... I could...
... FLY
I took these photos from seat 21F on the way back from the Gold Coast to Sydney.
1 hour 10 minutes by plane; 10 hours on the road.
Sunday, 10 March 2013
Friday, 1 March 2013
GREEN & CREAM
Tomorrow's the day when I'll get my first glaze tests out of the kiln, a few scrolls and small bowls. If you don't hear me mention them again, you know the reason why! But I'm optimistic, so keeping fingers crossed.
As you might expect, I'm drawn towards the abounding natural beauty that the Southern Highlands has to offer, fantastic textures, and so much green! I'm mulling over a few forms and surfaces to develop. In my mind's eye, I'm thinking lime green, bleached grey, vertical gum trees...swaying...I'm thinking layers, stringy layers, charcoal grey, bright green against blue sky, scaly, flakey... I'm thinking stone, mottled, hue of lavendar blue...I'm thinking crusty, crumbly, parched ochre, baked sand, dotted termites, mounds of dusty sand and termite spittle...
As you might expect, I'm drawn towards the abounding natural beauty that the Southern Highlands has to offer, fantastic textures, and so much green! I'm mulling over a few forms and surfaces to develop. In my mind's eye, I'm thinking lime green, bleached grey, vertical gum trees...swaying...I'm thinking layers, stringy layers, charcoal grey, bright green against blue sky, scaly, flakey... I'm thinking stone, mottled, hue of lavendar blue...I'm thinking crusty, crumbly, parched ochre, baked sand, dotted termites, mounds of dusty sand and termite spittle...
You may have noticed an absence of the warmer colours of the spectrum. That's because these past few days, it's been raining SO HARD, SO MUCH and SO LOUD. Torrential, hour after hour. I've now got webbed feet, and toes like prunes; I made a lemon drizzle cake the other day, and we've renamed it Lemon Monsoon (http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/womanshour/food/recipe19.shtml). Floods in New South Wales and the Sydney area are daily headline news. Such testing weather conditions for so many Australians. I hope there's some respite for them soon.
Tuesday, 26 February 2013
C.O.G. (Cooking On Gas)
Yes, we're cooking on gas at last!
YG, CTS, BRT, CFS. Hmmmm! At first, I thought someone was pulling my leg, as if it was some kind of ceramic residency gullibility test. But no, these are the code names allocated to the clay I've decided to test, and seem to bear no real relevance to the clay itself as far as I can see. YG is a yellow stoneware; CTS (30# stoneware), and BRT (heavily grogged stoneware). I'm also testing a white raku and a porcelainious body too. However, communicating in short anachronyms is sometimes quite handy. Coffee time is easy - B.N.S for me (Black No Sugar).
The ceramic workshop at Sturt is a lively place - friendly, relaxed, industrious, and with good humour. Suits me fine. I'm sharing a workspace with Simon Bowley (prolific potter and much admired Sturt ceramic tutor), and Alex Standen (talented and thoughtful young ceramist). Additional regular inhabitants include Mr Chris Topp (who runs the Clayworks shop which is based in the pottery), and the numerous enthusiastic students who pop in to pot, get their heads down, and rise for a chat from time to time.
Having worked alone in my own studio for several years, it initially took a little getting used to sharing a space again. At first I felt self-conscious and aware of onlookers' expectant gaze, but I thought, Rachel, get over it, and now feel very comfortable and settled in. (That's not a complaint by the way - I recognise the times when I need company, and times when I need quiet time to get in my head a little more.)
I figure my first move is to start with what I know, ie to do some tests using my glaze recipes with the new materials, and on familiar forms, and then use the results as a benchmark from which I can gauge my next move. Watch this space - due to do a glaze firing this week. We're also going to do a woodfiring in April (It's still fire season at the moment, ie the bush can easily catch fire - that's another story), so I've been making a few pots for that as well.
PS. I nearly trod on a snake today - a big brown one! Apparently, you're supposed to stand still...No chance. I've never moved so fast. My heart was pumping ten to the dozen. That'll teach me to look up at the sky.
TTFN
(Ta Ta For Now)
www.simonbowleypottery.com
www.sturt.nsw.edu.au
www.clayworksaustralia.au
YG, CTS, BRT, CFS. Hmmmm! At first, I thought someone was pulling my leg, as if it was some kind of ceramic residency gullibility test. But no, these are the code names allocated to the clay I've decided to test, and seem to bear no real relevance to the clay itself as far as I can see. YG is a yellow stoneware; CTS (30# stoneware), and BRT (heavily grogged stoneware). I'm also testing a white raku and a porcelainious body too. However, communicating in short anachronyms is sometimes quite handy. Coffee time is easy - B.N.S for me (Black No Sugar).
The ceramic workshop at Sturt is a lively place - friendly, relaxed, industrious, and with good humour. Suits me fine. I'm sharing a workspace with Simon Bowley (prolific potter and much admired Sturt ceramic tutor), and Alex Standen (talented and thoughtful young ceramist). Additional regular inhabitants include Mr Chris Topp (who runs the Clayworks shop which is based in the pottery), and the numerous enthusiastic students who pop in to pot, get their heads down, and rise for a chat from time to time.
