Laurie Anderson lights the opera house.

I saw the wonderful Laurie Anderson's light show at the opera house last night. People sat the steps of the opera house forecourt watching.


The images were slow and meditative and watching them soar into the heavens was special. The show is on for several days and in case you are reading this before 20 June, check out this live link:
http://vividlive.sydneyoperahouse.com/LightingTheSails.aspx

Terracotta with blue

This plate was a surprise. It was painted with slip with large music notes, but the slip was too thin and disappeared during firing. (The large music notes are just visible.)
The turquoise smaller notes though were rather accidental - and after firing it is they that are really inspiring. Sometimes accidents deliver nice results.

In the close-up of the blue notes below, the turquoise is a bit less blue than in reality.


This plate was fired at 1080C.

Art, music, love

Terracotta bowl with slip edge. It was fired at 1120C and the terracotta colour is not quite as rich as the clay bowl with music which was fired at 1080C.

Music plate with crackled edge

This plate (about 30cm diameter, from the same mould as the plate below) had two firings. The first firing was at 1080C with an alkaline glaze. Then I added the slip edge and some turquoise glaze before re-firing at the same temperature.

Guitar plate

This plate, terracotta clay with a white slip, was made on a self made mold. The guitar pattern was made by scratching a pattern through the slip. The trick is to put enough slip on the plate. If you paint the slip on you need at least three coats. Of all the plates I made in the 'Plate Project', the terracotta plates with white slip interested me most. Perhaps that is because they provide a good canvas for drawing.

Learning about Matisse

Our art theory class is held in an old sandstone building, part of the convict prison. They have installed heaters now so it is not uncomfortable, but it must have beeen once.

Kiln products

A terracotta bowl with black music (Tristan and Isolde!)
This flat plate is made of white stoneware clay. The face is made of slip, which is the sloppy mess you have when you mix clay with water.