Saturday Shelfie

Many of you will know that I have a Group page on Facebook called Anna's Aussie Ceramics.

Each week I invite members of the group to post a "Saturday Shelfie" to share their own work.

My own contribution this week was this one...

Have a nice weekend and thanks for dropping by...

The Sydney Teapot Show 2015 Sneak Peek

Not long now for the Teapot Show.

I will be delivering my teapots during the week to the Inner City Clayworkers Gallery at Glebe NSW which is just a short bus ride from Central Railway Station.

The official opening is Friday 31 July and the show runs until the end of August...

Do try to get along. The talent and skill and variety of teapots, both functional and decorative are just amazing and well worth the trip.

Here is a peek of one of mine

detail - "Bag End Green" 

Each year there are a choice of themes to inspire entrants and this year one theme is "The Shire Teapot" and yes, you guessed it... all things Hobbit.

I think it will be a very popular theme.  I'll have two entries in that section plus one non-themed teapot which is inspired by local bush flowers.

I'm looking forward to seeing some wonderful pots...

Updated Portfolio

I've recently updated my online Portfolio - you might like to have a look:

Anna's Ceramics Portfolio

Second Firing OK For Sydney Teapot Show

This afternoon I unpacked the second load of teapots and matching extras.

Hurrah, they all look good.

A bit of smoothing of the bases and they will be ready in time for the Sydney Teapot Show which opens on Wednesday 29 July with the Official Opening on Friday 31 July..

Do try to get along - the creations that people make each year are just amazing! And of course you might like to take one home... Functional and decorative so something for everyone...

One of the teapots in the first firing failed to make the grade with a small crack appearing near the handle... my Fb friends have suggested various ways to 'fix' it but I'll see how I go...

small crack near handle

 I enjoyed the design and made matching cups so perhaps I'll try making another to match the lid.

unsaleable due to crack near handle

Its all part of the game with pottery...

Less Sun = Less Solar Power

Wouldn't you know the day I turn on my little electric kiln the sun disappears behind the clouds.

The day I fired my bisque firing the sun was shining and the solar panels supplied all the power needed while the kiln was running.

Today I went out early to turn it on and the sun was shining, however the cloud has now spread to a grey and gloomy day.  The panels will still produce some power but as it is only around 15 degrees celcius outside we are also running our heater...

Not to worry, most days in Sunny Sydney we have ample sunshine and it is winter here now..

I repacked that top shelf after taking this photo.  I turned the shelf sideways so that the pots were not so close to the pyrometer... my theory being that it will get a more accurate reading in the more open part of the kiln.  Fingers crossed..

A day to cool so it will be Friday before I can see the results...

A bisque and good friends

My little kiln is filled to over-flowing, literally!

As you may know I'm working on teapots for the Sydney Teapot Show and also made teabowls and a tea canister to match...

Plus I made some tiles to show how my Deco, Walkers and Blackwattle underglazes look after firing...

Well after bringing them all inside to be able to dry them fully, taking them back and packing the kiln to do their first bisque firing.... wait for it.... They Don't All Fit!

BOther!

Fortunately the people I used to do my firing with, Port Hacking Potters Group are a generous lot and Jitka is a generous soul.

She is firing a bisque at the club today and was happy to fit mine in with hers... yay! thank you Jitka.

What that means though is that I'll be doing two glaze firings...

Not to worry as I'll have enough shelves now that I have (with help from my handy hubby) retrieved the shelf that had a glaze run...

Remember this mess?

Well now it looks like this...

still a stain there to remind me to be careful but no actual glaze so I can put pieces over that area.

Kiln is running, the sun came out to help the solar panels along and hopefully I'll unpack, glaze and refire during the coming week...

See you over on Facebook :)

Busy in the studio

It's a while since I posted...

For the very good reason that I am busy making teapots for the Sydney Teapot Show. Yes, still at it..  the weather has been cold and wet so things have been slow to dry enough to trim...

