Marine pollution is an exponentially growing problem. This goddess/monster is a large public sculpture commissioned by the Trondheim Municipality’s Climate and Environment Unit (Klima- og miljøenhet) and launched in September 2024 with city officials and political leaders.
The 3-meter tall sculpture anthropomorphizes the water itself, using trash collected from the local ocean water and the Nidelva river. GYGA is a shortening of the word Margyge, an evil mermaid from Norrønsk mythology. My version has two faces, one benevolent and one that shows a sorrowful rage. Water can either support or destroy us and we can benefit by remembering that. GYGA, a creature made of our own refuse, rises out of the water to reflect a small bit of our consumption and entitlement back to us.
The sculpture uses a wide variety of techniques that include welding, cable weaving, bolting, etc. The marine trash was left intact as much as it suited the piece. It incorporates many symbolic references to artistic and cultural archetypes to reflect humanity’s concerns for the health of our waters.
It is located near the entrance to Dokkhuset at Solsiden, and will remain in place until September 2025.
(Summer overview photos by Rune Sumstad)
‘Fiskulf’ is a stained glass fish made from bottles found in the ocean. The bottles wash up on the shore of Norway and have clearly traveled across the entire ocean.
The sculpture is about 80cm long and constructed with a modified Tiffany stained glass technique. It is a strong showpiece and has been viewed in many exhibits since early 2024.
His name came from a 7-year old who walked by as I was photographing him on the beach.
Please contact me if you wish to discuss purchasing this piece or one like it with marine trash from you local waters.
TIME is an artistic series that is combines textures from nature.
TIME Natural compositions are made using impressions from natural items only. Each composition is absolutely unique—tiles can never be replicated, and their combinations are endless.
Impressions are made using many aspects of nature including:
• Arboreal: Items from the forest: leaves, flowers, grasses, pine cones, bark, etc.
• Glacial: Frost and ice form in very specific conditions. Martha has devised a technique to capture its exquisite detail and beauty as the patterns grow.
• Coastal: Items from the ocean: shells, seaweed, stones, etc.
• Aerial: Items from the air: found feathers from falcons, eagles and ravens, abandoned or fallen birds' nests, etc.
• Gradual: Items from aspects of deep time: dinosaur fossils purchased from museums, ancient geological stones, chalks, etc.
All items are gathered respectfully, sustainably and leave no trace.
Raku is an ancient low-firing technique that engages all four elements: earth, fire, water and air. Making ceramics with raku embraces spontaneity like no other technique can, and the results are gloriously unpredictable. The pieces shown here were all made simultaneously and exemplify the diversity of results. They shimmer with slight hints of metallic glaze—a result of the firing process itself.
Diameter of large plate: approx. 30cm/12in
Glass, like any material, comes in a vast variety of forms and uses. My new direction involves creating pieces and portraits with formed glass.
These are examples of “Lace” and they are only the beginning… there is MUCH more to come!
This piece is made from upcycled bottles that were recovered from Mausund Feltstasjon on the very western coast of Norway. See https://eider.no
The nautili were recently featured in the exhibition ‘Ocean Exploration—Aftermath of Humanity’, a themed exhibit on ocean trash. It is powerful and important… let’s change this!
Creating beautiful shadow effects, this bowl is stronger and more durable than it appears. Even still, when minor edge chips occur, they are welcomed (see “wabi-sabi” in Philosophy) to make this bowl seem alive.
Diameter: approx. 30cm/12in
Neptune’s Tear is an upcycled glass sculpture made from bottles that have washed up on Norway’s shores. I use a modified Tiffany technique to adhere the pieces to each other. Copper foil and wire serve as structural strengtheners as well as accents.
This dynamic glass piece includes a swinging tear.
It is clear why Neptune is crying.
Shallow stoneware plates with strong colors. Soft transitions make them beautiful regardless. These plates rise about 1 cm off the surface at the corners and edges. They are great for use in any room, or wall-mounted, either individually or in combination.
Sizes vary.
This senryu poem is an example from Martha’s first published poetry book, The Glass Tree.
For more, please visit Forest Poetry
When ocean textures meet clay…
It’s a good thing that I love winter… the colours are incredible.
