Press Article List

OCEAN CITY PATCH:
Pottery and Jewelry Show at Ocean City Arts Center Hammonton artist Colleen Cornell

AT THE SHORE:
This Week in the Arts: Colleen Cornell steps into the spotlight at O.C. Arts Center

Artist molds natural elements of the shore into her clay creations
AC Press •
July 17, 2011

Ocean City
Arts Center
August 1-31, 201

Cornell exhibit at Arts Center through Aug. 31
OC Gazette • August 25, 2011

ACPress Hometown • August 25

Hammonton artist exhibits in Ocean City

ACPress Hometown August 25

Hammonton artist Colleen Cornell continues her debut solo exhibit of organic pottery and jewelry through Aug. 31 at the Ocean City Arts Center, 1735 Simpson Ave. Cornell's show, featuring pottery with natural elements included in each piece, has been one of the center's most popular exhibits.

A native of Millville, Cornell's pottery has been featured at Art Centers and interior design stores throughout the area. Her jewelry has been sold at Macy's stores throughout the northeast. For more information call 609-399-7628 or see oceancityartscenter.org.

Cornell exhibit at Arts Center through Aug. 31

Ocean City Gazette: August 25, 2011

Hammonton artist Colleen Cornell continues her debut solo exhibit of organic pottery and jewelry at the Ocean City Arts Center through August 31. Cornell’s show, featuring pottery with natural elements included in each piece, hasbeen one of the center’s most popular exhibits.

“Ms. Cornell’s pottery is attractively-priced and is extremely functional,” says Arts Center Executive Director Rosalyn Lifshin “Everything from vases to candy dishes to fountains is featured in the show for $25 to $100. Her jewelry made of beads, glass, copper and silver is priced from $20 to $40 and makes a lovely gift.” More than 60 pieces have been sold since the show started Aug. 1. Cornell’s pottery has been Cornell exhibit at Arts Center through Aug. 31 featured at Art Centers and interior design stores throughout the area. Her jewelry has been sold at Macy’s stores throughout the northeast.

For further information call 609-399-7628 or visit www.oceancityartscenter.org. The Ocean City Arts Center is open weekdays from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. and Saturday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m

This Week in the Arts: Colleen Cornell steps into the spotlight at O.C. Arts Center

By LUCIA C. DRAKE, At The Shore: August 18, 2011

Although her unique pottery and handmade jewelry have been available in the gift shop of the Ocean City Arts Center for nearly a year, artist Colleen Cornell finds herself in a brand new role - as a featured artist in the gallery.

Cornell's first solo, monthlong, exhibition of what she describes as her botanical and vineyard collection wraps up Aug. 31.

A Hammonton resident, Cornell creates bowls, trivets, wine holders and vases mixed with natural elements such as grapevines, wood, fern, seagrass, coral and starfish. Her jewelry collection also is made of natural elements such as semiprecious stones, silver, copper and glass beads.

Cornell has worked in ceramics, clay and porcelain since childhood, but it was about two years ago that she turned her attention full time to her art. Her work has been exhibited at the Hammonton Arts Center and the Ocean City Fine Arts League, and her jewelry line was featured at Macy's stores throughout the Northeast.

All of her pieces in the exhibition can be purchased.

The Ocean City Arts Center is located at 1735 Simpson Ave. For hours, call 609-399-7628 or visit www.oceancityartscenter.org

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Artist molds natural elements of the shore
into her clay creations

By VINCENT JACKSON, Staff Writer

Colleen Cornell worked in casino advertising for 12 years. But now, she says she benefited in the long run from losing her job two years ago.

Cornell, who has been working with ceramics, clay and porcelain since childhood, found the lack of a full-time job gave her more time to pursue her passion. Cornell's new found flexibility in her schedule allowed her to progress enough artistically and make enough pieces to accept the offer of a solo exhibition of her work Aug. 1 to 31 at the Ocean City Arts Center on Simpson Avenue.

"I've never had a show before, so that was real exciting to be noticed for my art. I always had other jobs, and it was never the art itself," said Cornell, who lives in Hammonton.

Cornell has had other success as an artists. During the 1990s, she sold her porcelain jewelry at Macy's retail stores across the Northeast. But the exhibition in Ocean City will focus on her hand-sculpted clay creations inspired by nature. She makes imprints or uses natural elements to make molds for clay pieces, which gives her CLA Creations a unique style and texture.

