Where Is The Grass Greener?

It is a funny thing how the mind works.
In the western society that I live in there is generally a
constant need in people to have what others have, even if it is not needed.
A pool.
A bigger house.
A better car.
A trip overseas.
New clothes.
The advertising agencies latch on to this element  of  desire 
and work at increasing peoples lust for things, 
making them believe that life would be better with more stuff
perhaps even unthinkable to be without it.

I try to stay mindful of this mind set, 
although I have caught myself getting hooked into it at times.
Mostly I just long for the simple life…
making art, gardening and enjoying grand children.

BUT….

A few  weeks ago Peter Rushforths property went on the market.

http://www.realestate.com.au/property-house-nsw-blackheath-117870503

I adore this man/potter , his wife and their life style .
My first thought was how sad that he had been forced to move from 
his little haven and how I wished I had been to visit him more.

Then the thought of who would buy this very special place 
and would they appreiciate what it was and had been?

A passion to contemplate moveing swept over me, 
driven by a desire to absorb the wonders of the peaceful 
and artistic life he had made for himself in the upper mountains.
OH WOW! 
Think of the kilns and the studio and the gallery space!
I NEED TO GO AND LOOK AT IT!!!

It was great to go and pay homage to 
this place of deep creativity and the simple life of a master craftsman.

I said my farewells to what it had been for so many years 
but I also knew that it was not my place.

I put my desires away and embraced my own life again.
My daughter looked at our flowering cherry and said
"that tree is my childhood"

Looking around I reminded myself 
of my mums ashes are under a magnolia 
that flowered for the first time this year.
The orchids from her garden are starting to look like 
they are at home and would never grow further up the mountains.
My dads ashes under the roses need my attention.
Here my husband can walk to work,
the kids can easily catch the train home
and my grandchildren love to play at our house.







I love my studio.




I am happy here and I plan to enjoy my own green grass.

(…..but a wood fired kiln does still lurk in my secret desire pocket….)

It seems to me that we can't be the people we admire. 
I think it is best to rejoice in having known them,
be inspired by them, then get on with being ourselves.


I had the same sence when my mum died.
She had spent so many hours in her garden 
it was her life and it was so hard to sell it 
to someone who may just pull it all up and put down a lawn.

(Which they did!)

But then I realised that a home is a very individual environment 
and it grows into the shape of its owner, 
somewhat like a pot shows the marks of its maker. 
The process of making that space is the important thing.
TheTHING itself is just the outcome 
and will change with who ever lives there.

So I have planted another cherry tree 
and continue to plan for a wood kiln.

An ever changing life.

                                 
                                               

                                 

                                           It has been an eventful few weeks since my last post.

                                           Spring is here and the garden is starting to bloom although 

                                           the rain has been relentless and the garden is saturated 

                                         and leaks that we thought had been repaired have been 

                                          revealed and repaired again. 

                                         Not much of my personal work has happened in the studio.

                                         We were a bit run down after all the excitement 

                                         of the open studio in mid August so it was not surprising

                                         to find ourselves down with bad colds and therefore

                                         unable to do much other than socialise with blankets, tissues

                                         and hot lemon drinks for a couple of weeks. 

                                         

                           

                                          We are more or less back in gear now.

                                          I have started teaching beginners pottery classes, 

                                          here at Lilli Pilli Studio, two days a week 

                                          which I am thoroughly enjoying.

                                          It is a squeeze to fit students and their work into 

                                           my little studio, so I am only taking two per class. 

                                           It is very nice.

                                           Though a bit of a work in progress trying to 

                                            work out how to share my creative space with other 

                                            creative people.

                                            I have submitted a large bottle into 

                                            the Port Hacking Potters 48th National Competition

                                            and Exhibition which will run from 

                                            20th September -1st October 

                                            at Hazelhurst Regional Gallery.

                                          

                                            Our big news for this week is 

                                            the birth of our new little grand son.

                                            A perfect little compact bundle of joy.

                                            My fourth grand child. 

                                            Just wonderful.

                                         
                                                   

So thats about it from us.

