Influences (Resume below)
Ted Okell creates figurative ceramic scupture and installations. A Northern California native, he resides in the Pacific Northwest.
Travels to sites in Iceland and England visiting Megalithic historic sites (Stonehenge, Avebury, Silbury Hill) have influenced his art. Archaeological fragments, eroded surfaces and the artifacts of various cultures (Neolithic, Egyptian, Cycladic) inform his sculpture and visual style.
By taking advantage of the natural expressive qualities of the plastic clay and how it changes during the drying process, he models figures that express an ancient time and of mysterious origin.
Ted has taught at the University of Oregon and the College of the Redwoods and has taught various workshops at colleges and art centers.
He recently began making documentary films after completing a digital media degree in video production. His first major production (with Jete-Miro Productions) Great White Encounter: The Scott Stephens Story was completed in June 2013 and was shown to the local surfing community. It was accepted to various film festivals. View the trailer in my Links Section. Our next film project was High Water Mark: Stories from the '64 Flood, which was released as a feature-length documentary in Spring 2015. I've also been crew and producer for several other films.
2022 update:
Completed a 2-Week Artist Residency at the Morris Graves Foundation Residency program at the Lake studio in Loleta, CA.
Projects included drawings and a visual nature journal exploring the unique lake environment. A series of drawings was begun about the experiments called The Sounding.
New Projects: include experimental music soundscapes made from my field recordings and ambient music to be used in upcoming gallery installations.
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Classes/Workshops: Ceramics, Figure Sculpture, Basic Design, Mold Making, Portrait Sculpture, Multiples in Installation, Drawing.
Artist Mentors/Teachers worked with: Louis Marak, Sana Krusoe, George Kokis, Keith Schneider, Kevin Myers, Jim Crawford, Leslie Price, Lydia Matthews, Ron Johnson, Paul Buckner, Laura Alpert, Dora Natella, Richard Notkin, Michael Lucero, Don Reitz, to name a few.
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RESUME
EDUCATION
AS Digital Media College of the Redwoods, 2012
MFA Ceramics University of Oregon
BA Studio Art Humboldt State University.
