CLAY AND CULTURE CELTIC STYLE

We assume a lot don't we, well I do. I figure if I know something, there is a huge chance that the person with me knows just as much if not more.  I had my students printing on slabs for the practice, experience and well, look it is FUN.  We weren't doing much on curved surfaces as it proved difficult to keep some curved items prepared in advance and for students to bring in their clay work to decorate.  Storage, transport and parking do not work in our favour.  I'd thrown several cylinders an hour before class but it was so hot they'd dried out too much by the time we came to transferring our tissue monoprints prints and screenprints.  In the CIT clay studio we had some square frames nailed together from lengths of profiled timber.  When I showed a couple of students how to prepare a nice soft slab and lay it over the frame like pastry, trim with a margin of extra clay, then place it on a board and drop them horizontally onto to the table so the soft clay fell into the cavity and formed square platter - it was a TADAA!! moment.  Some of the class knew this method and the rest took it up with such gusto they didn't have to be shown twice.  Soon we had several printed dropped plates.  Above is a zingy slab painted with red and blue  slips and then printed with peacock green underglaze by Nicole.  I can't wait to see how it comes out after it is glazed.  OK back to the massive studio overhaul I have planned ... despite this debilitating heat but first ... do you like what Google came up with for St Patrick's day today 17th March below?  I think they are sweet.  

          Saint Patrick's Day          

Saint Patrick by Jim Fitzpatrick (Ireland)

Oh and Happy Saint Patricks Day, I will toast your health and clay success this evening with a lovely cold dark Guinness product of my hometown Dublin and say the Gaelic toast 'Slainte', pronounced 

'S-lawn-cha' and meaning 'health'.  Seeing as I have your attention I might as well celebrate St Patricks Day (never EVER St Patty's America!) by bringing Jim Fitzpatrick to your attention.  You see Ireland has its own unique legends and myths, some very sad and anguished and some very fierce and passionate,  Jim's art celebrates these stories and their characters in his work in an exquisitely wrought manner of drawing.  You should check it out, it used to be only in galleries and books but of late he sells directly in Etsy.com.  In my high school days Jim Fitzpatrick was the contemporary artist on a pedestal for me, now I am a Facebook friend!  He is said to have been the originator of the infamous Che Guevara poster click that 'Che' link for some interesting reading.  

 but I remember him better for his poster art for the wonderful Irish Rock Band 'Thin Lizzy' and their Album cover album Playboys of the Western World ( a play on the name of a the stage play Playboy of the Western World by another Irish success J.M. Synge.    Here's a bit of the history of Lizzy covers.  

Coincidentally, my best friend Kate's grandmother was the well known Irish Actress Marie Keane who was in that play during her career, as did my own mother Pat Cleary in her younger days in Ennis in local amateur dramatics.  My other best friend Ger's big brother had a huge poster of Che in their living room - speaking of degrees of separation.  Anyway Hit it Lads!   

Crikey, clay AND culture, I should be charging you for this.  Here's more of Jim's work - tell you what though, if all Irish men and women were as um ...  'romanticised' and hot as this, tourism would be massive and the economy would surge once more.  LOL

The Myth of the Children of Lir being turned into Swans

 Did I mention that the Vikings made it to Ireland and settled by the River Liffey in what is now Dublin City?  Tatts, Hats and muscles ... not sure the parish priest would approve but I do.

 OK enough of a diversion let's pop over to see what is being spoken of at The Mud Colony where the other clay bloggers gather (for a pint no doubt).  There are thirteeen bloggers from all over the world over there already at Mud Colony .

PLEASE NOTE:All text in this blog posting is copyright of Elaine Bradley, Ceramic Artist, Western Australia unless quoting from another source.  All photographs in this blog posting are copyright of Elaine Bradley unless otherwise stated.  No responsibility can be taken for external links.  Images of art by Jim Fitzpatrick are from his Artist Facebook page.  Please report any errors in crediting photographs, sources or facts to the author in order to allow her to rectify the matter.  Your response and feedback is welcome.