Having worked alone in my own studio for several years, it initially took a little getting used to sharing a space again. At first I felt self-conscious and aware of onlookers' expectant gaze, but I thought, Rachel, get over it, and now feel very comfortable and settled in. (That's not a complaint by the way - I recognise the times when I need company, and times when I need quiet time to get in my head a little more.)
I figure my first move is to start with what I know, ie to do some tests using my glaze recipes with the new materials, and on familiar forms, and then use the results as a benchmark from which I can gauge my next move. Watch this space - due to do a glaze firing this week. We're also going to do a woodfiring in April (It's still fire season at the moment, ie the bush can easily catch fire - that's another story), so I've been making a few pots for that as well.
PS. I nearly trod on a snake today - a big brown one! Apparently, you're supposed to stand still...No chance. I've never moved so fast. My heart was pumping ten to the dozen. That'll teach me to look up at the sky.
TTFN
(Ta Ta For Now)
www.simonbowleypottery.com
www.sturt.nsw.edu.au
www.clayworksaustralia.au
Wednesday, 20 February 2013
FINDING MY FEET
It's a week now I've been at Sturt. I feel like I've been here ages now. For the first few days I've been preoccupied by day to day trivial stuff, which when you first arrive somewhere new, seem to be important...shopping, bus & train times, broadband connections, and of course, noises in the night (real and imaginery), and time-wasting frustration with mobile phones.
It's been a random week of trips to Woolworths; restlessness in the workshop; up and down, up and down; chilly nights, even chilly days; 2 hour daydream on train trip to Sydney, and return; talk & demonstration by Vic Greenaway, meet up with Robin, Jenny & Samantha Welch; smelling the lovely water at Circular Quay and enjoying the hot sun; time with welcoming generous locals; comfort at feeling the new clay; yoga & pilates at local gym in Mittagong; bushwalk with locals in national park, leeches on legs; mozzy paranoia; missing my pots; meeting students in the pottery, camaraderie with fellow potters in workshop; curry night with the woodwork clan; watching puppies in the pet shop window; wishing I'd remembered to bring all my tools, glaze test preparation; rearranging my workspace umpteen times, and then putting it all back again; and wondering why on earth do cockatoos make so much noise! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_gAjfARBOis
I'm trying to find my ryhthm...it's coming bit by bit.
One thing's for sure, I can't use jet lag as an excuse anymore!
It's a week now I've been at Sturt. I feel like I've been here ages now. For the first few days I've been preoccupied by day to day trivial stuff, which when you first arrive somewhere new, seem to be important...shopping, bus & train times, broadband connections, and of course, noises in the night (real and imaginery), and time-wasting frustration with mobile phones.
It's been a random week of trips to Woolworths; restlessness in the workshop; up and down, up and down; chilly nights, even chilly days; 2 hour daydream on train trip to Sydney, and return; talk & demonstration by Vic Greenaway, meet up with Robin, Jenny & Samantha Welch; smelling the lovely water at Circular Quay and enjoying the hot sun; time with welcoming generous locals; comfort at feeling the new clay; yoga & pilates at local gym in Mittagong; bushwalk with locals in national park, leeches on legs; mozzy paranoia; missing my pots; meeting students in the pottery, camaraderie with fellow potters in workshop; curry night with the woodwork clan; watching puppies in the pet shop window; wishing I'd remembered to bring all my tools, glaze test preparation; rearranging my workspace umpteen times, and then putting it all back again; and wondering why on earth do cockatoos make so much noise! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_gAjfARBOis
I'm trying to find my ryhthm...it's coming bit by bit.
One thing's for sure, I can't use jet lag as an excuse anymore!
Home
Friday, 18 January 2013
THERE'S NO OTHER PLACE LIKE HOME?
I've always felt an affinity with Australia ever since my godfather, Ron, and his wife, Mary, (newly landed £10 Poms) gave me a jigsaw of Australia when I was 5. And so the seed was set. I've already visited a couple of times, and each time felt like I'd come home. I've held on to the hope that one day I might make pots there. This was the way to do it - apply for a professional residency in Oz. Early in 2012, whilst eating frogs (I'll explain another time) and having a 'what have I got to lose?' moment, I sent off my application for a residency at Sturt Craft Centre, Mittagong. No chance, I thought, but at least I tried.
We complain about the cost of postage nowadays, but the stamp for that letter was the best £1.62 I've ever spent. In November 2012 I was notified that my application was successful and the offer of a 3 month professional residency in Oz was MINE. Crikey! Surprise, Shock, Excitement. Cosmic Ordering (as long it's backed up with years of hardwork, single-minded application, and daring to try, and to keep trying) really does come true!
Three weeks to go now - most of the planning now in place, along with the support of an Arts Council England grant, and funding from the CPA Charitable Trust. Thank you to both. Brilliant!
Three weeks to go now - most of the planning now in place, along with the support of an Arts Council England grant, and funding from the CPA Charitable Trust. Thank you to both. Brilliant!
Whilst Down Under, I'll keep you posted with my work and share the experiences that will inspire me, my work and my living there. Like my head at the moment, it may start off as a bit of a jumble, but with time will settle into place.
If you like what you see, share your thoughts and feelings about my work through this blog.
If you like what you see, share your thoughts and feelings about my work through this blog.
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