Last weekend I spent an amazing four days in Deloraine attending Woodfire Tas 2011. I met artists from all over Australia and overseas and my head is full of ideas. Someone also very kindly gave me a cold that has decided to settle in my chest so apologies in advance if this post is a bit rambly, as it is hard to keep a train of thought happening when I have to stop and reach for the tissues every five minutes.
I am trying to reflect on what I got out of the conference and to put it simply I received confirmation that I am on the right track. When I meet new people I am often a bit flippant and will fall back on terse one liners which often do not accurately represent me at all. By chance I was having lunch with one of the presenters at the conference and in passing I said I was too lazy to be a woodfirer, as the conversation progressed she commented that lazy wasn’t a word she would use to describe me and that I must stop using it.
I thought about her words for a bit and decided that she was right. I really need to banish those whispering ghosts once and for all.
My work is all about economy, economy of effort, economy of resource and most importantly, economy of time.
I have a strong sense of place here in the Tasmanian hills. I am influenced by my landscape, by drought, by early frosts, by the cold and by the heat. I need my work to reflect that sense of place.
When I am digging local clays to use in glazes I need these glazes to reflect where I am. There is no point using a clay gathered from a coastal region if I am trying to illustrate the tensions of living inland. Though it could be argued that Tasmania is so small that nowhere inland is far from the coast but that is a topic for another day.
Economy of time is of critical importance as often the ideas are fleeting and I need to make the piece all in one go. Grab the clay, make the pot, decorate the pot, put it aside and move on to the next piece.
Demonstrations and talks by Steve Williams and Graeme Wilkie helped to reinforce the ideas that had been swirling around in my head. Graeme Wilkie makes wonderful large work and he talked about working intuitively and finding the quiet space within yourself that allows the clay to direct the work.
Steve Williams says that, “To come back to a form when it has firmed and rekindle a relationship to turn and decorate is for me an ‘alien’ process”
I don’t like to come back to the work either and that is one of the reasons I have been thinking about the raw firing process, so that I only have to mess about with the pots once.
This is some of the beautiful work that was in one of the exhibitions, curated by Ben Richardson.
To finish here is another photo, I took when I was on top of Mount Wellington. I cant see the mountain from my home here in the Southern Midlands and I fretted for a long time. Even though I can see her when I drive down the hill, it isn’t the same as looking out of your window and watching her change through out the course of the day.
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I feel the same about anything I create. I like to finish it all in one sitting, while I’m in the moment, and then let it be. There are some beautiful pieces in your photos.
Some beautiful shots there. And, as one who is guilty herself, I hope you do learn not to put yourself down. Easier said than done I know.
And I hope the cold leaves you soon. They make a person feel miserable out of all proportion to the severity of the illness.
Thank you for taking the time to share your experience. Especially with a cold, which I hope goes asap.
You put such demands on yourself, the guilt, the perfectionism, the self doubt, throw away these cloaks that surround you and just be you, creating beautiful wonderful stuff. Enjoying the journey with laughter and joy. You are so much better at your craft than you give yourself credit for. Oh and the photo’s are just great.
One day I will come to England, just to give you a big hug.
It sounds like you got a lot out of the event, and some lovely photos. I can’t leave a project half finished either…. otherwise there are chances I’ll never get back to it. My hub says I get obsessed… but that’s a good thing right? after all I love where it takes me. 🙂
good to see some images from the events – just a little snippet of what i missed – thank you 🙂 and you can keep the germs, i have plenty of my own… 🙁
It seems to me that the cold is the smallest thing you brought back from Deloraine. In the creative arts the only thing you can learn from outside yourself is technique, everything else is inside you, waiting to be discovered. You just need to let it out when it calls.
xox
Yes.
I love that mountain photo so much.
I hope the cold goes away soon.
Love that mountain, she’s a ripper beauty!!!!
Stop putting yourself down, you’re a very talented gal and your fingertips spin magic literally out of the earth in the clay you mine yourself.
So, enough of that crap 😉
Thanks Jayne 🙂
Honey and lemon for the cold Kim and lots of rest and nurturing.
Sounds like an inspiring weekend of art and ideas and expressing your inner real self.
Love my mountain view, even though the water view brigade don’t see it my way!
I have been having cider vinegar and lemon drinks, lots of water and early nights 🙂 I grew up under the shadow of the mountain in Springfield. Dad’s family were from Fern tree and Mum’s lived in South Hobart. So the mountain loomed large in my childhood. As a teenager I rode my horse all over the base of the mountain. good times Mary, good times. I like to see the water but I need to see the mountain.
Wow!! What glorious work 🙂 It sounds like you had an amazing time surrounded by all that inspiration. I know what you mean about not finishing things …. I have 30 or 40 unfinished projects lying around but once I leave them, I seem to lose enthusiasm for them and it takes a huge effort to complete them after that. I’m so glad that you’ ve realised you’re on the right track. That must be a fantastic feeling 🙂
It’s a beautiful photo of the mountain. I really must get up there some day soon.
Hope you’re feeling better soon.
Wow that is BEAUTIFUL! I have always admired people who can do things like this. You are extremely talented, keep up the great work!!
It isn’t my work Marlee 🙂 it is a selection of work from some of the top woodfiring ceramicists in Australia. My work isn’t in that class. Yet.
Oh Kim, I just love that photo of My. Wellington. I think I am going to use some of my time next week to finally make the pieces I have in my head … the shells I collected last spring before we moved house are still waiting for their canvas and the face in my mind still hasn’t been committed to clay. Wish I could spend more time doing what you do …