THE STUDIO OF NICOLE MERKENS

view out my hotel window in the mornings I have just returned from an amazing 10 day trip to San Miguel de Allende in Mexico. I attended a two week work shop with my idols: Debra Fritts and Lisa Clague at  Barro.Co Clay Studio . They both taught how they built the figure in clay and we went on numerous field trips to parts of Mexico that I don't think I would have ever seen.  One of the field trips was to junk yards, one to the Mummy Museum, the Folk Art Museum, The Mask Museum, The Chapel of Jimmy Ray, Delores Hildago,  Guanajuato , and Gorky Gonzalez Majolica Studio.  The people, the art, the architecture and the food were all superb! I miss the colors of Mexico as I write this post. I will return very soon. Here are photos and some great restaurant suggestions, in case you are itching to go: la azotea / rooftop bar with great appetizers / jicama tacos are delicious the rosewood hotel / rooftop bar with amazing view of san miguel la posadita / rooftop m...

I am very honored to be a part of this powerful show.  The opening is tonight Sept. 10 from 5pm-8pm at the Mammal Gallery in downtown Atlanta.  The Women's Caucus for Art of Georgia has put together this juried show for Artist's standing for an end to modern day slavery.  I have two pieces in the show and have one piece featured on the postcard and used for publicity for this important issue.  The opening is at the Mammal Gallery here in Atlanta, Ga and there will be panel discussions from experts in the field who dedicate their lives to stopping this horrible situation.  CNN did a great story on the show I recommend you watch it to get more educated.  You can view the video here:  CNN Artists Draw Attention to Modern Slavery Video

ABDUCTION BY MOONLIGHT  The Moon - a Tarot Card Installation at Rarick Hall, Hays Kansas Materials and processes: stoneware, glazes, terra sigillata, slip, press molds, fired to cone 2, branches, wire, vinyl, beads, metal, chain Nicole Merkens “In a Tarot card reading; the Moon card refers to a deep state of sensitivity and imaginative impressionability, developed within deep relaxation. Here we dream and go into trance, have visions and receive insights. The Moon card represents the ultimate test of a soul's integrity, where the membrane between the self and the unknown is removed. What transpires next is between a soul and its maker. The Moon card advises that you trust your instincts and intuitions.” This enchantment installation is a physical depiction of my version of “The Moon” Tarot Card. What happens in the moonlight, what does the moon witness?  In this magical forest many unexplained events occur; there is a transcendence between two wo...

Multiples Installation: “Warm Fuzzies” The Mulitples Installation was made in collaboration with myself, Lauren Baird and Chantel Bollinger. The assignment was for each person to collect multiples of a certain object, come together as a group and install on campus. We chose, magnets, giant dark brown pompoms, and little light brown pompoms. We glued the pompoms to the magnets and set off to conduct our installation. We created a Warm fuzzy Caterpillar type creature and used the magnets to affix them to the metal chain railing outside Rarrick Hall. Each section of the caterpillar body is separate, so they can be rearranged in a variety of styles and body types. We kept it installed all night and came back in the morning to find that someone had been playing with a couple of our little guys and found that they had crawled a good 50 yards away in the grass to a new location. Someone definitely needed some warm fuzzies that day.

I am so honored to be apart of this show in August at Workhouse Arts Center. 9518 Workhouse Way . Lorton, VA 22079 . 703-584-2900 . www.workhousearts.org www.workhouseceramics.org

Videography: Eric Stumon A performance involving an age range of women painting themselves with clay slip and then making body prints on a roll of pink paper. This performance is about a women's acceptance of her aging body in regards to society's view that women should be young and beautiful in order to be important. This also reflects the goals of the Guerrilla Girls Group, working to promote women in the arts, dismissing the idea that "women need to naked to get into the Met Museum". Materials used: Slip, paper, video, masks, baby pool. Filmed by Eric Stumon at Fort Hays State University 2016. The video was then shown alongside the body prints in the Moss- Thorns Gallery in Hays, Kansas For more information on the real Guerrilla Girls go to:  http://www.guerrillagirls.com