A good week for Perth Potters

This week I was lucky to be able to attend a workshop by Vic Greenaway at Perth Studio Potters. Vic spent the day showing us and explaining to us about how to best work with Porcelain. He had hoped to demonstrate using Limoges (over $100 a bag in Perth) but we could provide some Walker's Imperial Porcelain to work with. As it turned out, the Imperial Porcelain (IP) which attains a very white fired result, was very fresh and not aged yet, so it was actually quite crumbly and very short to work with. Still, Victor ploughed on despite technical hitches and threw the most divine pieces with the Imperial, and, being the consummate professional, threw in plenty of tips and anectdotes at the same time. I will kick in in a few days with my notes to hand and mention some of those tips. After the workshop we got to visit Stafford Galleries in Forrest Street, Cottesloe where Vic's current exhibition was launched today. I soooooooo very much want to buy one or two of his pieces but - get real. I can only afford one, and I hope to make a post in a week or so showing you what I buy if I manage to score the pot I desire. Here are some pics of the freshly thrown, and slightly but BEAUTIFULLY altered vessels he made for us ...

Look at those lines aaaaaaaaaaaaah! Well! Any thrower will get it. I will come back later with some images of his current work at and the link to Stafford Galleries.



and then ... tonight we had the great pleasure of a presentation by Laura McKibbon to the StudyGroup of CAAWA (Ceramic Artists Association of Western Australia). Laura is currently the Artist In Residence at SODA (Fleur Schell's Ceramics facility in Cottesloe W.A.) shared by way of a slideshow her method of making, working, selling, collaborating (my current favourite word), check out her website http://www.culdesacdesign.com/ and I am looking forward to her sundowner opening of her exhibition of work at SODA this weekend, and 'assisting' at her forthcoming workshop at the SODA venue in Hamelin Bay W.A. on ANZAC weekend here in Oz.

KOOKABURRA

KOOKABURRA, originally uploaded by potterlalab.

Just thought I would share some pics of a visitor in my garden, right outside my studio. No wonder I call the studio my Happy Place.

an.ti.bod.y JOSEPHINE PITTMAN

Josephine's show of her ceramics work opened on Friday at The Showcase Gallery of Central TAFE Perth, corner of Aberdeen and Beaufort Streets, Northbridge was WONDERFUL. People were mesmerised with what she has done with fine, white, unglazed Southern Ice porcelain, some having trouble restraining from stroking the works to get a sense of their smooth coolness. Many surfaces are embellished, pierced and carved repeatedly resulting in a richly intricate, ornate surface which hint of the immense complexity of the structure and nature of antibodies. Her website is http://josephinepittman.com


What DOES an antibody look like? Who is to say? They share similarities but, going by Josephine's work, are diverse and exciting. This is what she has to say about the subject that constantly inspires her work ....
'In the twenty-first century, the internal battleground provides the scene for a constant struggle against a bombardment of external invaders. The military body is augmented by new weapons of biological defense, but with scientific advancement comes a fine balance between internal peace and the total chaos of rampant mutating cells'.

Entries Open for City of Melville Art Awards

In Ireland, with regard to LOTTO - the catchphrase is 'If you're not IN, you can't win!' ...............

Entries Open for City of Melville Art Awards
Published Date: 11 February 2010, 01:25 PM


The City of Melville Art Awards have today (11 February 2010) opened to entries from artists throughout Western Australia.

Mayor Russell Aubrey said the competition was a highly-anticipated event, which highlighted the City of Melville’s commitment to art and culture.

“The Art Awards have proven very popular since the event first commenced in 1978. This annual event presents artists with the opportunity to exhibit their work and gain feedback. The Art Awards also give the general public the chance to see over 250 works of art in one place,” he said.

“I encourage interested artists to enter one or more categories to receive recognition for their artistic abilities and possibly win a cash prize ranging between $500 to $1500.”

Community Development Officer (Arts) Hannah Katarski said that one strength of the Art Awards was its variety.

“The competition acknowledges a wide variety of different mediums, such as 3D pieces, photography and textile,” she said.

“In addition, except for the Youth entries, everything is for sale as a condition of entry. This means the viewing public can take home a piece of original art, often at very reasonable prices.”

The exhibition, which will officially open at 6.00pm on Friday, 29 May 2010, will run until Saturday, 5 June. It will be open to the public from 9.30am to 4.30pm Monday to Friday and from 1.00pm to 4.00pm on weekends. The exhibition will be held at the City of Melville Civic Centre, Second Floor, 10 Almondbury Road, Booragoon.

Entries are invited for the following 14 categories: Acrylic; Mixed Media; Oil; Pastel; Photography; Sculpture/3D, Textile, Watercolour, Work on Paper, Youth (ages 15 to 21), People’s Choice, Work by City of Melville resident, Judge’s Choice and the Wireless Hill Centenary Award (inspired by Wireless Hill).

Entries close at 5.00pm on Friday, 7 May 2010.

My other blog is a ....

I have been blogging for just over a year now, and I think I am doing okay going by the comments and emails I get.  Please also look at Clay Feet Exhibiting Group's blog on http://clayfeetpotters.blogspot.com/


Elaine