Kathy Pepicello
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- Last Updated: Monday, 12 May 2014 17:30
Kathy Pepicello
It is a rare occurance for a studio owner to have a Manager that can run the studio the way you would and be a fabulous artist. Well, Marcy Freed at Marcy's Clayground in Powell, OH has that gem of an employee in Kathy Pepicello. I was visiting Marcy and was blown away with the custom portrait work. As you can see by the photo's Ms. Pepicello has a remarkable touch and captures the subject. I was amazed at how much life and depth there is just using Mayco's Stroke & Coat - SC-15 Tuxedo, so I had to find out more about this fabulous artist.
Mayco: What is your background?
Kathy: I've always been creative, started doing portraits shortly after my second child was born but it was just a hobby. when my oldest child was considering her college major I heard myself telling her to go for what she enjoyed and felt passionate about. I decided to take my own advice and went back to school the next year. Four years later I found myself with a BFA in painting from the Columbus College of Art & Design.
Mayco: Your work is mainly done in B&W. What draws you to B&W images?
Kathy: My oil paintings are conceptual, abstract and brightly colored - the portraits are the exact opposite - I like the contrast. I do occasionally add color to a portrait but selectively, a pink ribbon, a red santa hat, etc. The end result looks more like a hand-colored photograph.
Mayco: How did you get into ceramics?
Kathy: After graduating, I started what I thought would be a short term stint in a pottery studio and ended up loving it. The more I experimented with the glazes, the more I learned and the more people asked me to paint custom projects. I've always enjoyed portraiture so I kept working with the glazes until I felt as confident with glaze as I did with watercolor or oil.
Mayco: I think portraits are very difficult. How do you ensure your work looks like the picture?
Kathy: I've done alot of portraits from life. That kind of observation teaches things that working from a photograph can't teach you. Now, working from a photograph is much easier. Still I have the occasional subject that gives me problems. Then I just stay with it, no matter how long it takes, until I'm satisfied. Sometimes leaving it for a few hours and then coming back with a fresh perspective helps. The final step is to have someone totally objective critique it (usually my husband - who has a great eye).
Mayco: There is so much fine detail to your portraits. What is your procedure and about how long does it take you to complete a portrait?
Kathy: A single subject on a 6" tile can take 6 to 8 hours. A bridal plate with two figures takes 16 to 20 hours. Detailed clothing, landscaping and intricate patterns, of course, add to that time. I start by getting a contour drawing transferred onto the ceramic (graphite on ceramic can repel glaze so I rarely draw directly on the bisque). I begin painting the darkest darks with SC15 full strength and then progress to lighter layers, diluting the paint as I go to achieve a wide range of values. The lightest lights are bare bisque.
Mayco: We have all had disasters, that's just the nature of ceramics. What was your worst disaster?
Kathy: I had a bridal platter break in the kiln (something I worked a whole weekend on). It's heartbreaking to open up the kiln and see hours of work gone and know you have to do it all over again. There's no way to tell if your bisque is flawed before you paint. Fortunately, out of hundreds of portraits, it's only happened twice.
Mayco: Is there anything else you think people would enjoy learning about your art?
Kathy: On the back of my business cards is this quote:
"A portrait affirms; it gives the gift of self to it’s subject. It says, “Yes, you are worth spending this time over, your story deserves to be told, you should be recorded for you will not pass this way again." I think about each person that I paint while I'm painting, I try to gain insight into their story and I believe that something inneffable is transferred in the process. And this, to me, is just as important as achieving a likeness.
For more information or to order a portrait her is Kathy's website: Kathy Pepicello, http://www.portraitsonceramic.com