While waiting for one lot to dry I started with a different clay, white this time...

teapots are made up of a lidded vessel, a spout and a handle

managing all those elements so that they dry at a similar rate and can be joined together can be tricky even when the weather is good...

The teapots are all put together ready to be decorated so I threw some tea bowls to match...

while waiting for the bowls to dry the decorating could be started...

these are being hidden until the show opens...

I'm using underglazes but also a product called graphite paper to inscribe my design onto the teapot bodies and lids..

so at last all the pieces are complete... now to let them all get dry so I can begin the firing and glazing process.

Time for some soup.. vege soup made even tastier with Bay Leaves grown at the home of Dawn Whitehand.  After visiting while on holiday near her, I came away with so many leaves!!  I have a big jar full in the pantry now... they should see me through the winter of soups and casseroles, thanks Dawn :)

I've also been meeting up with pottery friends during the week, we went to see an exhibition called "Hands On" in the Palm House at the Botanic Gardens.  The exhibition was put on by a group of friends, many of whom belong to  the Port Hacking Potters Group.

Amanda and Janet at the "hands on" exhibition at the Palm House in the Sydney Royal Botanic Gardens

Sculpture and pots by Bob Wood

Pots by Jitka K

Mugs by Jitka K (love the way they are displayed) 

Ceramic art and paintings by Rosalie Duligal

leaves on the path from the Gingko tree

the Gingko tree still has leaves in the balmy harbour side gardens

Thanks for dropping by and see you over on Facebook...

New Friends, an exhibition plus teapots

I've had a busy week.

More work on those teapots I started the week before... they are under wraps for now. Literally to slow their drying but also to keep them a surprise until they are ready for the Sydney Teapot Show.

blending underglaze colours to decorate teapots

Then it was onto throwing more teapots with a white clay this time

teapot lids are often thrown upside down

I met a new friend, Amanda Bromfield who is a ceramic sculptor and caught up with another friend  I don't see very often, Tanya of Hop'n Frog Pottery..

The three of us met up at the Kerrie Lowe Gallery in Newtown.

We enjoyed seeing the Printed Image exhibition. There are so many talented ceramic artists in this show...

including Ellen Appleby from Noosa who somehow has managed to print on both sides of these "postcards".. so clever

"postcards" by Ellen Appleby with 'nests' by Elaine Bradley in the background

Its always nice to make new friends and potters are generally a friendly bunch so I hope its not too long before we catch up again..

I've been checking out some of my past teapots and seeing which ones I like and how I might improve on the designs...

This one was made for my great niece and included cups and saucers

white stoneware thrown on the wheel.  Green glaze fired to stoneware then refired with violet decals. (2007)

the next week will be busy finishing the white clay teapots and getting them decorated... hope you have a lovely week... maybe I'll see you on Facebook :)

Teapots underway

It is the Queen's Birthday holiday weekend here in Sydney NSW...
Many people will be starting their holiday in the Snowy Mountains (about 380 Km away) where there have been early snow falls.

Perisher Valley Snow Resort

For me it means some time in the studio

Wheel thrown teapot parts

I have started throwing teapots..  I am using a relatively new clay called Ironstone which is, as the name suggests, high in iron oxide but unlike terracotta clay, this one will fire to high stoneware temperatures.

The Sydney Teapot Show has some interesting sections this year and I'm hoping for a rustic look..

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Well known ceramic artist, Vipoo Svirilasa is calling for contributions to a large installation he is putting in place at the Shepparton Art Museum soon.  I've sent off a few seconds for him to use along with the plastic and other cast-offs the art will include...

So, teapots on the work list for the foreseeable future but also meet ups with other potters in the coming week, so do call by again soon..

Nice to be noticed - thank you :)

Once again this blog has had a mention on the Clay Blog Review...

You might like to check out some of the others listed ... see you back here soon

CLAY BLOG REVIEW