"Abstract Time Menorah"

Janine Sopp

"I view both life and art as layers of texture and color."

Ceramic artist Janine Sopp creates one-of-a-kind pieces and collections in her studio in Brooklyn, NY. She spent the first seven years of her career designing clothing and textiles. With this rich and varied experience, she traveled across Europe and Morocco, where she uncovered her deeper artistic desire of molding clay. The artist favors clay because it is a responsive medium that indulges her passion for texture and color.

As Sopp rolls out each slab of clay, she begins a dialog with the material. The clay speaks to her, telling her what to draw, where to stamp and mark and roll across its surface. Textures and patterns tell a story and whisk the artist on a journey of discovery, sometimes in molded forms, sometimes on flat surfaces with markings like a map. Once the clay has dried, Sopp paints on layers of color to reveal a dance between shapes and images. The final steps, a dark pigment wash and satin finish, complete the journey, giving dimension to each element and inviting the viewer to follow along.

Please click here to see Sopp's collaborative work with artist Barbara Galazzo.