Memorial Day Weekend Links To Military Inspired Design, Art and Objects.

Over the past few years I have written various posts related to Military and Memorial Day objects and art. Each post is an in-depth look at something inspired by those who serve, dedication and bravery.

From simple and fun jewelry and housewares to a custom porcelain Soldier chandelier for highly secure Military bases and provocative fine art, here are links to each of the eight posts in honor of this Memorial Day Weekend.

•The American Flag Made of Toy Soldiers, Sneakers, Legos, Eyeglasses & More.


•Saluting Design: An Army Of Military-Inspired Products & Modern Art.


•'Made In China' Is A Soldier's Portrait Created With Over 5500 Plastic Toy Soldiers.


•Capturing Toy Soldiers With Mini Blue Helmets All Over The World.


•30 Pieces of Poignant and Uncensored Art by U.S. Veterans of War.


•Pride of Soldiers, A Scabetti Sculpture in A Highly Secure Military Location.


•Army Men Jewelry from Knight&Hammer Benefits the Military Order of the Purple Heart.


•Casualties Of War: Provocative and Compelling Versions of Plastic Toy Soldiers.


God Bless All Those Who Have and Are Bravely Serving Our Country. Happy Memorial Day.

The Classic Honeybear In Art and Design. 40 Awesome Items Inspired by The Bear-Shaped Honey Dispensers.

The classic Bear-shaped honey dispenser which has simply become known as a "honeybear" reportedly dates back to 1957 when Ralph Gamber, future president of the Dutch Gold Honey company, reasoned that "a bear likes honey, why not a bear of honey?"

The FACETURE Machine and the Unusual Molded Vases, Lamps and End Tables by Phil Cuttence.

The FACETURE series by Phil Cuttance consists of handmade faceted vessels, lightshades and an end table. Each object is produced individually by casting a water-based resin into a simple handmade mould. The mould is then manually manipulated to create the each object's form before each casting, making every piece utterly unique.

The FACETURE machine, 2012.


The FACETURE machine's construction is simple and purposeful, screwed together to allow it to be flat-packed for shipping. Wheels make the machine portable within a working space.





The shelving beneath provides storage for freshly cast pieces, and room for the casting stool to be stored.



The ‘hopper’ holding the powder is made simply from polypropylene sheet, in the same way as the moulds.



The casting jig at the back of the machine is simple and allows the artist to peer into the mould and control the flow of the fast setting resin. This means it is being cast evenly and economically, leaving a thin yet strong wall thickness. It can be attached at two different widths to accommodate different sized moulds, such as vases or a table.


The FACETURE project was created with the support of Creative New Zealand.

FACETURE lightshades, 2012


Each lightshade is handmade, unique, and numbered on the top. They measure approximately 32cm deep x 19cm diameter and are available in blue, charcoal, pink, yellow. Custom colours are also available.

Faceture light shades must be used with a CFL/ECO bulb with a maximum wattage of 25W. (A 25W CFL bulb emits the equivalent light to a 100W incandescent bulb.) To protect your shade do not exceed this.

FACETURE vases, 2012

Each vase is handmade, unique, available in two sizes and numbered on the base.



Available in two sizes; tall - 46 x 12 cm approx. and small - 35 x 8 cm approx
Standard colours - Charcoal, blue, yellow, pink, white. Custom colours available.

FACETURE side tables, 2012

Each table is handmade, unique, and numbered on the base.

above left is the mould in which the table on the above right was cast



The tables measure approximately 56cm tall x 28cm diameter and are available in blue, charcoal, pink, yellow as per vases and light shades. Custom colours are also available.

images by Petr Krejci and Phil Cuttance

FACETURE 'wide' vase for MINT shop, 2012, on sale now at MINT

The 'wide' faceture vase, shown above, is exclusively available through the MINT store in London and retails for £375.



email mail@philcuttance.com for pricing and to order.
Click here for a list of stockists

The Beautiful Vases, Dogs and Cats of Gary Steinborn and his Venice Clay Studio.

The Venice Clay Studio features the talented ceramic crafts of Los Angeles born artist Gary Steinborn. Inspired by the work of arts and craft factories such as Grueby, Pewabic, Teco and Rookwood, his sculpted animals and artful vases are sensual, modern and appealing. The figurines and tabletop objects combine a zen sensibility with arts and crafts design. Very reasonably priced, any of these pieces make wonderful gifts for others or yourself.




Artfully sculpted Buddha Cats, Buddha Dogs, Polar Bears, Elephants, Pet Urns, Dog and Puppies, Cat and Kittens, incense burners and more come in various sizes and your choice of 24 matte glazes. The sizes range from little puppies and kittens a few inches high up to sculptures and vases thirteen inches tall.

The Dogs:





Buddha Dogs:

The Cats:





Buddha Cats and Incense Burners:



Polar Bears and Elephants:


Dog and Cat Vases:


Dog and Cat Urns:



The Bella Vase ceramics are colorful vases with elegant silhouettes that would be a stunning complement to any interior. Venice Clay studio has several different styles and sizes, all of which are beautiful and some of which are shown below.

Vases:







The Glazes:
All of the artwork is available in 24 matt glaze colors. In addition, the figurines are available in celadon and white crackle finishes:



About the artist:


About Gary Steinborn, in his own words:
"I had my first studio over thirty years ago on the front porch of my family's California bungalow home. Working there on a homemade potter's wheel and sculpting clay by hand when I was a teenager started the journey that led me to a Masters Degree in Art from UCLA.



Growing up in Los Angeles I was exposed multi-cultural influences and all kinds of art. In my work I try to synthesize influences ranging from the heritage of the American crafts movement to funk and pop art. All the pieces I offer at Venice Clay are my original designs. My goal is to produce ceramics that is immaculately crafted, intelligent and humorous - suitable for anything from a modernist to craftsman style homes or personal Zen retreat. "

The Venice Clay Web Site features Venice Clay figurines and Bella Vase ceramics and allows collectors and distributors of Gary Steinborn's artwork to view the entire collection of items and colors available for purchase.

All the figurines and artworks you see in this post are copyrighted designs by Gary and Venice Clay Studio an the images have been used with their permission.