SELECTED GROUP EXHIBITIONS
2022 Film/Audio project: Documents of Humboldt Bay Refuge, Loleta, CA (ongoing project)
2020 Albacore: Tale of a Fish (Assoc. Producer, music) Documentary Film, Eureka, CA
2019 Going with the Grain (Assoc. Producer) Documentary Film, Eureka Theatre, CA
2017 HSU Third Street Gallery Invitational, Eureka, CA
2016 High Water Mark (Exec. Producer, Crew) Documentary premiere, Arcata Theatre Lounge, CA.
2014 Big Ideas: Influences in Modern Ceramics, Sebastopol Center for the Arts, Sebastopol, CA.
2014 Holiday Show (group show) First Street Gallery, Eureka, CA.
2014 California Clay Competition, Juried Exhibition, The Artery, Davis, CA.
2013 Great White Encounter (documentary film) Arcata Theatre Lounge, CA.
2011 The Sketchbook Project: US tour, perm. collection, Brooklyn Library, NY
2009 Alienation: A Creation Myth. Sculpture at The Garden Gate. Arcata, CA
2009 California Clay Competition, Juried Exhibition, The Artery, Davis, CA.
2008 RAA 50th Spring Exhibition. Morris Graves Museum of Art. Eureka, CA.
2007 Ink People Artist’s Challenge. Ink People Gallery. Eureka, CA.
2007 RAA 49th Annual Fall Exhibition. Old Town, Eureka, CA.
2002 Multiple Personalities. Humboldt State University. Arcata, CA.
2001 Gegnome Project Invitational. Billick Rock Art Studio. Davis, CA.
2000 Teapot Invitational. William Cody Gallery. Eureka, CA.
1999 Artists on the Edge. Mendocino Art Center. Mendocino, CA.
1998 Family Portrait Show. Fir Room. University of Oregon. Eugene, OR.
1997 University of Oregon Faculty Exhibition. Omni Gallery. Portland, OR.
1997 Shapeshifting. University of Oregon Museum of Art. Eugene, OR.
1997 Ceramic Graduate Show. LVK Gallery. University of Oregon. Eugene, OR.
1996 Annual Graduate Show. LVK Gallery. University of Oregon. Eugene, OR.
1996 Reconstructions. L. K. Gallery. University of Oregon. Eugene, OR.
1996 Annual Mayor’s Art Show. Hult Center. Eugene, OR.
1996 The Pyramid at 4 am. L. K. Gallery. University of Oregon. Eugene, OR.
1996 Celtic Show LVK Gallery. University of Oregon. Eugene, OR.
1995 Annual Graduate Show. L. K. Gallery. University of Oregon. Eugene, OR.
1995 Annual Mayor’s Art Show. Hult Center. Eugene, OR.
1995 Art and the Vineyard. Alton Baker Park. Eugene, OR.
1995 Objects of Desire L. K. Gallery. University of Oregon. Eugene, OR.
1995 Breathing Room L. K. Gallery. University of Oregon. Eugene, OR.
1995 A Modern Quest for Mindfulness. E.W. Gallery. Uof O Eugene, OR.
1994 Annual Graduate Show. L. K. Gallery. U of O Eugene, OR.
1994 Student Exhibition. R. Bullen Gallery. Humboldt State, Arcata, CA.
1994 Acquisition Exposition: Survey Competition. Cultural Center. Eureka, CA.
1992 Verdugo Hills Art Ass. Membership Show. Gallery in Motion. Glendale, CA.
1992 Artrageous. Campus Gallery. Glendale Community College. Glendale, CA.
1989 Monad, Multi-Media Collaboration. Humboldt State University. Arcata, CA.
1989 Summer Arts ‘89 Show. Reese Bullen Gallery. HSU, Arcata, CA.
1989 Annual Teapot Show. Foyer Gallery. HSU, Arcata, CA.
SOLO EXHIBITIONS
1998 Shapeshifters. Focus Gallery. Bush Barn Art Center. Salem, OR.
1997 Head Shots. Eugene Public Library. Eugene, OR.
1996 Hypothesis Testing. Eric Washburn Gallery. U of Oregon. Eugene, OR.
1995 Further Clues to An Unknown People. E.W Gallery. U of O. Eugene, OR.
1994 Just Under the Surface. Eric Washburn Gallery. U of O. Eugene, OR.
1989 Masks. Ambiance Gallery. Eureka, CA.
RESIDENCIES
2020 Morris Graves Foundation Artist Residency, The Lake, Loleta, CA.
1999 Visiting Professor of Art (9 month), University of Oregon, Eugene OR.
1998 Artist in Residence (9 month), Ceramics, Mendocino Art Center, Mendocino, CA.
1997 Visiting Artist (teaching Fall term) University of Oregon, Eugene OR.
TEACHING
2001 College of the Redwoods. Eureka, CA. Associate Faculty, Ceramics.
1999 University of Oregon. Eugene, OR. Visiting Assistant Professor.
1997 Hostage. Eric Washburn Gallery. U of O Eugene OR (Curator).
1998 Mendocino Art Center, CA. Artist in Residence. Instructor, Ceramics.
1997 University of Oregon. Eugene, OR. Visiting Assistant Professor of Art.
1997 U of O Craft Center. Eugene, OR. Instructor, Portrait Sculpture.
1997 U of O Craft Center. Eugene, OR. Instructor, Drawing.
1997 U of O Eugene, OR. Graduate Teaching Fellowship, Beg. /Int. Ceramics.
1996 U of O Eugene, OR. Graduate Teaching Fellowship, Kilns and Glaze Lab.
WORKSHOPS TAUGHT / LECTURES
2014 Heads and Faces. Mendocino Art Center. Mendocino, CA.
2001 Clay Multiples. Mendocino Art Center. Mendocino, CA.
1999 Raku Workshop University of Oregon. Eugene, OR.
1999 Figurative Ceramic Sculpture. Mendocino Art Center. Mendocino, CA.
1999 Portrait Sculpture. Mendocino Art Center. Mendocino, CA.
1998 Ceramic Mask Making. Mendocino Art Center. Mendocino, CA.
1997 Pit Firing. University of Oregon. Eugene, OR.
1997 Current Work, Artist’s Talk U of O Museum of Art. Eugene, OR (Lec).
WORKSHOPS ATTENDED
Lana Wilson, Handbuilt vessels/surfaces. University of Oregon. Eugene, OR.
Don Reitz, Large Scale Thrown Forms. University of Oregon. Eugene, OR.
Karen Massaro, Wheel Throwing, Surface Treatments. U of O Eugene, OR.
Richard Notkin, Mold Making U of O Eugene, OR.
Joe Bennion, Wheel Throwing. U of O Eugene, OR.
John Balistreri, Large Scale Ceramic Sculpture. U of O Eugene, OR.
William Daly, Clay Constructions. University of Oregon. Eugene, OR.
Kazutaka Uchida, Stone Carving. University of Oregon. Eugene, OR.
Michael Lucero /John Roloff, Permanent Site Sculpture, HSU, Arcata, CA.
MEDIA / PUBLICATIONS
2013 North Coast Journal, Not All About the Shark, Heidi Walter 3/07/13 (film project).
2013 Featured Artist. FASO.com, Carrie Turner 1/24/2013.
2011 The Sketchbook Project (book, perm. collection) Brooklyn, NY.
2009 The Artery, Davis: California Clay Competition (catalog).
1998 Oregon Daily Emerald, 1/30/98 University of Oregon.
1997 Oregon Daily Emerald, 5/2/97 University of Oregon.
1997 University of Oregon Museum of Art Publication, June 1997 “MFA ‘97” (Video).
1997 Avenue. Iss. 3, vol. 26, University of Oregon.
1996 Avenue. Iss. 2, Vol.25, University of Oregon.
1996 A&AA Review. Vol.14, No. 2, University of Oregon.
1994 A&AA Review. Fall Issue, University of Oregon.
1992 September. Davey Tree Publication. Urban Forest Mgmt. in Tacoma.
1992 Seattle Times 9/6/92 (Illustration, p.4).
1988 Audubon Magazine, “ Etcetera” feature, September Issue.
