Morning fog.

After a hot dry Summer; Finally a cold wet morning

White ash glaze.

The bowl has a sgraffito line under the glaze, which makes the ash glaze crawl. 

The cup has a red iron oxide brush work under the glaze.  

33% of this glaze came from my fire place, and It was totally black before firing.  

The orange line at the bottom of the glaze is fuming from the ash. The body and glaze have been heavily reduced from 900 °C to finish at cone 10.

Inside the vessels is a tenmoku glaze.

I'm off to the kitchen to complete the cup with Caffè latte.

Ash glaze recipe: 33/33/33 eucalyptus (Whipstick Iron Bark) ash/silica/potash feldspar(soda feldspar makes a glossy crazed blue (the green spot in the image above is most likely a fleck of iron oxide).

Arthur Boyd.

Arthur Boyd Australia 1920-99, lived in England 1959-68 "David and Saul" c. 1952 Murrumbeena, Melbourne earthernware

David and Hermia Boyd.

New ceramics on display at The Ian Potter Centre:
NGV Australia.

"David Boyd

born Australia 1924, lived in Europe 1950-55, 1962-75

Hermia Boyd

born Australia 1931, lived in Europe 1950-55, 1962-75

Coffee pot

late 1950s-60s Murrumbeena, Melbourne

earthernware

Bequest of Collette Redden, 2003

David Boyd developed his skills as a production potter while helping his brother Guy Boyd at the Martin Boyd Pottery, which they set up in 1946. In 1948 David Boyd married Hermia Lloyd-Jones and, for two years in Sydney, the couple produced a range of wares marked "Hermia Ware", between 1950 and 1975, David and Hermia regularly moved between England and France where they established pottery studios. Visits home during these years overseas saw them working at the Arthur Merric Boyd Pottery at Murrumbeena, Melbourne."

The Ian Potter Centre: NGV Australia.

Looking back.

I was reflecting on some old pieces this morning; I picked up the vase on the far right because it has that dribble effect on the rim that I used to do a lot. I still like it, but it does not work so well on the pieces I've been doing lately.
I realised it's probably ten years old now, time goes fast, or is it that looking back, it seems one has not done much. The other pieces are at least ten years old too.

Honours year 2010.

I'll be back at Uni. this year (2010).

I felt I was loosing direction last year, and thought access to people and equipment in one place would be the best way to find that direction.

My research will investigate the relevance of hand made ceramic tableware in today's disposable society.

A topic that is obviously very close to me and one that I think we all need to think about.

I will pose the following questions:

1. Is a craftsperson's skill irrelevant in a developed society.

2. Should a person who has a desire to use their hands for making, more than is just practical, only make "art".

3. Should something like tableware have something to offer other than just the function of containing food.

4. Can it add warmth and well-being through being individual; containing within a sense of the humanity that made it.

I'd love to hear your thoughts.

Click here to e-mail me.

Summer holidays.

Beach at Rye

Well this week I got that back to work feeling. About time really; Getting tired of lugging a bag.

Highlights would have to be the exhibitions. Rupert Bunny: artist in Paris at The Art gallery of NSW in Sydney last week was a good one to finish with.

Pizza Stone.

A friend bought a "Pizza Stone" recently.

I made my own, and tonight I finally got to use it.

I love a quick homemade pizza. And now instead of being on the soggy side, it's a crispy homemade pizza.

Pottery Critiques on Facebook.

If you use "Facebook" I think you should have a look at Pottery Critiques.

For a link, click here.
For a link to my post on Pottery Critiques way back on 13 December 2009, click here, and please comment.

Bigger Penguin pourers.

Size from left to right 170mm, 220mm, 270mm and 75mm high.

Being asked to make them bigger, I have. The tallest so far is 300mm (not shown) I am reluctant to make them any bigger, but who knows, I like a challenge.

It's interesting how fresh eyes can see something quite diferently. I would have thought the Penguin Pourers would be clumsy if made too big, but I think they have come up quite well.

Just don't ask me to put handles on them.

Melbourne skyline.

From top Victorian Arts Centre Spire,

Eureka Tower (Fender Katsalidis Architects),

Melbourne skyline

Probably the best view of Melbourne I've ever been peivileged enough to view; and I was fortunate to have my camera in hand.

It was a balmy Summer night with a thunder storm rolling in behind the city.

The Whipstick forest yesterday, was bliss.

A short walk from home.

This walk through the Whipstick forest yesterday was bliss.

I wish I could attach sound & smell. The sound: crickets, cicadas, wattle birds and the occasional Australian magpie. Smell: Eucalyptus and Acacia. The weather at the moment is a just right 25°C blue sky with a few clouds.

John Perceval: Romulus and Remus with wolf mother.

"Sculpture by John Perceval: Romulus and Remus with wolf mother, earthernware, handbuilt with sang-de-boeuf type glaze, 1961. This work is part of a series on the theme of angels, drawing on the work of Italian artists of the 1500s and angel devil figures in Perceval's paintings."

Collection of: Powerhouse Museum, Sydney, NSW, Australia.

For further information on "John Perceval: Romulus and Remus with wolf mother" from Powerhouse Museum' website, click here.

Road trip.

There's something to be said for taking the long way.

I'd forgotten what a big old country town was like. Big old dusty roads, with wide wrought iron verandahs.

The best chocolate molted milkshakes and hamburgers with a crust.

I've almost convinced myself to go on a long drive to find more of these wonderful old Victorian era buildings and parks.

Photo 1. Benalla, VIC. Photos 2 and 3. Victory Memorial Gardens,Wagga Wagga, NSW, Photo 4. Commonwealth Aircraft Corporation "Winjeel" c. 1955, Wagga Wagga, NSW,Photo 5. Goulburn Court House, NSW.

A plate a day.

left to right: Jane Sawyer, Andrew Widdis (me) and Yasha Butler.

A plate a day is holding a

CONTEST FOR PLATE #300

Click here for a link to the site, and more info.

Penguin pourers Mark III.

It's interesting how you can think you've made something that's as good as it's going to get. Then the next lot make them look daggy. It almost makes me think I should just make them for myself. I am still haunted by some of the first ceramics I made. I gave them to family and friends. I was proud of them at the time, but, with good intention, they come out at social events and horrify me. I had the pleasure of finding some of these early pieces in my Brothers kitchen in Copenhagen; what must those style conscious Danes think of my tentative early pieces?

I'm puzzled by the realisation that I will look back at these little penguin pourers and think them daggy too.

I'm hopeful that perhaps this time it might take a little longer. I really like these ones.

Fed. Square Pottery Expo.

Click here for link to Pottery Expo website.

A gum tree and a few insects.

Well it was a funny old day. Quite warm, dark clouds and the sound of rain, only it wasn't rain, it was the caps off the gum nuts dropping on a parched ground by the thousands.

Insect.

insect is about 8mm long

I've got these amazing little insects buzzing around the Indig. Acacias outside my study window. They have this amazing ability to hover in a fixed pos. then with instant speed move in a straight line, then they instantly stop again, hovering in a fixed position.