Tara Sood

This piece is available through the Academy of Art University (AAU) Faculty and Alumni Auction. The auction pieces can be bid for online or in person. To register and bid for this painting (or others) please visit this AAU website: https://auction.academyart.edu/ If you are in San Francisco, the auction will be held at the Cannery, San Francisco, CA on November 9th.

Akashi san is an installment into the Japanese Potter Series that I started while in Japan and for my thesis. As I finished my schooling and received my degree I have continued this project as there is more to paint depicting the potters as they work at the different parts of their process to produce the beautiful and unique vessels one can find in Japan. Akashi san is a potter I had the privilege to meet in mainland Japan. Many of his tools are handmade by him to produce unique and natural results, such as harvested rice plants tied into a brush. He fires with his personal noborigama using copper, iron and cobalt and producing exciting, unpredictable, and exquisite results. This piece is available through the Academy of Art University (AAU) Faculty and Alumni Auction. The auction pieces can be bid for online or in person. To register and bid for this painting (or others) please visit this AAU website: https://auction.academyart.edu/ If you are in San Francisco, the auction will be held at the Cannery, San Francisco, CA on November 9th.

'Becoming' is one of the beginning sketches towards my new series called Mother/Daughter. As I paint, I am exploring the balance between an expressive brushstroke and completeness as I paint seeking to bring out the depth and psychology of the subject. This piece is framed beautifully and ready to hang. Please contact me for purchase.

Drying Clay (Junbi) is part of my Japanese Potters Collection. Some potters in Japan still dig clay from their land, prepare it through washing and drying to the correct consistency in their yards. Here one of the workers is preparing clay needed quickly. The vats are used to wash the clay and drain the water. The clay is normally scooped by hand to dry further to usable consistency on the table of roof tiles. This piece is available for purchase from the artist. Please contact Tara via e-mail: art@tarasood.com or phone: (760)685-5560

Fire Check is part of my Japanese Potters Collection. This is one side of the large hill-climbing kiln (noborigama) that takes 4 days straight to fire! Staff work both sides of the kiln adding wood as needed to keep the temperature and atmosphere correct to get the best results in the fired pots. Opening the kiln is always a surprise though when firing this method. This piece is available through the artist. Please contact me for further information: art@tarasood.com

A plein air piece done when I caught sight of a hawk nearby my painting of the golden finches. This piece is currently in the Art and Nature show through the Laguna Plein Air Painters Association. It is available online through this website: dailybrushwork.com/detail.aspx?GIID=24176&GSID=8131&pg=6&#x To see the whole show see this website: https://lpapa.org/art-nature-2019/

Saora Painting is a piece from my Japanese Potters Collection. The decoration of the pots in the factories (kojo) come after all the staff finished throwing and forming the raw clay. These pots are being painted as 'testers' for the kiln. Ash, ground rock found in the yard, or imported minerals are used as the glazes and paint. This piece is available for purchase through the artist. Please contact Tara through e-mail art@tarasood.com or phone: (760)685-5560

Through the series, the Japanese Potter, I seek to paint the process the potters take in Japan as they bring their vessels from raw materials to finished beauties. The Peach Hat features three of the staff in one of the factories processing raw dirt/clay into washed and pressed clay ready to be molded and formed. In some of the factories (kojo) in Japan, the the clay is still dug from their land as it is in this painting. Having spent 6 years living in Japan, it was and still is a great honor to meet these artisans and paint them doing their work. This piece is available through the Academy of Art University's Faculty and Alumni Auction taking place on November 9th through the Cannery in San Francisco. If you cannot make it to the auction you can register to bid online and make bids online through the website: https://auction.academyart.edu/

A recent plein air piece of some very busy finches. Finished in the studio. This is currently accepted into the 6x6 inch squared show through the Randy Higbee Gallery. Please contact the Randy Higbee Gallery for purchase: www.randyhigbeegallery.com or phone: (714) 546-2156

A plein air piece completed in the studio. Southern California summers can be hot but hanging out by the lakes and ocean give welcome breezes and cool wet atmospheres. This piece was accepted into the 6x6 inch squared show at the Randy Higbee Gallery. Please contact the Randy Higbee Gallery for purchase: www.randyhigbeegallery.com or phone: (714) 546-2156