Newark Academy Welcomes Artists Paul and Irene Aspell
Artists Paul and Irene Aspell will be showing a body of work at the David Teiger ’47 Gallery at Newark Academy from Oct. 11 - Nov. 25, 2019. The exhibit entitled, Plates and Prints, reflects the artistic collaboration between Paul’s ceramic work and Irene’s love of printmaking.
A potter for more than 30 years, Paul finds the process of working in clay to be evolutionary. “The inspiration that I receive from creating one piece is infused into the next,” he said. “I enjoy the process of making, as much as the finished product.” Using the natural world as his inspiration, Paul captures the essence of the earth in his plates and vessels. An oxide wash under a single, satin, white glaze creates surfaces that are simple and elegant, yet are wonderfully complex, upon closer inspection.
Paul’s education includes a B.A. in Art Education and an M.A. in Ceramics. Formally a resident of Peapack, New Jersey, he taught in the public school system for 14 years and then for 16 years at Newark Academy. When he retired from teaching in 2002, he and Irene moved to the Eastern Shore of Maryland.
Irene earned her B.F.A. in designer crafts. She is a practicing artist who supports herself as a floral designer and organic gardener. “With Paul’s help, I have been transferring linocut and other plated images onto clay,” says Irene. “These slab compositions are then fired and glazed with subtle colors that are more suggestive of nature rather than descriptive.” The same printing plates are used on paper as well, and these prints evolve into small still lives or collages that incorporate images of plants, trees and birds.
In addition to exhibiting, the Aspells will hold gallery talks with students at Newark Academy.
The Teiger Gallery is located in the center of the Elizabeth B. McGraw Arts Center on the campus of Newark Academy located in Livingston, New Jersey. The show will open with a reception on Friday, Oct. 11 at 3:00 p.m.
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