Platter.

Love pushing a freshly thrown vessel about with a piece of bamboo.

Footed bowl/greenware.

It's Tuesday, pots are dry and ready for a bisque firing tonight.

Big foot really loves warm weather.

I love Autumn. Not so hot that you can't be bothered, but still warm enough to get things done quickly. This bowl thrown at about 11PM (last night). Foot thrown on base at 3PM (today). Should be in the kiln on Tuesday.

We have colour...

I've been working on decoration for a little while now. Not something that comes naturally to me, but I think this works.

I still enjoy a minimal vessel, so perhaps it could equally spend as much time turned to the not so busy back side.

White bowl.

One of those bowls I'm glad I kept.
               
Today I finished off glazing a kiln load of white bowls with some colour brushed on here and there.
Not sure how they will turn out, I was intrigued when I caught this bowl in the afternoon sun.
Simple, with no fancy adornment, I'm now worried that I'm going the wrong way. Colour, why do I need colour?
Guess one should not look back too often.

First bowls for 2013.

First bowls out of the kiln this year. All bowls were fault free, so bodes well for a good 2013.
I threw these bowls on the last day of 2012 and trimmed the foot on New Years day. Interesting that I spontaneously changed the inner foot (the bit that faces the table surface) to almost flat. I formed it with my thumb and compressed it with a hard bit of bamboo. I think it was just a reaction or tiredness to the mess created by the trimmings flying off and landing on the floor. This is the messy part and the bain of my studio practice. Using the thumb to form the desired shape rather than cutting the shape with a metal tool. The bamboo creates a slight recess. The other advantage to this is that there is no water to splash out when removing from the dishwasher.
So I think, a win win!

Containment @ The Ian Potter Centre

Containment: 2012 Cicely & Colin Rigg Contemporary Design Award

I loved it all, and just when I thought it could not possibly get any better; the next room was full of a who's who of 20th century studio ceramics. Though no Lucie Rie, Hans Coper or Bernard Leach, unfortunately.
I went with a bunch of friends visiting from O/S (U.K & Denmark); so it was a quick walk through (wanting to see more of the Potter gallery), and I think I missed a bit on the right side. I WILL go back again... and again.
To criticise it, I would have to say that everyone except probably Marian Hosking was in their safe space. No one was exploring new ground, just seeming to make their usual, but on a bigger scale.
So with that in mind, I think Marian Hosking deservedly won. Though they are all winners to me.


Containment: 2012 Cicely & Colin Rigg Contemporary Design Award.
The Ian Potter Centre: NGV Australia | 23 November 2012 - 21 July 2013 | FREE

Containment @ The Ian Potter Centre

2013, your here!

Lots of things flowering in 2012, but I'm looking for new things to blossom in 2013.
I hope the same for you.

For next year.

Sliding into position: A just thrown on the potters wheel bowl, cut off and (still wet and soft) carefully placed (slid for dramatic effect) on the shelf.

I've neglected this blog, again...

I've been researching, throwing and throwing. 

It continues to amaze me how subtle a variation in curve can be between a bowl that stands to attention and a dumpy thing. 

Also, I tend to concentrate on shape and glaze, It's just what I've always done and enjoy. I feel the need to decorate, I've been in company of some exquisitely decorated vessels lately. 

I'm fighting against it.

Sliding into position.

A just thrown on the potters wheel bowl, cut off and (still wet and soft) carefully placed (slid for dramatic effect) on the shelf.

Vase with no name.

This is the first in a new series of vases.
I can't find the rite name for it. Please help, what do you think should be its name?



Also:
I have a new facebook page: www.facebook.com/andrewwiddis.potter

Swirl bowl with cream on white glaze.

I was looking at this bowl yesterday and was taken by how the glossy glaze and the swirls has such a lovely fluid look.
It has taken many glaze tests to get this super smooth glossy glaze, and about as many tests to get the cream and white combination to look just right, but I think it's been worth it.
The glaze tests are those strange things to the left of the bowl. I've got quite a collection now. Perhaps I should start making them more like chess pieces and start a side line.



I have a new facebook page: www.facebook.com/andrewwiddis.potter

Bud vase.

It's Spring here in Australia, and the warm weather kicked in on Monday (unfortunately so did the hay fever). 

I purchased a new house yesterday.

Ann Ferguson makes these wonderful little houses, along with various factories and trees.
I plan to own a new neighbourhood before the end of the year; I love them!

The Real Estate agent I'm using is SMALLpieces.

2 bowls.

Simple white bowls.

Cobalt brushwork.

I find it a little risky adding cobalt brushwork to a bowl.
An off day with the brush can leave the previous weeks work of throwing and bisque firing wrecked*. So after a 48 hour glaze firing, opening that kiln door to see the results can be quite inspiring or a real downer.
Luckily I found this bowl greeting me when I opened the kiln this morning.

*cobalt intensifies after firing. So the results can't really be seen when raw (unfired).

Pink everlasting.

Here comes the sun.
As the days sun strengthens, the rhodanthe chlorocephala (pink everlasting) unfurls its petals.


Rewards from scattering seeds a few months ago.

Orange glaze test.

Can I have your thoughts on this glaze.
The grey patch near the top is from a spot of ash, which I quite like.

Greenware-bowl foot.

The foot of a pot has to be the bit I struggle with.
For me, it's the bit that makes or breaks a good pot.
So I will continue to work on perfecting this part, along with the rim and the rest of the pot.
Perfection is forever just over the horizon; So the journey continues.