So are the ice impressions ;-)
These are personalized impressions that will last (almost) forever. Because text and drawings can be transposed, the opportunities are endless.
Gouache is an incredible paint… it behaves like watercolour yet is opaque. This piece has sprayed highlights by my son, aged 14.
See more
Thank you to Norli and Akademika Bookseller in Trondheim who currently sells Martha’s first published poetry book, The Glass Tree. Pleas support indie booksellers!
For more, please visit Forest Poetry
With naturally-sculpted river wood…
Dramatic and fun, this design creates a unique statement. Bold calligraphy surprises on the reverse side.
Diameter: approx. 38cm/15in
This senryu poem is an example from Martha’s first published poetry book, The Glass Tree.
For more, please visit Forest Poetry
I enjoy inviting children to illustrate this minimalistic poem. It contains a story to which they can relate. It challenges them to render an abstract yet known object. Children take risks and create strong drawings and even poems, inspired by this small one.
Illustration from top to bottom:
1. AS, 1st grade USA
2. N.O. 9th grade, Netherlands
This paper-thin porcelain plate is intended for wall mounting. It is detailed with subtle, asymmetrical, indented porcelain drops inspired by ice patterns. Minor edge chips may occur (see “wabi-sabi in Philosophy) and this is welcomed as part of the life of the work.
Diameter: approximately 46cm/18in
Raku can be bright too
This raku clay basket was made after a deeply inspirational visit to the Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian, Washington D.C.
https://americanindian.si.edu
This senryu poem is an example from Martha’s first published poetry book, The Glass Tree.
For more, please visit Forest Poetry
Beautiful dark hues give very subtle contrast to the terracotta underneath. The delicate torn edge gives a natural yet elegant impression.
Diameter: approx. 46cm/18in
The Green Man is an ancient anthropomorphic symbol of the forest and humankind’s interaction with it. I am deeply fascinated by this eternal motif.
I use a renegade copper foil technique that sometimes defies gravity. The pieces are structurally sound despite their airy assembly.
This plate is in the TIME Icicle series and is very large: 80x26 cm. It is about 1 cm thick. The clay is rolled out, sprayed and allowed to freeze under very specific temperature and humidity conditions. There can be absolutely no wind. But it is tricky: only the surface water can freeze and not the clay itself.
These conditions do not happen often! Then the plate must be dried (leather hard) transferred to the kiln and bisqued. Hopefully it withstands the tension and forces as the kiln heats unevenly.
Plates of this size, using this technique, rarely survive all of the steps involved. It’s fun when one does!
TIME Cathedral uses impressions made with materials from the stunning, 1000+ year old Nidaros Cathedral in Trondheim, Norway. Martha uses genuine carved artefacts from the church itself, representing its different epochs. Three artefacts are on generous loan from the Nidaros Cathedral Restoration Workshop, the entity that maintains the church’s internal and external structure. These artefacts are on generous loan from the Nidarosdomen Cathedral Restoration Workshop, the entity that maintains the church’s internal and external structure. The pieces that Martha currently uses include two hand-carved decorations: one from between 1830-1850, and one exquisite piece from the medieval period (ca. 1300’s).
Time Cathedral also includes artistic impressions of the Nidaros Cathedral’s surrounding nature that can include dried grasses, found feathers, bark that has fallen from trees, autumnal leaves, twigs, etc. Martha harvests only environmentally sustainable items that have been discarded naturally.
Martha gently rolls the chosen objects into the soft clay to make impressions. Irreplaceable artefacts such as those from the Nidaros Cathedral remain completely unharmed. Colour is achieved by use of oxides which bond chemically with the clay. The tiles will not fade and variations in colour are intentional.
Some tile compositions are made with removable tiles so that they can be rearranged at will. Enjoy making new combinations!
These compositions are available exclusively at the Gift Boutique located next to the cathedral.
Soft, sepia hues highlight the delicate texture on the front of this plate while the bold, brush calligraphy offers a refreshing surprise on the reverse. Torn edges enhance the overall textural impression.
