Tovari Designs

I am a former dancer now choreographing my dances on clay and canvas. After receiving a BFA from USF where I studied dance and art, an injury lead me to ceramics and painting  26 years ago. A few years ago I naturally transferred back to canvases, where my career began. I now combine  2D and 3D art and feel less restricted. 

I named Tovari after my two children Tova and Ari, my best work of art .Tova means Everything Good and Beautiful in Hebrew. 

I have been fortunate to create ceramic collections for such prestigious establishments like Bergdorf Goodman NY, Gumps SanFranciso, and Tovari for Kravet.

   My  studies take me all over the world, most recently learning the art of Kintsugi in Kyoto Japan from a Kintsugi master. Japan has a huge influence on my work.  I have been practicing Traditional Japanese Raku firing for 26 years and incorporate kintsugi concepts in my work.

Currently at Gardner Colby Gallery and Judith Liegeois Designs.

I have been featured in Florida Design Magazine, Gulfshore Life, Gulfshore Business.

I use many different mediums, such as clay, acrylics, watercolor, oils  and plaster. I believe that working in a single medium is restrictive to my artistic process. 

I started working with clay 26 years ago, with a heavy concentration on Raku firing. Raku is a Japanese method of firing clay that uses a more spiritual element of creating such as water, air, and fire. The concept of Raku incorporates the artist leaving his own impression on the clay and having no attachment to the uncontrollable outcome. My other clay body I use is painting and creating using functional earthenware clay. I love to cook and arrange Ikebana (Japanese flower arranging). I  Create  flower vessels, trays and objects to be the perfect canvas for your food, flowers, and home decor.  Everything I create is hand built, I do not use molds . I love the use of textures such as vintage lace I find from other countries, or textures that mimic nature. My pieces are typically asymmetric and non directional, some say they look alive as if they are dancing. 

My abstract and impressionistic canvases consist of a layering process. They symbolizes life, aspects of nature and balances. I use a variety of material such as acrylics, watercolors, pigments, charcoal, oils and plaster. Some of my work is 3D with the use of plaster and a technique I am always perfecting of botanical impressions. I work with the relief of foliage to create abstract nature scenes, I love the memory from the mark of botanical leaves, particularly the leaves that transfer seed colors onto the canvas. Each canvas is a  scene partially captured as if I am looking out a window.   I use varnishes to hold the natural look of the botanicals while I  paint over the impressions either with realism or abstractly. I like to use my own interpretation regarding colors of  nature in lieu of its literal form.  My abstracts and impressionistic paintings  all have dancing brushstrokes, grace, movement and symbolic textures. I like to paint on the floor like an improvisational dance with only a beginning, middle and possible ending. I say possible, as I let my intuition lead me. Most of my planning is  on color and composition. 

There are no laws in nature as Antoni Gaudi said.

My work is inspired by the visceral impact nature can have on ones emotions. Whether it  is a sunset, stormy weather, leaves falling, amazing cloud formations  in the sky, memory of a vista, rain on the windows with trees in the background.... I want to paint it or sculpt it. My hobby is traveling the world, hiking, and skiing beautiful vistas for inspiration. I not only challenge my body and mind, I let my creative space open.  I take time to be present , experiencing new colors I have never seen before and try  to re-create them on canvas and clay.  Being in nature opens me up to new creative ideas. 

I am fortunate to live and have  my home studio in beautiful Naples Florida on the waterfront where I am constantly inspired  with new ideas to explore on clay or on canvas. 

My  observations of nature  transfer to my art like a  little vignette, a snippet of time and memories.   

I allow myself  to be vulnerable when I create, each work of art is created with soul as if I am sharing my personal experiences.