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This is an image of two young African American girls baking cookies in red and white aprons.

Inspiration from Patz Fowle

PHOTO ESSAY BY DAWN HUNTER AND DARCY PHELPS, 9-7-2022

During our most recent Lake City excursion, Darcy and I went to the Onward and Upward exhibition at the Jones-Carter Gallery. The show featured artwork by Patz Fowle (1954-2021) and Mike Fowle. We were taken and awe-struck by the artwork, which led to an impulse buy of Patz Fowle's whimsical and exquisite clay work Every Artist...Has a Story. The piece is comprised of hand sculpted stoneware, porcelain, oxides, underglaze, stains, and luster. The ceramic work contains references to famous works of art by artists like Dali, Picasso, and Munch, and seminal readings of Art History. The tactile surfaces rival the painted surface qualities of The Isenheim Altarpiece by Matthias Grünewald (1512–1516) and inspired Darcy's cookie bake off!

“It is good to love many things, for therein lies the true strength, and whosoever loves much performs much, and can accomplish much, and what is done in love is well done.”


― Vincent Van Gogh

Who was Patz Fowle?

Born 1954 Ringgold, Georgia

Died 2021

 

EDUCATION

Parsons School of Design, New York City, New York

Adelphi University, Garden City, New York

Savannah College of Art and Design, Savannah, Georgia

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Patz Fowle was renowned for her illustrative, handmade ceramic sculptures, which were glazed with bright low-fire colors. Her works often featured anthropomorphic animals, such as zoo animals taking a taxi or a fish walking to work with a briefcase.

She developed unique sculptural techniques, known as the "Patz Process Ceramic Technique," which were recognized by the American Ceramic Society and featured in art textbooks.

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In collaboration with her husband, Mike Fowle, she created large-scale metal public art sculptures.

This is an image of two young African American girls posing and eating cookies next to a Patz Fowle sculpture.
This is an image of three sugar cookies, one is a cat, one is an ice cream cone and one is round with a pink heart.
This is an image of Patz Fowle's work that feature Munch's "The Scream" and an elephant.
This is an image of two young African American girls posing next to a Patz Fowle artwork while eating sugar cookies.
This is a detail of Patz Fowle's work that features her signature and a self portrait on a miniature textbook.
This is an image of two young African American girls wearing red and white aprons.
This is an image of two young African American girls making sugar cookies while wearing red and white aprons.
This is an image of five sugar cookies with heavy frosting and googly eyes.
This is an image to two young African American girls frosting sugar cookies.

Patz Fowle's work inspires a cookie bake-off.

The best location for this artwork in our house? The kitchen table, of course. Our meal times are now rich with discussions about art, history, and Patz's work. There are so many layers of references in the artwork. What a wonderful gift for our home! The work served as inspiration for Darcy's and Eva's sleepover cookie bake-off this past weekend. The greatest challenge? The icing and cookie cutters could not translate the fine detail of the elephant.

All photos by Dawn Hunter, click on the photos to activate a slideshow.

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“I dream my painting and I paint my dream.”


― Vincent Willem van Gogh

Pat Fowle Public Collections

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  • American Museum of Ceramic Art, Pomona, California

  • Big Bleu Birdnanna, public art sculpture, commissioned by city of Florence, South Carolina

  • Dr. Ronald E. McNair Life History Center, Lake City, South Carolina

  • McLeod Regional Medical Center/ McLeod Family Medicine Center, Florence, South Carolina 

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Recipe: Sugar Cookies

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Ingredients:

  • 3 cups sifted flour

  • 2 teaspoons baking powder

  • 1/2 teaspoon salt

  • 2/3 cup shortening

  • 1 cup sugar

  • 2 eggs (well beaten)

  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

  • 1/4 cup of milk

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Directions:

  1. Mix and sift flour, baking powder, and salt.

  2. Cream shortening, add sugar slowly, and cream until fluffy.

  3. Stir in well-beaten eggs and vanilla extract.

  4. Add sifted dry ingredients with the milk.

  5. Blend well and chill.

  6. Roll 1/4 inch thick on a lightly floured board.

  7. Cut cookies into desired shapes.

  8. Bake at 375°F for 10-12 minutes.

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This is an image of two young African American girls posing in red and white aprons.
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