by frogpondsrock on April 20, 2010
in ceramics
I am really excited, so excited in fact, that I keep on hugging myself and having a quiet, girly squeee.
I have just been accepted into the ceramic co-operative,“Off Centre”.
I was approached by one of the partners a few weeks ago and invited to join the co-op. I had to submit photographs of my work to be approved by the whole group at their monthly meeting. I didn’t realize how nervous I was until I received an email the other night saying that my submission had been successful. (Time for another girly squeee)
For those of you who don’t know your way around Hobart, Off Centre has a shop, upstairs in the Salamanca Arts Centre in Salamanca place, opposite the Long Gallery . This is right in the heart of the arty/touristy area of the waterfront. There are a lot of small galleries and specialty shops down there as well as the famous Salamanca market which is held every Saturday.
All together now Squeeeee!!!
So here I am sitting in front of the computer trying to concentrate on writing this post with my head full of ceramic dreams. I am watching the sky begin to colour up as the sun rises and it looks like it is going to be another lovely day. I spent most of the day yesterday making my slipcast tall cups, some shells and bottles as well. I will spend today finishing those off and making some more as I need to have some work together for the shop by the first of May, which is less than a fortnight away. Eeeek!
I have started work on some hand built platters as well as more rock bowls. I have a prototype of something blue with butterflies for Tiff drying out and I have started work on the four cups I promised Brenda.I am thinking of something for my chocolate fairy and I also need to make some cups for a friend in WA, as well as get some work together to display in a twitter friend’s cafe gallery here as well. Phew. The dragon eggs are simmering away in the back of my mind and I need to remember to contact the trustees of the Chauncy Vale wildlife sanctuary to confirm my outdoor exhibition there next year.
So I am a tad busy at the moment.
When I returned to ceramics after a break of nearly twenty years, I became obsessed with perfectly formed objects. I lusted after Korean celadon tea cups and Japanese woodfired tea bowls. The perfection of Les Blakeborough’s porcelain made my soul shiver and Gwyn Hannsen Piggot’s still life arrangements were to die for.
In my first year of ceramic study I only kept one piece of work and I was incredibly hard on myself. I set my standards so high that I was destined to fail. I don’t know if this was a subconsciuos act of sabatoge or not, though I suspect it probably was. At the end of my second year of study I had relaxed a bit and was starting to produce work that had potential.
The last three years have been incredibly difficult as well as incredibly rewarding. I have learned to relax and I have stopped being so hyper critical of my own work. Stopping drinking has been the catalyst for this new kindness to myself as has the support of you my internetz.Through your eyes I have been able to view myself as a bonafide artist, though I still have moments when I am sure someone is going to look at my work and say that isn’t good enough you aren’t an artist at all.
I have come to a place where I am happy with myself and with my work. I have stopped fighting my nature and my ceramics have improved because of it.
So instead of trying to make delicate teacups that look capable of floating off the table. I am making work that soothes my soul. The dead albatross bowls and handbuilt platters make my heart sing. My slipcast work satisfies my longing for beauty and elegance though they will never be perfectly formed and will always look very hand made. My catch cry of late has become if you want perfection go and buy it from the kitchen section of a large department store.
Now I am making ceramic rocks. These rock bowls are a beginning of a ceramic exploration of ideas. I am trying to get an earthy, natural feel balanced with a crisp inner beauty. The outside surface will remain matte and rock-like whilst the inside should be lovely and shiny and crystalline.
These bowls are in the kiln at the moment and I will get to see whether they have worked or not on Wednesday. They are very heavy and I will have to work on that as they will cost a fortune to ship. It would be like I was trying to post a brick.
So this is where I am at, at the moment. I still haven’t started on the dragon eggs yet, though I have started an extensive programme of glaze testing. I am planning on using the Easter break to make the dragon egg mould as well as a number of other projects I have on the go.
by frogpondsrock on December 4, 2009
in ceramics
The ceramic blog, A plate a day is calling for submissions for it’s 300th plate.
Bowls and platters are allowed. So these are the bowls, platters and plates that I am going to submit.
This is ‘Requiem for a tree’ a shallow bowl made in response to the accelerated destruction of the old growth forests here in Tasmania.
Handbuilt nerikomi, celadon glaze, reduction fired to cone 10.
This is “the dead albatross” shallow bowl. Made in response to Chris Jordan’s photographs of the albatrosses of Midway atoll.
Hanbuilt nerikomi, oxidation fired to cone 10
This is a small side plate. Thrown. Surges bay shino, trailed black glaze decoration. Oxidation fired to cone 10.
Friendship platter. Handbuilt. coloured slip decoration. Oxidation fired to cone 10.
Handbuilt platter. Slip trailed decoration. recuction fired to cone 10
Thrown plate. Shino M1 glaze with black vitreous slip as glaze over. Reduction fired to cone 10.
by frogpondsrock on November 25, 2009
in ceramics
Come one, Come all. The opening is tonight and you are all very welcome to come along. The more the merrier.
Veronica came into the gallery when we were setting up on Monday and took these lovely photos. She is a clever girl that one.
I need to write a quick Artist’s statement for the upcoming exhibition. So what better place to practice writing it, than here on my blog.
It is hard to maintain a steady flow of words though, because as I am writing this I keep on having to tromp through to David’s room to rouse him out of bed for school. The words are whizzling around inside my head as I prepare his breakfast and I have to be careful not to put butter in his coffee and sugar on his toast.
An hour and a half later and Dave has left for school and I have a small window of opportunity to write something halfway decent before the phone rings and I lose my train of thought completely.
I lifted bits of this next paragraph straight from my Boganvillainy blurb. All I have to do is elaborate a bit more without sounding like a complete tosser.
I am a ceramic artist and when my hands are filled with clay, I am able for a short time to forget my despair and shame, that I am a silent witness to the destruction of Tasmania’s spiritual heart.
The thought of ancient forests being turned into woodchips chills me to the core of my being.What madness this is, that we have become so anaethesised in in our lives that we squander so lightly our grandchildren’s legacy.
In this exhibition, “Perspectives of Fire” I have entered two completely different bodies of work.The handbuilt bowls hold my despair.The slipcast cups and bottles contain my hope.
If I allow myself to think too deeply about our poisoned waterways and smoking forests, I will be paralyzed with grief. As my tears mix with the clay and the forms come to life before me, the despair loosens its grip on my soul and I allow myself to hope
I have now emailed it off to the exhibition co-ordinator.It is done. So what do you think, do I sound like a complete looney? Or will it do?
