Jugs revisited

I 'm revisiting jugs today

I made this one while a student - a bit of sloppy glaze on glaze work there too :(

this afternoon I threw a couple of different sizes and hope to get back to trim and put handles on tomorrow

and sometimes a ball of clay just wants to be different - well it happens to me :^)

Remember to check out Mud Colony or drop by my Facebook page - I had a give away there this week.  I hope the brooches arrive safely at their new owners places.

morning walk bonus plus Facebook

This morning I went for a walk and on the way home could not resist picking these nasturtium flowers plus the fluffy one - they are garden escapees on the edge of a reserve so I felt OK about picking them.

 I had intended selling this vase on my next stall but it was just the right size and I can always make another one.  It is porcelain with black slip.

I'll be linking over to Mud Colony and you also might like to know I am having a give away on my Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/AnnasCeramics
Enjoy the rest of your weekend :^)

At the Cronulla Spring Fair

Over the weekend I took part in the Cronulla School of Arts open days as part of the Cronulla Spring Fair.
It was a big event with the main street closed off, stalls all the way around both sides of the street, music, slides and rides and a vintage car display.

The Cronulla School of Arts is one of the few that is still owned and operated by the members and not taken over by the local council.. quite a feat in this day and age.

The Port Hacking Potters are one of the longest standing groups in the collection of craft groups that make up the School of Arts.  There is also a very active theatre group which puts on some great shows during the year.  It was their 50th anniversary this year and they were giving tours of 'back stage'.

As you can see from these historical photos, the School of Arts has been going a lot longer than 50yrs.
Groups with displays included the Spinners and Weavers:

Inke and friend sat in the window and drew interested onlookers

the Lace Makers had some activities for the young ones

some beautiful patchwork on display 

and then there were a few potters with work for sale...
we didn't sell much but it was mainly about letting people know we are part of the activities...

From bowls to bottles

As my followers will know, I have made lots of bowls this year for the Empty Bowls project (which by the way raised almost $8000).

Now that that is finished I have started on bottles :^)

that one on the right is better than it looks in the photo.

I'm thinking the two on the left will be glaze decoration while the one on the right will be a combination of my usual underglaze and print...  maybe some yellow and black??

Saturday and Sunday I'll be over at the Port Hacking Potters sale in the Cronulla School of Arts with a couple of other members of the Group.  Call by and say hi if you are over that way..  check their blog for more detail here: http://www.porthackingpotters.blogspot.com.au/

over to Mud Colony now to see what others are up to..

Tadpole rescue

those of you who are also my Facebook friends will remember I was trying to rescue tadpoles this week.

It came about as I had decided to relocate my water lily plants from a fibreglass pond in a garden, to a large pot.  As my husband was the one who drained the water into plastic tubs I was unaware of the tadpoles until he told me there were wiggley things in the bottom of the old pond.

site of old pond

On investigation I discovered the wiggly things were tadpoles and quite large ones too.  We mostly have little grass frogs nearby and in the 10 years that pond had been there this is the first time there have been tadpoles.

tub full of water lily plant just shooting after winter nap

This pot was part of a water feature with the old pond, now full of water I am hoping the Nandina and the red leafed plant (name of which escapes me just now), will start to get roots so I can replant them in the garden.
the pot was thrown in two parts, joined and decorated with terra sigulata slip before being pit fired.

Now my concern for the tadpoles is that in the old pond they could have just hopped off into the garden once they had turned into frogs.  Not so easy from a large pot.

There normal habitat outside my fence has dried up in the last month so no chance to return them to the wild at this stage.  The best I can do is give them a stick to climb up and hope for the best.

the water lily pot is a commercial one and probably imported but was purchased from an Australian company.  I'll have to top up the water slowly so the leaves can grow and float on top.

Not much on my own clay work this week so hop (pardon the pun) over to Mud Colony and see what other potters have been up to...

successful Empty Bowls fund raiser

Yesterday was THE day of the Empty Bowls event I have been helping the Port Hacking Potters, students at Hazelhurst and the Ceramic Design Studio work towards for the last 8mths or more.

The organizer did a tremedous job and teaming up with the local Shire Lioness Club meant we had some mentoring along the way though there were some differences in philosophy here and there it all came together and was a success on so many levels.

The PHPG have gained some new members, the students at Hazelhurst have seen the value of their work in clay and best of all the charity that  were designated as the recipent of the funds raised will benefit both financially and through a higher profile in our community.  Win Win Win...

an early in the day pic - the gaps between bowls grew as the day went on

view of the students work being rearranged by our volunteers - Silent Auction in the middle...

amazing what can happen when people are prepared to give of themselves and their skills...

and a highlight of my day was meeting up with Tanya of Hop'n Frog Pottery who generously gave 4 pieces of work to the Silent Auction.

here we are  :^)

and here is the work that Tanya donated, aren't they beautiful and so professionally finished! They even come with their own numbered and signed card!!  That black incense burner with the cute little ladybird bugs was won by me in the Silent Auction and now sits happily in my home.

we weren't able to have a pottery wheel in the hall so I put together this display

 

 

I'll be posting this over on Mud Colony and to my Facebook page too...

empty bowls day in the morning

the Empty Bowls Day is tomorrow and we have lots to do..
including unpacking all these boxes and other boxes...
Soup bowls
Silent Auction works
Market tables... for student works....
nite nite

More Empty Bowls

Most of my time has been taken up with the Empty Bowls Project this week, plus the usual family stuff.  My poor friends must all be feeling very neglected...

Here are some snaps of what I've been packing today..

I altered this one using a technique I saw on a YouTube clip

this one has a tan slip, then carved then a Transparent Green Glaze over the top

similar technique to the one above

Port Hacking Potters have made nearly two hundred bowls between us all - about the same by student potters at Hazelhurst Arts Centre and the TAFE Ceramic Design Studio

this went well with yellow slip and tissue print decoration

If you have friends in Sydney do encourage them to come along - details on the Port Hacking Potters blog - here:Port Hacking Potters Empty Bowls event

or the Empty Bowls Facebook page: Empty Bowls 24 August 2013

if you can't get there then check out the studio happenings at Mud Colony.

Sales at Sydney Teapot Show 2013

I have just learned that two of my teapots sold at the opening of the Sydney Teapot Show.
I am so very pleased these have a new home..

"T Babe" Wheel Thrown stoneware with underglaze and tissue print decoration. SOLD

"Illawarra Flame"  Wheel thrown stoneware with underglaze decoration. SOLD

I hope their new owners are very happy with them.

Hardenbergia or Sarsparilla Vine and bottoms

This lovely Hardenbergia or Sarsparilla vine is in full bloom next to the pottery studio at Hazelhurst Art Centre.  It caught my eye as I was walking in yesterday to catchup a class I missed earlier in the week due to meetings about the Empty Bowls Project.

I love the way it scrambles across the landscape without taking over other plants, it just embellishes them.

And then this afternoon was spent cleaning bottoms - of bowls - 70 of them... again for the Empty Bowls project... we have another kiln load underway so with those and the 100 plus also from students at the classes at Hazelhurst and more from the TAFE students at the Ceramic Design Studio across the road, I am feeling much easier..

this one of mine came through quite well.
By the way, I also have a Facebook page: AnnasCeramics
And a Facebook Group: Anna's Aussie Ceramics

Not forgetting the Blog Link up site for potters: Mud Colony

See you around :^)