Betty Spindler Works Biography
BETTY SPINDLER
Contemporary California Ceramic Artist
California ceramic sculptor Betty Spindler specializes in recreating the fruits, vegetables and other familiar still life subjects commonly found around her kitchen. Whether presented as single objects or contained in bowls or platters, these joyful still lifes typically boast brilliant colors, highlighted by her use of glossy, clear glaze finishes. She produces the works in a range of sizes, from life-size to heroic. Their appeal is universal and her artwork is widely collected.
Working with special-mix clay, the artist hand-builds her pieces over newspaper armatures, pressing and smoothing the thick clay with her hands until she has achieved the desired shapes and textures. She then low-fires her bisque forms, and, following overglazing, returns them for a second firing to produce their high gloss finish. The spectacular brilliance of her colors comes from her blending of various hues, her use of complimentary colors within a piece, and her overglazing process which heightens the colors and creates their sensual sheen. All combined, the artworks virtually sing with color.
Betty Spindler says, “I find that people like to make up their own still lifes with my work, creating their own arrangements of fruits and vegetables on a platter or other artistic setting.” Her repertoire has expanded to include such subjects as platters of garnished crayfish and other feasts for the eye.
Betty Spindler – Curriculum
Education
1990 University of California, Santa Cruz, CA, Ceramics
1966 AA Cerro Coso Community College, Ridgecrest, CA, Ceramics and oil painting
Honors
1990 Kersage College, University of California, Santa Cruz Calendar
1984 Artisan Scholarship Winner
1982 Sacramento State Capital Community College Art Show Participant
Publications
1998 The Ceramic Design Book, A Gallery of Contemporary Design Work, Frank Lark
1997 Ceramic Monthly, September
Shows
2000 Food Fare 2000, Planned Parenthood, Santa Monica, CA
1999 Pacific Craft Show, Orange County Museum of Art, Newport Beach, CA
Ceramic Still Life, Sherry Frumkin Gallery, Santa Monica, CA
1998 SOFA Exposition in Chicago with Winfield Gallery, Carmel, CA
Appetite for Art, LACMA, Los Angeles, CA
Feast on Art, Orange County Museum of Art, Los Angeles, CA
Sherry Frumkin, Santa Monica, CA
Winfield Gallery, Carmel, CA
1997 SOFA Exposition in Chicago with Winfield Gallery, Carmel, CA
Ceramic Still Life: The Common Object, CCAC, Oakland, CA
Feast on Art, Orange County Museum of Art, Newport Beach, CA
A “Sense of Humor”, Millard Sheets Gallery, LA County Fair Complex, Pomona, CA
Prelude to the Season, Sacramento, CA
Introduction to a New Space, Michael Himovitz Gallery, Sacramento, CA
On the Small Side – On the Wild Side, Sherry Frumkin Gallery, Santa Monica, CA
1996 An Appetite for Art – An Evening of Art, Sex, Food, Video, LACMA, Los Angeles, CA
Sculpture to Hold, Stewart Kummer Gallery, Gualala, CA
Feast on Art, Laguna Art Museum, Laguna Beach, CA
1995 Prelude to the Arts, Business Volunteers for the Arts, Sacramento, CA
Artful Urnz, Michael Himovitz Gallery
1994 New Installations, The Sacramento Capital Club, Wells Fargo Building, Sacramento, CA
Introduction 1994, Michael Himovitz Gallery, Sacramento, CA
Directions of Clay, Davis Art Center
1992 Sylvia Winslow Gallery, 1992, Maturango Museum, Ridgecrest, CA
1991 East Wall, 1991, Cerro Coso Community College
1990 Senior Review, University of California, Santa Cruz
1988-90 Student Shows, University of California, Santa Cruz
1988 Differences Art Show, 1988, Los Angeles Art Center
1980-87 Student Shows, Cerro Coso Community College
