the conflict of relaxation, travel and preparing for an exhibition

I have been away for nearly two weeks and had a lovely time catching up with family and pottery friends...

You would think that would be a lovely relaxing time and while it was... there was also this underlying feeling that I should be 'DOING' work for my exhibition.

Tomorrow will certainly see me getting back to work on some of my exhibition pieces... yay!!

Our holiday was something of a road trip... not really the best idea in the searing summer temperatures of 40 degrees celsius at times.

We made frequent stops to have a drink and stretch our legs...  below was a roadside stop for travellers in a small town in Northern NSW... it was good to see the river running so high at this time of year.

Photobombed by a Straw Necked Ibis..

 Once we arrived at our destination near the beach we found the water was very choppy and not very enticing for a poor swimmer such as me... I did make use of the pool at the holiday apartment.

choppy seas

an evening walk and the underside of a Pandanus tree

a market trip and a chat with a very new ceramic artist, Oskar & Koko Ceramics... so new she doesn't have an online site yet but keep a look out at the markets on the Sunshine Coast for her lovely pinch pots.

Annalisa of Oskar & Koko Ceramics at the Caloundra Markets

Pinch pot and trinket and good packaging too

My husband is not a potter but very patient and happy to take me to see my pottery friends. We took a drive further north to meet up with the talented clay artist, Ellen Appleby... have a look at her website here: https://ellensappleby.com.au/

Ellen kindly gave me this book of which she had found she had an extra copy.  Margaret Preston was an artist of the 1940s who was one of the first to use the local flora in her designs.  She also dabbled in pottery.  She is mostly known for her printmaking which were mostly wood cut prints. The book is by Deborah Edwards and Rose Peel.(2005, Art Gallery of NSW).

Thank you Ellen, I shall enjoy renewing my knowledge about this artist.

While all this is happening and is very enjoyable, at the back of my mind I am thinking about that load of bisque ware that is waiting at home... it needs more work before I can fire it again...  I need to start the next edition....

Still, more happy encounters on the way home...
We called in to see Marian of the blog: A Love Affair With Clay
if you follow Marian you will know her studio is part of an amazing barn in the country... we met through a mutual friend of the blogging world a few years ago, Adriana Christenson.  This time we did a swap and I came home with one of Marian's super spoons... look at that glaze!

From there we headed back to the coast to the holiday town of Ballina which is on the Richmond River near the sea.

While sitting on the balcony we saw a turtle feeding on the tiny fish that appear to thrive in the area... no photo of the turtle but a nice view...

Richmond River, Ballina NSW

We stayed for two nights so that we could catch up with some more pottery/clay maker folk..

Amanda Bromfield kindly hosted lunch and invited two others along, Debby Gower and Gregory Furney who I have known online but never met in person before.  
Amanda does some amazing exhibitions including an installation 'happening' concerning Domestic Violence which was called 'Gone Girl'.  There is even a video of the event which can be found on YouTube or check out her website
http://www.amandabromfield.com/index.php

Debby travelled to France as part of her exhibition to do with the ANZAC centenary commemorations last year.  Her website here: https://deborahgowerceramics.com/

Gregory and his wife have an amazing home where they host workshops of all kinds including mosaics and he also has his own studio there...
http://villarusticabyronbay.com.au/home/

Amanda and I did a swap and I came home with one of her "Gone Girl" installation yellow dresses... I think this will go to my studio as inspiration ..

"Gone Girl" installation piece. Amanda Bromfield (2016)

We visited the nearby Lake Ainsworth that afternoon.. Since then the lake has been used by bush fire fighting helicopters to contain a bush fire to the north of the lake... that is summer in Australia...

then it was back on the road for the long drive home... punctuated by a stop off for refreshments and oh look, a second hand bookshop and pottery books... 50% off the marked price... not sure how good they will be but couldn't resist..

more driving and another overnight stop

one of the older bridges along the way

then home...

and back to reality, a nice surprise in the garden...Studio here I come!

bisque done

just a peek in one shelf of my bisque this week... the rest is mostly to do with my exhibition works which I want to keep as a surprise...