Thursday, 30 May 2013

Feeding the soul

                                                 We had a big weekend last weekend!
                                        A wonderful Saturday evening of 'Music and Poetry'
                                 with my amazing brother Chris, his equally wonderful wife Anne
                                                         and all their beautiful offspring.

                                                     Chris is a piano teacher as well as a
                                                              fabulous art photographer
                                                          if you haven't seen his website
                                                  indulge your self with his poetic images.

                                                     http://www.chrisdonaldson.com.au/


                                               He composed a gorgeous clarinet duet
                                      to perform with his soon to be daughter in-law, Alex.
                                       It was full of whimsy, delightful melody and harmony.
                                            He then read a beautiful poem he had written!
                                         OH MY what and amazingly talented person he is!




                                                My husband sang the scarecrow song from
                                                                  'The Wizard of OZ'
                                                    and delighted my little grand nieces :)
                                                 


                                

                                          ........ and we sang a little ditty together too ;D
                                     We decided to go to singing lessons a couple of years ago
                                                      so that we could work on duets together.
                                                      Family and work take up most of our life
                                    and we felt it was time to make room for special time together,
                                          something creative that was just for us....so we sing :) 



                              There was music and laughter everywhere on Saturday evening!
                                          How wonderful to spend an evening rejoicing
                                                        in music and words with family.


















                                           I am so lucky to be part of this wonderful family! xxx

                                                    Home again late that night to find my
                                            eldest son and his little family who had come to stay
                                           and we had a lovely Sunday morning enjoying them.


                                                       Then Sunday evening off to the city.
                                                         Korean food with my step son
                                                          and the Sydney Opera House
                                                             for a Kraftwerk concert.

                                                                   Too wonderful!












                                                         What is it about city lights ?
                                               I have loved them since I was a little kid....

                                           
                                             All this wonderful stimulation of the senses
                                                 is now food for my studio work.
                                           I think it is time for me to 'sing' a pot or two
                                                  like Lee, Kang Hyo dances his pots.

                                                  It is cold here now and my throwing water
                                          definitely needs some hot kettle addition these days.

                                                        Here is my latest favorite tool ...
                                                          my wrist band from 'Clay Push'
                                          It makes a lovely rim smoother when throwing :)
                                     
                                                 I am getting ready for some raku fireings
                                                         and hopefully a pit fireing too.
                                         So bowls and sculptures are my focus at the moment.
                                           I have been recycling some of the Darling River clay that
                                                        I collected from out back NSW
                                                          I find it very nice to throw with,
                                                       although my goodness IT STINKS!!!!!
                          I am sure the clay is full of the essence of feral cat, pig and goat ArrrrGH !
                                             I hope the result is worth the full body sterilisation
                                                             that I need after working with it.
                                          Many years ago, my teacher Margaret Tuckson,
                                                used to call her recycled clay 'Old Smelly'
                                          I think I will start calling this stuff 'My Rank Ol' Darlin' '.

                                                         So here are this weeks raku bowls drying

   

                                        and I have also been making some thrown and altered vessels
                                                                 ....that started like this...

                                                      
                                                             ..... a bit of mix and match.....

                                             

                                                       and this is what they look like now....
                                                a bit lumpy and bumpy yet, still working on them.

                                             




                                                               Now I am off for a peek at what
                                                       the Mud Colony bloggers have been up to.

Tuesday, 21 May 2013

Working working working and loving it!




Working away, still driven by the inspiration of Clay Push.

I used to think that I liked to make big pots
but after watching Lee, Kang Hyo in action
 I have decided that they are just little pots...
this one is approx 80cm high.

                                                 Back to work ... it is cold and rainy today
                                                      I think I will do a bit of throwing.
                                              I wonder what the Mud Colony potters are up to?

Monday, 13 May 2013

Where do your inspirations come from?

                                        This is a question that I am often asked.....
                            particularly in regard to some of my off beat costumes
                              like 'A Couple of Nice Fresh Snappers' and 'Tea Party'

                                         I often answer with..."I have no idea!"
                                                  which is absolutely true.
                                      However I have been pondering this question
                             since my return (bursting with inspiration) from Clay Push .

                                                I came home from my week away
                                           with various things singing in my heart.