Keep your hands making 

and your heart giving :)

Dreams and Farewells

The last few months have been a time for
hard work and organisation.
With the Australian Ceramics Open Studio
on the horizon, I have been in a machine like state
cleaning up, making and planning.
I am guilty of never feeling ready for such an event
and I never feel as though my work is good enough.

I decided to move my textiles down to a room in the house
which has proved to be a far more functional place for sewing.
The kiln was sending my needles and pins rusty
and I simply needed more space for pottery making.

The move allowed space in the studio as a
temporary show room for displaying my work
in my first ever 'Open Studio'.
The garden also received a face lift.

Last weekend it all happened
We had around 100 visitors to 'Lilli Pilli Studio'
and I had close to a sell out of work and the rain ….
well it kind of held off during the day
then it was wet on Saturday evening
and a drizzle on the Sunday

Thank you to all who came.
It was lovely to catch up with old and new friends
from the many walks of life I have had over the years.
Performance friends, textile friends, neighbours,
people connected with my children and my wonderful family.





My sister, Karin, was down from Wilcannia
for the week leading up to it so we had a
last minute raku day together.

It was a great boon to have her professional
and experienced advice in the setup of all the work.
Then to be able to share the Blue Mountains Community
friendship with her over the run of the Open Studio weekend.

It was not only my work on show.
I had hung my some of my brother Chris's photos in the studio.
Karin also had some of her work on display
and we had the book that she and the Western Heritage Group
have just had published for sale, 'Yamakarra'.
There was also my brother Mike's recent book on
Kimberley Rock Art 
and my daughter in-law, Suse,
also had her 'Special Tea' for sale.



It was a family affair, as usual,
I just can't get enough of my wonderful mob.

My 2 year old grand daughter Lillie 

helped me to set up the "CLAY PLAY" table

for aspiring creators.

Here,visitors were invited to 

get their hands into the mud

and see what they could make

either hand building or throwing.

If they made something they loved

I would fire it (for a small fee).

and YES I now have a shelf of creations to fire.

I also did demonstrations

It was great to see my 32 year old son have a go on the wheel 

for the first time and create a pot first go!

It must be in the blood :)

To  my surprise there was quite a few requests for classes
over the weekend and so, with some of the proceeds
from selling my work, I have purchased a new wheel
and I am getting another old one serviced and repaired.
That will give me three wheels in the studio.

I have started beginners pottery classes
on Monday and Wednesday mornings.

I don't have I lot of space in my little studio for students.
It is a castle for me but the space is limited when more
people are sharing it creatively, three students per class is my limit.




I was utterly exhausted on the Monday
when I received the sad news that my
 mentor /friend /2nd mum , Margaret Tuckson,
 had passed away on the Saturday.
 I wept buckets of tears.

I had seen her earlier in the year at an exhibition
she had had of her art collection.
The exhibition was good but I loved it in her house much more.
My parting words to her were
"I will come and visit soon"
but life got the better of me,
as is often the way with my busy family life,
and I didn't see her.
I miss her already .
Below are some of the photos my brother,
Chris Donaldson,
took of her in her house at the end of last year
when I took him to visit her.

On that visit, Margarets' dear friend, Gwyn Hanssen Pigott,
had just died and we drank tea from her mugs and
talked about what an amazing potter she had been.
I can't believe I won't be able to call in on her anymore.

 
                                           There is one of my raku pots on her dresser.
                                            She bought at our last exhibition.
                                           She was so supportive of our shows
                                           she came three times to the 2012 one
                                           and it was not easy for her to get around at 90!

People ask me what influences my ceramics 

and I have to say that Margaret's New Guinea pot and art collection 

had a profound effect on me.

She was writing her book and collecting pots 

at the time that I was her student.

I started with her at 15 and then left school at 16 

to do more classes with her and I continued until I was 18.

She was HUGE in my life 

though I don't think she ever realised it.

I had told Margaret that my dream was to be like her.
To teach and inspire people from my home studio
just as she had done for me when I was a teenager.
She informed my attitude to art and life.

As the request for classes came on the same day
as Margaret's passing,
I feel it is time for me to embrace teaching once again.
I can only dream of being like Margaret
but even if my classes are small it will be great to
share the love of clay.