MUSIC TO MY EYES!

A couple of months ago I was contacted by Anita Staaden who was experimenting with laser decals on glass, or rather, between sheets of glass, and fired in a kiln.  As it turned out, we knew some people in common in Perth plus she gave me some great insights on rabbit keeping, as she is also a vet.  Last week Anita got back in touch to keep me posted on how her glass work came out, and WOW, what a complex, well planned, unique work seen at at artstrings.com.au   Of this piece the gallery says,

Baroquen Strings     by Anita Staaden

What better medium than glass to represent the crystal purity of a violin note!    “Baroquen Strings” represents the rise to popularity and development of the violin during the baroque period.  The arches and curtains in rich velvet colours are symbolic of the architecture and opulence of the time, and the opera houses, chateaux and palaces for which  baroque music was commissioned .  Baroque style was characterized by rich ornamentation. This was evident in music, but also in architecture, furnishings and clothing, hence the  elaborate window mouldings, lace, brocade and  jewels.    “Baroquen Strings” features handwritten manuscripts by  Vivaldi, Corelli and Albinoni, and names  some famous baroque composers who wrote works for the violin.

Ceramics in Vogue, thanks to Vogue!

This is the third time I have found the work of someone I knew within the pages of Vogue Living (Australia) while flicking idly through it in my local newsagents, figuring out whether I needed another indulgence in my life. Vogue Living often includes some inspiring reviews or articles on design and invariably at least one article on a 'maker'. The publication ought to be commended for this inclusive approach, as they are truly bringing the artist into the homes of those who may wish to collect our work.

At a glance my friend Jodi Dawson is on page 54, with her handpainted plates, Potter Rynne Tanton who is at Crickhallow Pottery in Tasmania (page 77) - they call him a Ceramics Wizard - what a lovely title! He is shown making cracked clay surfaces on his thrown ware - they say he uses a gas torch but I think he is also using sodium silicate on the surface and stretching from within, as I learnt from Janet de Boos at ANU Distance School in Ceramics not long ago.  More from the man here http://resources.education.tas.gov.au/item/edres/d81fa561-6c23-91df-052d-592808eb3861/1/tanton_final.zip/rynnetanton.htm  Someday soon I will learn how to do short links - emails welcome!

AAAAAND ..... Perth W.A. Midland Atelier is given attention on page 103. I nearly went blind though trying to find those page numbers for you, so check it out.

Blogger is busy and won't allow me to upload an image, but I will later.

ALANA MC VEIGH

I am heading out again this Wednesday evening to catch Alana and Claire's exhibition at

EMERGE Art Space
676A Beaufort Street
Mount Lawley
Perth

21st April - 7th May

Alana used to be a member of Clay Feet and I caught up with her at SODA in Cottesloe at the weekend at Laura McKibbon's lovely exhibition. I succumbed to the collecting bug there too and bought a small piece. There were some very fresh and innovative pieces there from collaborating with some of the SODA artists, like Fleur Schell and I liked seeing Laura's domestic ware in the flesh and not via her website for once.

It is always a feast or a famine with exhibitions, often several falling on the same night. Alana throws with Southern Ice Porcelain, water etching delicate patterns on the surface, a tricky technique but very rewarding. She has recently been in China on a museum residency. Claire's paintings are exciting and I see she won the Churchie Emerging Artists Award 2009 (painting category) so I am keen to see what she has been producing since then.

Melanie Sharpham, Eucalpt Homewares

A free programme, FeedDemon collates my favourite blogs alerting me to any updates, you should try it! That's how I know I Melanie Sharpham, friend and potter has been intensely busy with her colourful slipcast homewares and blogging about it. Blogging sounds like bragging and in a sense IT IS, but in the nicest way! Why not tell the world of your achievements and plans. Mel's chatty blog is littered with gorgeous images of her work. I love those dusty blues she uses when she tints her porcelain slip with coloured ceramic 'stains' I use some of her bowls at home every day. Way to go Mel! That's what I say.

http://www.eucalypthomewares.blogspot.com

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.