

 

 

Title:  “ Balance"

Smoke firing in progress, - an ancient firing technique that creates beautiful, and permanent, earthy surface colours that have the appearance of aged wood or stone. After being removed from the ashes when cooled, each sculpture is cleaned to reveal the beautiful colours from the smoke firing and then reheated and polished with beeswax to further seal and protect the surface. To care for your sculpture, occasionally wax lightly and polish with a soft cloth or brush.

 

 

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Collecting pine needles from the bush for smoke firing -
   a very technical process requiring great agility and speed

Pine needles are one of the combustibles I use for smoke firing, although I also use other materials as well, either alone or in combination with various oxides to promote the beautiful surface colours   – depending on the effect I am seeking for that particular sculpture. A measure of colour control is also possible by packing the smoke fire kiln /arranging the sculptures for greater or lesser airflow to promote heavy or light reduction of the clay which promotes lighter or darker effects.

 

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