Diameter: approx. 38cm/15in
These pieces combine ceramics with naturally-aged wood and create stunning effects. The wood is gathered respectfully and sustainably from many places in Norway including:
1. Drowned farms
Some Norwegian farms are abandoned because their location is in the way of hydroelectric priorities—the families are always relocated and supported. Occasionally, the dams near the abandoned farms are closed so that the when the water drains, the farm reemerges from the depths. The wood from these farms is otherwise unattainable. Incredible histories and ceramics combine in very unique ways.
2. Riverwood
Driftwood that has been naturally honed by a river can take on extraordinary shapes and silvery sheens. The polished branches are gathered sustainably where they pile up naturally in eddy bays on the Skjåk river in central Norway. Some branches are obviously hewn by beavers, but floated downstream. The combination of this special wood with ceramics is a marriage made in heaven.
3. Sunburned wood
South-facing panels in Norway become almost caramelized in the long summer days, often taking decades to do so. The materials complement each other exquisitely and result in dazzling wall hangings.
When ocean textures meet clay…
The term ‘naked raku’ describes the technique, not the creator! This is a simple yet effective way to create striking pieces with high contrast.
This haiku poem is an example from Martha’s first published poetry book, The Glass Tree.
For more, please visit Forest Poetry
I love the subtle colours and textures in this one…
Genius loci means ‘spirit of the place’, and although they are attributed to ancient Rome, they have been used for millennia by many cultures on every continent. Most often seen near doorways, they guard what is widely considered to be the most vulnerable part of a home. Intentional crackling, subtle transparent glazing, and spot coloration highlight the natural variations of the clay base. Stoneware, porcelain, or terracotta.
Size maximum 10cm/4in tall
Also in TIME Icicle series, this plate is a manageable size: 34x20cm. Ice will always enchant me!
This haiku poem is an example from Martha’s first published poetry book, The Glass Tree.
For more, please visit Forest Poetry
Horsehair can be singed and fused onto any type of clay surface, resulting in a linear design that is simultaneously muted, blurred, and crisp. It works best in raku.
This technique was taught to me by a Navajo ceramicist in New Mexico, USA. Long, tail strands work best, and not very much is needed.
Diameter: approx. 20cm/8in
Intended for wall mounting or under table glass, tiled panels continue to delight and intrigue, even decades later. Grids can be either symmetrical or asymmetrical.
• Fixed or rearrangeable tiles
• Single or paired
• Colors will not fade
• No two will ever be alike
• Framed in oak
As it freezes, moisture can make astonishing patterns that Martha has learned to harness when conditions are right. No one does it better than Mother Nature and Jack Frost.
Things often do not go according to plan in raku. Very often, this can result in something that is surprisingly beautiful.
The key is to release the expectations of what it was “supposed” to be ;-)
This haiku poem is an example from Martha’s first published poetry book, The Glass Tree.
For more, please visit Forest Poetry
These open boxes are intentionally asymmetrical and add a dramatic, architectural flair to any room.
Size approx. 30cm/12in
Unique free form shapes. Torn edges.
Size: approx. 33cm/13in tall
The colours of nature never cease to amaze and delight me. They almost seek each other’s company.
This haiku poem is an example from Martha’s first published poetry book, The Glass Tree.
For more, please visit Forest Poetry
This piece combines found, aged river wood with ceramics made by my son (aged 8). Many children have an inherent understanding of form, colour and texture and approach art with abandon. My research shows that until about ages 8-9, children approach their art-making in a completely non-judgmental way. Children teach me something every time I work with them.
This piece brightens up any room and serves to remind me of the power of children to be creative.
This senryu poem is an example from Martha’s first published poetry book, The Glass Tree.
For more, please visit Forest Poetry
This type of raku technique uses a solvent on the bisqued clay to create the tints. Items are then wrapped in newspaper and pit-fired en masse to create wonderful effects and soft colours.
This haiku poem is an example from Martha’s first published poetry book, The Glass Tree.
For more, please visit Forest Poetry
These tiles are 10x10cm.
This senryu poem is an example from Martha’s first published poetry book, The Glass Tree.
For more, please visit Forest Poetry
We can hear it
…if we listen very carefully
Is it possible to receive a better compliment?
