The Best of Patti Warashina : Her Wit and Wisdom As A Ceramic Artist (1991). My Interpretation Of Her Art Work

I became an instant fan of Patti Warashina. A native of Seattle, Washington, she gave clay sculpting a new level of beautiful artwork and unique masterpieces.

The towering ceramic woman named White Lightning is a a tall sculpture built from small segments. Patti bakes her art from small size kiln at low-fire. She glazes her artwork with beautiful colors that stick to the subject.

White Lightning looks glamorous on her heels, balancing an upside down wine glass on her left hand. Her right palm is holding a gold coin. She seems to be rushing to go somewhere. Leading a fast life while holding other things in place.

White Lightning looks poised and elegant. Her eyes resembles that of an Asian woman. Her height signifies power over others.

For me, it means a woman can reach high places while balancing her wealth, looks and social status.The act of balancing one's life itself is a hard task to do. There is no progress report that goes with it. If things falls into place as you expect them to be, there is joy and elation. A failure will mean otherwise. It is only the future that will spell if a woman did a good job or not.

But don't be deceived by White Lightning's enormity. She doesn't lead a single life to have achieved her stature. She is a mother too. At the back of her dress, there is a pair of baby legs sticking out.

Motherhood is an integral part of White Lightning. An opening on her dress means she is carrying her child where ever she goes. Taking out the dainty feet from where it should be will leave an empty feeling for her, a gaping hole of loneliness.

Sometimes motherhood propels a woman to push herself higher. It is an inspiration for many to work harder and achieve a better place for their children to inherit. You need to look what is behind a woman's success to understand her unlimited driving force.

There are many personal interpretations of this artwork. My personal opinion is that White Lightning became a living example of Patti Warashina's expression of becoming an achieved woman.

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