I love other people's blogs ..

I subscribe to many blogs, they take you to such interesting places .. this one http://australianpottery.wordpress.com/
has taught me a lot about Australian Pottery.  Today it tells of some new Janet de Boos work which I find very exciting and inspiring at this beautiful gallery http://www.narekgalleries.com

I won't put a photo in yet though until the gallery gives me permission, soon I hope, but you can click on http://www.narekgalleries.com/current_exhibition.htm to see for yourself.

c-urchin on Flickr.com

41-365, originally uploaded by c-urchin.

I keep coming back to her work again and again. if you aren't familiar with Flickr - it is an online photo sharing site, and you will get utterly lost there. Lots of artists, not just photographers, share images of their work this way.

CONNECTED

Since last we met I've completed my distance studies at ANU in Ceramics and become the Editor of PYRE newsletter for Ceramic Arts Association of WA (CAAWA).  Despite labouring with a stubborn cold like most of Perth, I managed to complete some new work for Clay Feet's exhibition CONNECTED at Mundaring Art Centre, WA  http://www.mundaringartscentre.com/.
 I love this gallery and shop which I pass often en route to York for a weekend away.  The range and quality of work by WA artists, many local, is very, very high.  I noticed that a lot of the work within is nature inspired, including birds and nests, seen in work by Madeleine Clear (oils)  http://www.madeleineclear.com/Home.html  and Moira Court http://moiracourt.wordpress.com/.

Here are some of my more recent pieces including some hanging wall boxes which act as a clay canvas for my collage-like decoration.

I will show work by the rest of Clay Feet Exhibiting Group as their pix arrive in my mail box for the Clay Feet Blog http://clayfeetpotters.blogspot.com/

FINISHED!

Yes it is true, I have finally finished and passed my Ceramics course at Australian National University.  It took a long happy time as I deferred a couple of times but clearly Distance Study works for me.   Ten glorious days of residential school twice a year, getting the work done at home was the only way I could study Ceramics to diploma level.  It is not formally taught in Perth, which, given the facilities available at Perth TAFE now 'Central Institute of Technology' - is tragic.  I flew to Canberra with my final pieces mummified in layers of bubblewrap and styrofoam crates for assessment.  I was 'over it' and ready to be released to do all the other stuff that had been waiting to be done, including two exhibitions and competitions I had plans for too.

The tutors at ANU this time were the legendary Jack Troy and Ilona Romule, Latvian Porcelain Artist, both of whom were unbelievably generous with their time and wisdom.  I bought three small pieces of Ilona's work (an occasional bonus opportunity) and Jack's book of poetry, as well as some pieces by other graduating students. Sold some too!
This one was a favourite of mine, with screen printed tissue transferred cobalt carbonate.  I had experimented with cobalt and also with dark blue stain, I loooved the way the cobalt mix bled and seeped rebelliously over the white porcelain surface.  I made some real beauties, if I say so myself, and lost most of them to the Kiln God who is not happy that my kiln door is falling off at one hinge.  All photos in this post by Deb Plumb, Photographer. 

The work ethic in the ceramics department was maxed up like I had never seen before.  Students brought appropriate work to go into the wood firing kiln at ANU, spent the first day packing the wood kiln, then the roster began to ensure the firing went well for the next few days.  A sense of bonhomie settled on the group, rallying from their fatigue to watch (and listen) as Jack gave throwing demos, with many gems of wisdom on life, the universe etc.  Ilona taught how to make a plaster model, shape, carve, perfect it, take a mould from it, slip cast and china paint - how is that for packing it in?  Ilona was fantastic and unbelievably supportive to us to strive for the very, very best we can do.  The dedication of the tutors to conveying all they had to share was met equally by the determination of the students to soak it up, often into the wee hours.  With humour and kindness, Janet DeBoos, with Greg Daly and Joanne Searle guided six distance students through their final assessments along with a small exhibition and opening.  Janet is the most amazing champion of making it possible for ceramics students to find a way to pursue their interest hence her instigation of the Distance Diploma at ANU which is now evolving into a more wide ranging flexibly delivered opportunity to study.

Here is some of the work I put forward for my final assessment for the Diploma of Art - double-walled, wheel thrown, unglazed, porcelain, with printed imagery in screen printed cobalt or iron oxide laser decals from digital images of twigs I photographed/drew/tweaked.

Leaves, birds, feathers, twigs - to me they are about making a home, and looking after your people.

CHRIS WEAVER

Members of CAAWA are extremely lucky to have New Zealand potter Chris Weaver teaching us this weekend.  I had seen his work at the Rex Irwin Gallery in Sydney http://www.rexirwin.com/artists/exhibitions/2009/Tablewares/index.htm during the Ceramics Trienniale last year and never forgotten it.  I would put Chris and my superclayhero Takeshi Yasuda http://takeshiyasuda.com/ in the same league, ie. right at the top of the ladder.

Chris's home is on Kaniere, east of Hokitika on the west coast of the South Island of New Zealand.  I hope I got that right, I haven't had the pleasure of visiting NZ yet, but his photos make it look so good for the soul. After two days of talking about how and where he works, half the attendees decided we need to arrange a pottery tour of NZ and soon.

How to begin to even describe the range of techniques he employs, he is a master of the wire cut, using wiggle wire to remarkable effect far beyond what most people stop at, he makes all his own wooden elements, handles, laminated and steam bent wood, he encloses forms, then manipulates them into organic gems, his squared vessels have you pondering whether they are thrown or slabbed ... you must have a good look.

Pop over to  http://www.chrisweaver.co.nz/  the website is beautiful, the photography is just lovely and you will luxuriate and get lost in his work, trying to figure out how he achieved such results, he tells me though, that his website is a little out of date.   Apart from his innovative approach to clay, Chris is well known for his use of wooden handles and accents in his work, elements that he designs and forms himself from driftwood.

When I went over to say g'day to Chris I almost stopped midsentence having spotted all his tools laid out on a table beside the wheel he was about to demo on.  I noticed almost everyone reacted in a similar way, we all gasped and picked up the implements enjoying their fine surfaces and the almost ergonomic way they fit the hand or the task they were made for.  I have a woodworking friend I just can't wait to show this stuff to, maybe we could collaborate sometime.

I love the thoroughness of his site though, he has several images of his works from over the years groups according to the style he was working with at the time - his Salt Fumed Series, Iron Series (which stemmed from the form of his grandmother's old iron), his wire cut series, the one he calls pillows and so much more ... I realised I had downloaded images of his work for years as 'inspirational' images for my studio and here he is showing us how he gets such results.

This more than makes up for the lousy Mother's Day I had recently.