"After I was doing the molds with the bowls, I was inspired by outside. I had a plant out there with this big, beautiful leaf, and I thought, 'That would be pretty cool to bring in," said Cornell, 39.

Part of the exhibit showcases Cornell's botanical and vineyard collection, which features fern, wood, grapevines and other plant leaves sculptured into bowls, decorative dishes, vases and wine coolers. Last year, Cornell called Tomasello Winery in Hammonton and asked to pick grape leaves to be used in her artwork.

Most of the pieces in the show will be new, Cornell said. The Jersey Shore Collections section of Cornell's show includes handmade bowls, vases, wine holders and trivets. Among the natural elements Cornell uses are seagrass she picked at her mother's home in Ocean City, coral and starfish.

Her prices range from $25 for a utensil holder or a trivet to between $100 and $150 for a water fountain, Cornell said.

The relationship between Cornell, an advertising director at Creative Designs and Productions in Pleasantville, and the Ocean City Arts Center started last fall when she put a few pieces in their gift shop. She bought in her porcelain, beaded, silver and copper jewelry and some pottery pieces. People started buying her work.

Rosalyn Lifshin, the art center's executive director, thought Cornell pieces that reflected the sea and the ocean would sell well during the summer. Lifshin said she looked at Cornell's work and thought it was fabulous.

"Her bowls are so beautiful, and I know she puts natural material in them, but you can use them," Lifshin said. "You can put them on your table. You can put fruit in them. You can put flowers in her vases. The things that she sells are not extremely expensive. They are very affordable for people, so they can have a beautiful piece of art in the form of a piece of jewelry or a piece of pottery."

Posted: Thursday, August 18, 2011

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Local Artisan Debuts Clay Creations Inspired By Nature
Collection Debuts at the Ocean City Arts Center
August 1st through August 31st.

Ocean City, NJ -- Colleen Cornell is a local sculptor and artist who uses her talent to create eco-friendly, functional and exquisite clay creations. Although art endeavors have been the pattern woven through this artist's career that spans over 20 years in the field of advertising, Colleen has used her skills in art directing to help define her own unique style and form a new dimension of CLA Creations. 

A creator of one of a kind hand sculpted pieces, Colleen is inspired by the beauty of nature.  Her unique art collection will debut in the Ocean Arts Center at 1735 Simpson Avenue, August 1st through the 31st.
Colleen is an artist that has been working with clay, porcelain, and ceramics since she was a child, sculpting it into art.  Her art collection has been receiving distinguished honors and awards for her distinct style of molding natural elements from nature into her clay pieces, creating a unique style and texture in her artwork.  Her Jersey Shore Collections includes hand made bowls, vases, trivets, wine holders and other pieces such as Star of the Sea Bowl that reflect the treasures discovered at the Jersey Shore. These beautiful creations are infused with natural elements from the sea such as shells, starfish, coral fans and many other objects that are molded in her CLA Creations. Through this technique, Colleen connects art with nature, which makes this artist’s collection truly unique, and one that can be displayed in homes to introduce the treasures discovered in nature.

For botanical lovers, Colleen created the Botanical and Vineyard Collections that are a beautiful reflection of fern & other plant leaves, and delicate grape vines sculpted into wine coolers, bowls, vases, and decorative dishes. Colleen began creating pottery as a child, and then later, began to design and create porcelain jewelry that was successfully sold at Macy's retail stores across the North East.  She has always had a passion to create art and recently ventured into this new technique, which embeds a fossil-like design into her pottery.  
These unique CLA Creations are meant to touch those who want to enjoy art while being inspired by nature.  All her pieces are all functional and high fired with lead free, food safe glazes. 

Colleen Cornell's art exhibit is on display August 1 through August 31st at the Ocean City Arts Center at 1735 Simpson Avenue in Ocean City, NJ. 
Colleen's Welcome Reception is open to the public at the Ocean City Arts Center on Simpson Avenue on Friday, August 12 from 7-8:30pm.
For more information about Colleen’s artwork, visit www.clapottery.com 
For media inquiries, please call 856-904-8484 or email clacreations@comcast.net

Her collection can also be found at the Island Renovations and Showroom in Avalon, NJ.  

This artist has not only been inspired by nature, but has been inspired by her sense of volunteerism and her commitment to help make a difference through her artwork. She donates time and art to the Alcove Center for Grieving Children & Families and Samaritan Hospice. 

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