© Susan Collett, "Cauldron" approx. 38" H

Each has his own happiness in his hands, as the artist handles the rude clay (s)he seeks to reshape it into a figure; yet it is the same with this art as with all others: only the capacity for it is innate; the art itself must be learned and painstakingly practiced. – Goethe

The two clay sculptures by talented Toronto-based artist, Susan Collett, evoke extremes of the same beautiful images for me:

Cauldron is reminiscent of the coral and conch shells strewn on Florida beaches, while Cluster awakens memories of oyster, scallop, and clam shells from more northern shores, such as Nantucket Island.

I have a penchant for a darker beauty (preferring black pearls and diamonds, black & white photographs and movies, nightscapes, and images of the underbelly of life), that which is swathed in mystery and thus relies more on the imagination.

© Susan Collett, "Cluster" approx. 30" H

One of Susan Collett’s clay sculptures is now in the collection Severes Porcelain Museum, Paris. See her website for more views of her truly original work – clay, copper, prints, and installations.