Gabriel Brubacher.

I first found this Youtube clip over a year ago, I still love it.
How quickly can you work out the trick to it?

Geoffrey Swindell.

One of my favourite youtube clips by Tom Swindell of his celebrated potter father Geoffrey Swindell.

Asimo.

An interesting clip featuring "ASIMO".

2008, my favourites pics.

2008 was a year of much experiment. And I see 2009 as a year of consolidating these ideas, though I have been having fun with a new idea on the wheel over the last few days.
In 2009 I want to visit more exhibitions; I'd like to try and organise a viewing of the NGV's hidden ceramics collection in particular.

Merry Christmas and a happy 2009.

Jeff Mincham: Living Treasure 2009.

"Having completed five years of training, including a year with Milton Moon at the South Australian School of Art and one with Les Blakebrough at the Tasmanian School of Art, I was particularly well-equipped for a career in ceramics.

My first exhibition held at the Jam Factory, Adelaide in 1976 was a culmination of what had been a greatly varied student experience. However, by the time of my first Sydney exhibition, a strong landscape theme was clearly evident which has continued to evolve to the present time.

For over thirty years I have had the good fortune to live and work in a remarkable landscape setting at Cherryville in the Adelaide Hills. My studio window looks eastward across deep timbered valleys and forested ranges that provide a dramatic backdrop to some spectacular weather events, so it is hardly surprising that the colours, moods, textures and events of the landscape should find their way into my work.

For some seventeen years Raku dominated my output with many adaptations and variations. Having taught and demonstrated Raku techniques throughout Australia and widely overseas during this time, it was surprising that I rather suddenly moved in a different direction in 1996. Some residual of the Raku years stayed with me and I suppose always will, however an intense focus on landscape themes gave rise to a radically different range of techniques and processes not commonly known or used in the ceramics world. This process is ongoing and brings with it both frustration and excitement. I consider this essential to the nature of ceramics as an art form, even when it makes maintaining a demanding exhibition schedule very difficult. It also keeps alive the sense of adventure that clay has always had for me. Having survived for thirty years as a full-time practitioner, I still feel a sense of excitement at the prospect of new ideas and possibilities."

Chunky shino.

This shino stands up so well. Have a look at the lump on the rim. I'm going to have some fun with this glaze.

Reduction fired porcelain.

My new favourite!
Look carefully, left and right sides you might just make out some circles.

Shino.

This is a test bowl with a fancy rolled rim, but that's not what I love about it! It's the new shino glaze that's working a treat that I love. The shino glaze is the circular pattern. Over a glaze it doesn't do it's fancy shino orange effect, but when it's only on the clay body, and thin, it gives a wonderfull orange flash.

Platter.

400mm x 81mm

I occasionally make a big platter. This one is for my Uncle; He likes to cook up a storm.
I'll be in town this weekend Bill. Mixing bowls are coming soon, I promise.

Porcelain bowl with oxide.

It's cold this morning. It's been raining for the last couple of days and the hint of summer (a few days of +30 deg. C) seems to have washed away. Don't get me wrong, love the rain, we certainly need it.
A coffee and a few hours should fix the temp. and it can rain all day; love the sound of rain on a tin roof.
Today some little bowls are on the "to make list"; and maybe a Sake set. I was arranging a little bowl and bud vase, and the thought of a Sake set came to mind. They look nice together; you can have the Sake though.

Now for that coffee!

Altered porcelain vessel.

Bud vase.

A little bud vase on my desk is full to the brim with little paper daisies and billy buttons. Those paper daisies go on for weeks without any sign of deteriorating. You should get some. Sure to brighten up the day.

Altered porcelain .

It's not easy firing thin porcelain to a near state of melting, but the translucency and vitreous nature make it all worth the occasional loss. My last firing was just over cone ten (over 1280 deg. Celsius) not good, only two successful pieces from a whole kiln load. Cross fingers for the next firing.
I think my elements in the electric kiln are getting tired/old. The Harco kiln sitter chucks a wobbly at 1240 deg. So from then on it's up by only about 25 deg. an hour. And a vigilant watch through the spy hole with my welders goggles to watch the cone fall over. I've got a collection of bent cones now. I think they'd make a wonderful "African" wild animal tooth necklace. Any takers?

Clay delivered with a bulldozer.

Axedale clay.

This clay pile looks very dark. It's because it's wet. The little white patch to the left of the bulldozer is where he has scrapped the top off to get some dry clay. So it won't clag up in the crusher.

The pink clay to the right is more like McKenzie’s clay. More iron oxide and perhaps titanium.

It was overcast on the day. All the photos came back so flat. I had a fiddle with them. Now they're a touch on the contrasty side, and with a slight cyan cast. I'll have a fiddle with the RAW files later.

Come back again, I'm sorry.
I wanted to post them though. I think they are fascinating, regardless of the cast. I do realize they could be totally boring to most people too.

I went to Axedale (potters heaven)for some stoneware clay. The stoneware I've been using also comes from Axedale, but the other side of the creek, it's known as McKenzie's clay. I've been continuously getting "S" cracks with McKenzie's clay. I've tried everything to solve the problem, but now have given up! The Axedale clay is whiter, but does not (supposedly) have an issue with "S" cracks. I can always add a bit of iron oxide to the body for my Shino and Celedon glazes.

Porcelain.

Rough and ready Shino one day. Soft subtle porcelain the next.
I love them both!

AUSTRALIAN STUDIO CERAMICS 1930–1990.

A great selection of AUSTRALIAN STUDIO CERAMICS 1930–1990 is up for auction.
You can have a look at the catalogue online click here.
Auction is on:
WED 19 NOVEMBER
AT 7PM
Address:
Shapiro
162 Queen Street
Woollahra NSW 2025 Australia
Gallery hours Mon–Fri 9am–5pm, Sat 11am–5pm
Ph: (612) 9326 1588
Fax: (612) 9326 1305

Thankfully they did!

Red enamel.

I've been having fun with red enamel. I've discovered that if you over fire it it can split like it has in these photos. And I love it! But, if you don't do it right, it runs all over the place, and that looks horrible. Too horrible to put on my blog spot. Just think of lots of dribbling red and you've got it. It also doesn't do a lot of good to your kiln shelves. So, if you want to give it a burl, I suggest putting your pieces on throw away bits of shelf.