For my friends in the UK

If you just happen to be in London between now and October 2011 do try to see this at the British Museum - a nice little Aussie promotion....

http://youtu.be/-_2g7lXYX2s

Welcome - please visit again

I have noticed that visitors to my blog often come from Germany ( Willkommen) and the Netherlands (Welcom)
so I have added the translation widget though I am sure their English is better than my German or Dutch!

Taken at Coolangatta Qld during the summer

Past History

This time last year my husband and I were in the UK and I had a great time at the Wedgewood Museum and Visitor's Centre.

Portraits of the Wedgewood Family

I had done a project about Wedgewood during my Diploma course and to be able to see all that history in one room was just so thrilling.  I even managed to throw a little pot using Jasper ware which they then fired and mailed home for me.

 

It wasn't just the Jasperware but works like these that are similar to the 'Frog' service which was made for the Empress of Russia with each piece having a different image - a technical innovation of the time. 

I did wonder if these bluebells growing along the driveway to the Visitors Centre were an inspiration for the well known Wedgewood Blue Jasperware :^)

Precious Little

One of my teachers, Steve Harrison is having a show at the Watters Gallery in East Sydney from the 1 June to 18th June 2011.
He uses all his own locally found materials to make a special porcelain and fire in his own kiln made of his own handmade fire bricks - just amazing beautiful work.  Do get there if you can:

Each small bowl is like a precious jewel.

Here is an excerpt from his catalogue: 

These works that I have created for this show are very small and intimate. They are like little gems - jewels from my kiln, from my life. They are created as part of an attempt to live an honest life of commitment to art, creativity, and compassion, while being environmentally aware and caring.

My bowls are as perfect as I can make them, but they are not perfect, they are just what they are. They represent me at this time and place and in this way they are deeply flawed. They are also as perfectly beautiful as I can make them, however it is a strange beauty of imperfection, such that they have to be accepted as they are, with all their beautiful faults and flaws. So here am I and this is my work. These bowls are neither perfect nor imperfect, not beautiful or ugly, they represent neither success nor failure, they are just what they are.

Beautiful Porcelain

My friend, Inga, graduated the same year as me at Gymea TAFE.  Her work is outstanding.  Inga is taking part in a mentor program that provides professional experience in a small gallery (The Inner City Clayworkers at Glebe) - her first show opens next week.  If you or your friends are in Sydney then please call in while the show is on....

It runs from 26 May to 13 June 2011.  Just click on the image to enlarge for more details or follow the link to the gallery website.

Updated

I decided it was time to update the layout of this blog a little. I hope you like it.

This camellia grows in a protected courtyard which helps the flower stay pristine.

Revisited design

Some years ago I designed this jug and screen printed an image of my parents when they were in their youth:

I like the shape and so recently made another smaller jug based on this design using texture and glaze on glaze technique for decoration.  This now has me thinking about a shape for a teapot.....

Autumn

While I live in a temperate climate it does get cold enough for the change of seasons to be noticed.
I took these in a nearby street at dusk.