Potters for Peace

Remember that article about clay filters? The organization Potters for Peace assist in the production of ceramic water purifiers around the world. The organization is part of the World Health Organization and teaches people in developing worlds how to create these simple clay water purifiers. Like the old saying goes, give a man a fish and he'll eat for one day. Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime...by spreading the knowledge of these water purifiers, we are one step closer to having clean, drinkable water worldwide.

We need a new cover designer

Hey there,
First of all, I would like to thank Teddy Soegiarto for working with Pieces for over a year. His wonderful skills have given us at Pieces beautiful cover designs. We hope that he is successful with his clothing line business.

We are now searching for graphic designers...you have a lot of flexibility, creative input and you'll be working for a great upstart 'zine. If interested, please contact me at jasmine at pieces-zine.com

Thanks!

Clay issue

Hey there, the clay issue is out! Enjoy!

Cool feather ring

If you're looking to stand out in the crowd with a bit of elegance, then this feather ring is for you. Handmade with sterling silver and a guinea hen feather, this ring will surely stun the crowd and even make these socialites jealous of your style. With this ring you won't need any other accessories, just wear it and enjoy having all eyes on you. You can pick it up at etsy

Sonia Wentser, Master Painter with Feathers

Painters are always looking to create the ultimate masterpiece. Many experiment with oil paint or water-color, but very few use organic materials to imitate paint strokes. Sonia Wentser, however, took a cue from the Chinese and Pre-Columbian civilizations and used feathers, in lieu of paint, to create her background. Born in 1920s in Russia, Sonia grew up during the rough times of WWII, though her and her husband were able to avoid much entanglement by moving to Brussels and eventually emigrating to Canada. While Sonia had always been an artist she didn't create her first feather painting until 1960, entitled "The Fire Bird". From that first painting til now, she has created over 200 works of art, three of of which are kept at the Musée d'Art Contemporain of Montreal.


This technique is much more than just gluing feathers to the background. As canvas the artist uses a thin wooden board covered with fabric. Not only does the artist have to precisely place feathers on the canvas to create the background, they also have to understand the structure of the feather. Because of their tri-dimensional structure, feathers have their own way of reflecting light and of course the various shapes and sizes adds to the complexity of the painting. Without oil paint or water-color, the artists have to create the effect of paintbrush strokes with feathers. Sonia Wentser still resides in Canada and has a book scheduled for release on these feather paintings.

images copyright Sonia Wentser