Challenged

I recently attended a workshop run by the Port Hacking Potters Group with the American potter, Todd Pletcher.

Todd is a temporary resident in Australia and living a very different lifestyle here in central Sydney compared to his rural lifestyle at home in the USA.

His work is designed for the large wood kiln he built for himself at home and has lots of curves to catch the wood ash.
You can see more on his website here: https://www.pletcherpottery.com/

The workshop was run over two days and his technique suits a different style of pottery wheel to those we had available at the Gymea Ceramic Design Studio where it was held, as his technique needs a slow turn of the wheel and a quick move of the hands as the rims are cut. Maybe I just making excuses for being challenged? Others also found it a challenge though... even being back in a shared space with lots of chat instead of my own quiet home studio was different.

He has a great eye for detail and the clay needs to be constantly monitored as it drys.  More than I would usually need to do.

I enjoyed the challenge and have a couple of pieces that might be worth firing.

Todd Pletcher demonstrating his mugs

Inspired

With the very dry weather we have had for the last few months the gum trees are becoming stressed and dropping their leaves..

I collected some and thought how lovely the colours would be on some pots...

I am taking the inspiration and seeing what I can do

As is always the case with underglazes... what you see is not always what you get once they have been through two firings and have a glaze on top.

We shall see...  stay tuned..