Toad in a Hole - 1970's

At the start of Seventh Grade Art Class the class was given an assignment. To make a sketch then draw lines through it fragmenting it. Then paint in the fragmented areas with color. The assignment was to last a week or so but the young artist completed his in half an hour and proceeded to disrupt the rest of the class. The teacher examining his work gave him an A++ for the semester and never gave him another assignment. Halfway through the school year he was transferred into another art class next door. The teacher Carla Seldon had been warned about the young Mr. pride and waited until after class and asked him to stay late. She would write him a note to be late for his next class. She took Brian into a small room between the two art rooms and asked him to paint the walls. Using pastel temperas he spent most his afternoons from there on painting an elaborate whimsical mural of kings, castles, dragons, and clouds. Since he was a nuisance in most his other classes because all too often he never studied, finished his assignments before most teachers could give them, was rude and obnoxious yet still managed to get straight A's - most teachers were prone to excuse him from class so he could work on the mural. When the mural was finished mrs. Seldon asked Brian to go into the room to see what had happened. The room was full of new equipment. There was a kiln, a wheel, boxes of clay and bottles of glazes. Without further instruction the teacher said go create. One of the first pieces he made was a ball of solid clay which he let air dry but never fired. A small crack surfaced on the ball which he carved into an S shape. He then dipped the ball in red paint and latter applied gilding to the surface all except for the red S. Later he sealed the ball in clear acrylic. This was the only work Carla Seldon kept of her young discovery. Together they figured out how to put together the kiln, wheel and made kneading boards out of plaster. After a few experiments they started up a ceramics class at the school. Toad in Hole, Vase Ball, and Three Holed Toad were made during this time. Vincent's Face Vase was made at home when his mother took up ceramics as a hobby. Mr. pride did not pick up pottery again until a friend Karen Bernbaum who owned Earthworks in Manhattan invited him to her studio to help out with projects. The two teamed up to make several works for various clients. Side Table Tray was an antipasto dish for a local restaurant whereas Lady Plate and  Too Much on My Plate were made for Artists Gallery Exhibits. Most works were crafted by Karen Bernbaum and embellished by Brian Pride. Triphase Glazed was done at Earthworks as a spin off on Three Holed Toad.
 

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Vase Ball was made as a gift to the artists Mother. His concern here was to note that pots and planters meant for hanging did not have to conform to table top use or structural form.

One of the first pieces made in the ceramics class the artist started at school. The assignment to make a vessel with more than one opening.
Triphase Glazed is a later rendition of Three Holed Toad Above. Done at EarthWorks in Manhattan.

Vincent's Face Vase was made at home when the artists mother had taken up ceramics as a hobby. The inside is clear glazed to hold water while the outside is distressed and stained with relief sculpting of an ear, eye, nose, and lips. An ode to the artist Vincent Van Gough.