                                      One was Lee Kang Hyo's freedom of expression

                                  another was Jeff Mincham's connection to landscape

                            and there were lots of technical tips from a variety of potters

                                                                           So......

                            How does this all fit into the idea of inspiration and the creative mind ?


                                          Well the thing is that when all these inspiring people,
                                                   events, things, places and works of art
                                             are put into the soup that is brewing in my mind,
                                 (which comes with its own history of experiences and tastes)
                                                                 anything can manifest!
                                             It is sure to be a unique and tasty combination of flavours
                                       that are all about my experiences with those events.


                                                              My pet hate is to see
                                                one artist copy another artists work.
                                                                   UGGGHHHH!
                                                                 It infuriates me!!!!
                                             There is no excuse for it but laziness
                                           and an inability to be true to their own journey.
                                                  I love to be inspired by other artists
                                                     but I like my work to be my own.

                                                   As you may know I was very into yoga
                                                          as a teenager and young adult
                                                            and although, these days,
                                        I am not the dedicated practitioner that I was back then,
                                         it does subtly inform my thinking and my attitude to life.

                                                   There is a teaching in yoga that says
                                         we all have samskaras ( impressions in the mind)
                                           and while I'm not convinced about the past life stuff
                                                        connected with this philosophy
                                        ( as I am very much a here and now kind of person)
                                                          I do find that I get moved by things
                                                              I see, hear, feel and read about.
                                                  Those impressions do hang in my head
                                and they blooming well grow until I HAVE to make something
                                            related to that experience or they wont go away.
                                          In yoga, meditation is used to get rid of these samskaras.
                                                   These days my art is my meditation
                                               and the samskaras I regard as my inspirations.
                                                              Just like the breath
                                                         * I breath them in (inspire)
                                                        * turn them into a creative thought
                                                        * then breath them out as my (h)art.

                                                             YES.......????  And..............????

                                                           OK ... Enough of the esoteric stuff!



                                            What have I started working on this week?


                                        Well....inspiration can come from unexpected places.

                                              I found this lovely basket in an old wares shop
                                              in Gulgong and I thought I might allow myself
                                            to be influenced by its form in a series of work.
                                           I love that it starts out square and becomes round
                                                     it reminds me of how life changes us.
                                                              

                                                   So here is the first in a series of work
                                                         inspired by all of the above.
                                                    Can you see the cross fertilisation?
                                                       And is it mine? And not theirs?
                                                                         


                                                              'A Whisper in the Trees'
                                                                by Sadhana Peterson
                                                         hand built and wheel thrown
                                                         stoneware with coloured slips

                                            not fired yet.... still wet .... hope it comes out ....
                                                               ummm ... interesting.

                                     



Friday, 10 May 2013

Yuri Wiedenhofer cooks Lee Kang Hyo's BIG pot.

                                         
                                         This pot was made as a piece of performance art
                                and the only right way to complete an awesome week at Clay Push
                                                         was with a spectacle like this.

                                            The Kiwi potters had cooked a spectacular feast
                                            for the 400+ potters that had stayed until the end.

                                                 It seemed fitting that the pot broke down
                                                   in the fire in such a spectacular way
                                             (it waited until after after the glorious meal too!)
                                                 and that we would return to our own studios
                                          to create our works full of inspiration the next day.

Thursday, 9 May 2013

Oh for the love of CLAY PUSH !



                                               I have returned from a week away
                                   at a clay convention, 'Clay Push', in Gulgong NSW
                                                  There was so much going on!
                             It was great to meet some of the Mud Colony members too.

                                 Below is a series of videos showing one potters work.
                                    I found Lee, Kang Hyo's approach to his work one
                               of the most exciting ceramic experiences I have come across.

                                   As many of you know I come from a background in
                                             performing arts, textiles and pottery and
                                        it is wonderful when I find events that touch on
                                          a combination of these loves in my life.
                                    Lee, Kang Hyo is a performer, dancer and potter.

                                                  I hope you enjoy this series of videos.
                                           I found his freedom of expression very inspiring.





                                        
making the first pot





                                                  dancing the decoration onto the first pot




 
decorating the 2nd pot




 

For those new comers to this blog and who have not seen my work 
here is my website

If you go to the 'Works' page you will find my ceramics there