Author Archives: Carol McDonough

About Carol McDonough

Carol McDonough owner of CMcDonough Designs, has been making pottery, clay and glass sculptures for over 35 years.

“WAITING FOR CONDITIONS TO IMPROVE”

Sometimes it’s best to wait, for a thunderstorm to pass, for traffic, for a baby, for inspiration or for just the right moment. This sculpture has been on and off my work table because it never quite felt finished. It is still in limbo, waiting for conditions to improve …

but I did not lose heart I continued on … and I was rewarded when this piece was accepted into the Parkersburg Art Centers juried show “The River”. I can’t wait to see what’s in the egg …

a nest high above the fray

an elevated nest with a single egg with the nesting material covering all .. as if time has passed .. amber resin holds the nest in a moment of time?? or protects until conditions improve.

The opening is Sunday July 31, 2022 at the Parkersburg Art Center from 1-3pm. See you there!

HAS IT REALLY BEEN A WHOLE YEAR?

Has it really been a whole year since I posted about my sculpture “Destroy Create Repeat” ? It sometimes feels like a dream, a very bad dream that has distorted my sense of time.
I haven’t had it so bad, my work is here at home and my etsy shop was doing enough business to keep me busy. Even so, I occasionally thought “I think I’ll go …” next thought “No you won’t” frustrating.
THE GOOD NEWS
I delivered “Destroy Create Repeat” to the Ohio Craft Museum in Columbus OH! The show will go on!! The dates are May 10 – July 11, 2021 at 1665 W Fifth Ave Columbus 43212.

There will be a closing reception Sunday July 11 from 1-4pm. Then the show will go on the road to the Mansfield Art Center in Mansfield, Ohio from August 15- September 12, 2021.

A custom made box with lots of instructions and photos help the gallery get the work from one place to another safely.

Destroy/Create/Repeat

My work titled “Destroy/Create/Repeat” was was juried into the Best of 2020 show put on by the Ohio Designer Craftsmen in Columbus OH. The dates are a little squishy right now but I will update when we all know more.  You can view all the pieces in the show on their website, http://ohiocraft.org

The title refers to the circular nature of not just life but everything. Every single thing that we humans make required the destruction and recreation of something if not many things.  When you consider that every molecule in our bodies came from our food be it flora or fauna and that we will return all that we are to this closed system someday.  Every single thing that a plant needs to sustain itself requires the destruction of molecules in the soil and the destruction of our sun in the form of photons that excite the photosynthesis process in every green leaf and stem.

I created this piece with recycled/upcycled bottles that I smash and reassemble in clay molds that I create and fire in my kiln. I then arrange the fired glass and add embellishments as needed.  As with most of my work I discover the meaning? point? reason d’etre? after the fact.  I follow my muse with questions on a gut level and she informs my understanding of myself and my place in the universe.  This understanding percolates slowly into my consciousness sometimes many weeks, months after the fact.  I sometimes feel that a piece isn’t done until I get the message.  Your message will probably be different and that’s the power of art to communicate.

The piece looks a little like a geyser that hit a glass ceiling ;-D  It is coming and going on the top side and the interior.  I love the way glass melts and catching it in the act gives a most satisfying feeling of movement, something I’ve long been trying to imbue into my work.

Ohio Cooperative Living

The November 2019 issue of Ohio Cooperative Living Magazine featured C McDonough Designs in their annual Holiday Gift Guide. A photo with a bird feeder, woodsprite and leaf baby represents the leafy line of pottery offered. Please click on store above left to see all of the pottery for sale from C McDonough Designs

bird feeder
Woodsprites
this one sold, more on the way

Open Studio Event

C McDonough Designs Studio will be holding an Open Studio event as part of National Clay Week. Saturday October 12 from 11 am to 5 pm. The studio will be open for people to walk through, all pottery is for sale and a Raku firing demonstration will be going on outside. We’ll be firing pieces made by several local students plus some of Carol’s Raku ware.

Raku fired vase

Take a ride in the country during peak leaf peeping time and checkout some of the amazing art being made in your area. Shop local and get a jump on your holiday gift list. Click on store in the upper left corner to see what’s available.

Raku kiln firing at night

The open studio was a great success!

we had beautiful weather for the firing
my students were happy with their creations, so was I!

I got a prize!!

As a member of the Parkersburg Art Center I entered their annual member show “BowWowMeow”.   I took in one of my cat food dishes and surprise surprise! I got a prize!!

The Stakeout, who will get the drop?

it’s porcelain and perfectly fine for people too

This dish is a little larger than my usual 4-5″ diameter.  It was made as part of a special order from a cat owner who’s cat Stewie’s whiskers were bothered by the rim of a regular dish.  I made three larger, shallower dishes for Stewie (I always make extras) and he got two.  A portrait dish and a “Hittin the Sushi Bar”.

Stewie’s special order

I have a line of cat dishes with 14 hilarious drawings of cats.  I have been hosting cats for most of my life and find them very aMUSEing .  Click on store at the top of this page to see more…

Best of 2019

I was accepted into Ohio Designer Craftsmen’s annual juried show this year. My sculpture “Blue Wave” will be on display at the Ohio Craft Museum in Columbus, Ohio from May 5, through July 28, 2019. The show then travels to Springfield, Ohio from September 20 through December 15, 2019. Pictures below. This piece is made of slumped glass and clay with some resin embellishments. I have made some ceramic molds to create the glass shapes.

the glass starts from a lightning bolt
it flows down to the ground

Women of Appalachia Project 2018-19

It’s time again for the Women of Appalachia Project, a special show that is run by and for women in the Appalachian region.  It brings together visual artists and poets in a traveling art show and poetry readings.  Here are pictures of my entries.

Flower/Vase
slumped glass

Untitled
glass and clay

BROKEN WATER
clay,glass,stone,shell

Go to womenofappalachia.com for a full listing of events.

 

Riverside Artists Gallery “Poetry in Art 2018”

The Riverside Artists Gallery is putting on a show!  The opening is August 25 from 6-9pm.  Poets will read their poems and then a visual artist will talk about the artwork created to bring that poem alive.

The poem that inspired me is “Myself” by Debby Mullins

“I hear a noise in the distant night of a hound that seems to cry.  ‘What’s wrong ole dog?’  I asked myself, but myself didn’t say why.

Myself is far in the future and always has somewhere to go.  But as for me, I know nothing, my mind is just ‘to and fro’.

So like the ole dog I hear howling in the dark and distant night.  My mind is not at ease and myself just isn’t right.”

Here are pictures of the sculpture I made, the scary trees represent the dark and distant night or the past.  The white piece in front with tiny barefoot footprints the future and new hope/ideas. As myself and ole dog make their way down the path.

Can you find what’s just not right?

 

The River Exhibition

Here are some pictures of two sculptures that were juried into “The River” exhibition at the Parkersburg Art Center PAC. The opening will be on Sunday July 22, 2018 from 1:30-3:30pm.

BROKEN WATER view 1 note the falling water

BROKEN WATER view 2

BROKEN WATER detail

IN THE CURRENT

IN THE CURRENT

IN THE CURRENT detail

 

These are mixed media, slumped glass  and ceramic with added shells and stones.  And glue.