Shari Bray - Personal Statement

 

 

 

It took a long time for me to finally “find myself” as a professional artist. Along the way my perspective was shaped by a lifelong exposure to many cultures and art forms. I grew up in a military family, traveled and lived across the United States and in Europe, graduated from the University of California at Davis (I received a BA in the studio arts, with a double emphasis in oil painting and ceramic scultpture in 1978, cum laude), then spent almost thirty years in the corporate world before turning my full attention back to the arts.   My history has shaped my experience and approach. I tend to be very eclectic. I make a variety of artwork, mostly ceramic, some functional and some not. I explore a wide range of subjects – generally natural and figurative, but also more contemporary themes. Most recently I have developed a love affair with the firing process called “raku.”  However, instead of relying on the lustrous glaze effects typically associated with raku, I use the process more of a medium with which to draw or paint. This unique approach results in some surprising effects, while incorporating the warmth and seeming antiquity of the process. Each piece is unique and in some way spontaneous, in spite of my efforts to manipulate and control the outcome.