Liz Denys

Black coiled bowl, 2023

November 8, 2023

Heavily grogged black stoneware, coil-built, glossy blue glaze

The bowl's form has coral-like coils coming out of the rim that curl back down to the rim.

The bowl is glazed a very glossy dark blue with some hare's fur variation of lighter blues.

The black stoneware coils at the rim of the bowl can be used as handles, and they are arranged in a random pattern.

The rim of the main part of bowl is a bit wavy and connects into the coils in a flowing way.

Thin, hand drawn lines from the coiled structure at the rim to the base of the bowl remain unglazed, revealing a matte black stoneware body.

The rough texture of the raw clay lines contrast with the very smooth glossy glaze.

The glossy blue glaze pools slightly into textural drips at the very bottom of the bowl.

Red rocks V60-style coffee cone, 2023

November 1, 2023

Silver bushes on the red rocks in the Mojave desert / western bluebirds / Brooklyn brownstones
Red stoneware clay with grog, slab-built, denim satin glaze

A handled V60-style coffee cone has a medium denim blue satin glaze atop a rich red claybody with some light speckled grog. The denim glaze is applied in a tape-resist irregular grid pattern where the mainlines follow the contour of the cone.

The pattern wraps around the entire V60-style cone. Some sections are wider than others.

The irregular grid design tape-resist work continues on the handle of the V60-style cone as well.

The inside of the V60-style coffee cone is glazed entirely in the satin denim glaze and carved to ensure water flows properly through the coffee grinds while in use.

The grid pattern bends over the section where the cone connects to its base.

The base that rests atop a coffee cup or pitcher has a 5-petaled daisy shape. The irregular grid glaze design continues on the bottom of the base.

Coffee flows out a gear-shaped hole at the bottom that is connected to the carving inside that ensures water flows properly through the coffee grinds while in use. The signature and year marking are stamped and have denim glaze inset in them.

Blue spiral V60-style coffee cone, 2023

October 9, 2023

Tan stoneware clay with black speckles and light grog, slab-built, satin bright blue glaze

A handled V60-style coffee cone is covered in satin bright blue glaze except for various swirling lines that spread across the outside to reveal the black speckled tan clay.

The raw swirling lines have rounded ends and some end in a single dot past the edge of a swirl are also left unglazed.

The design is unique across the whole cone. Some sections have more overlapping raw lines and others more parallel.

The tape-resist work continues on the handle of the V60-style cone as well.

The base that rests atop a coffee cup or pitcher has a 5-petaled daisy shape, and the tape-resist blue glaze design continues along the bottom.

Coffee flows out a gear-shaped hole at the bottom that is connected to carving inside that ensures water flows properly through the coffee grinds while in use.

Pentagonal antiprism planter with drip tray, 2023

September 13, 2023

Aged leather / dazzle camouflage / coming together? pushing apart?
Medium brown stoneware clay with white grog, slab-built, matte black glaze

This medium brown planter takes a squat pentagonal antiprism form. There is a matching drip tray below that has a pentagonal base and short, straight sides.

Matte black glaze is applied in many sets of straight lines that go in many directions following the planter's geometric form.

Reversing the Parks Dept. Ban on E-Bikes is a Matter of Equity

June 3, 2022

Last November, signs banning e-assist bikes were tacked onto Prospect Park's rule signs:

A yellow sign saying no motorized or electric bikes, scooters, and ATVs in three languages appended to Prospect Park's regular green rules sign — The original signs announcing this ban only stated it in English.

I'm in Streetsblog today with a piece about why reversing this arbitrary ban is a matter of equity:

Over Memorial Day Weekend, an infuriating scene unfolded in Prospect Park. A now-viral tweet showed NYPD and NYC Parks officers setting up a sting in Prospect Park, stopping riders on e-assist bikes, including parents transporting toddlers:

Nypd has an ebike check point at prospect park this afternoon, apparently. stopped my husband on his pedal assist ebike from bringing our daughter into the park. Threatened him with a $150 fine and destroying his bike. #bikenyc pic.twitter.com/6ZgKqGSjLX
— Shay O'Reilly (@shaygabriel) May 29, 2022

According to the tweet, officers were even threatening to destroy the e-assist bikes, which are legal to ride on New York City streets, but have been banned in Prospect Park due to an arbitrary decree from the city Parks Department. This policy is discriminatory and ableist, and harmful to climate goals. Council Members Shahana Hanif, Rita Joseph and Crystal Hudson, whose districts border or include Prospect Park, all agree that Prospect Park needs a thoughtful policy to include e-assist bikes. I also urge Mayor Adams to right this wrong and set an e-assist policy based in fact, not fear, for Prospect Park.

You can read the rest of my opinion piece on Streetsblog.