Enjoy the rest of the year ...

Enjoy the year ...

Ceramic dancers

Dancers: framed ceramic

The honey-glaze on the ceramic dancers is an old recipe. It runs off a piece if not contained (which is why the figures were created as depressions) and it is too toxic to use on anything you want to eat off (which is why this is not a plate).

The piece was made in New Zealand with clay that fires to a light honey-colour. I didn't realise what a nice clay it is until I started making ceramics in Sydney where the art-school clay fires to a dull concrete-like gray.

Clay for Nepal

Ceramic artists in Australia and across the world have donated pieces for the Nepal relief effort. Many of the pieces by the more well known artists are up for auction until tomorrow evening, Sunday 17 May. If you want to start or augment your ceramic collection, this would be a great place to start.

Water set by Kris Coad
(from the auction website)

Brian Wood ceramic (3)

Brian Wood jug

The painting of Brian Wood's ceramic jug has gone through many iterations (see two of them below). I tried putting several items in the picture with the jug but none of them worked. The jug sat there throughout, surviving the several over-paintings. It is a very determined jug.

Finally I decided to make the painting a colour study and now I rather like it.

I painted some pink Hibiscus flowers in a vase with similar colours. I like using a similar colour combination over two or more paintings as they look good on the wall together. 

The vase with Hibiscus flowers originally sat on a draped white cloth and there were two nectarines in the picture. Once again the nectarines didn't survive the painting process.

Vase of pink Hibiscus flowers.

In the meantime the nectarines have all been consumed but they are still in season so today I bought some more.

The next painting is going to be of a plate of nectarines.

'Brian Wood' jug with nectarines

White ceramic 'Brian Wood' jug with nectarines
Acrylic on Canvas
30 x 40 cm

The Otago Art School in  Dunedin  (NZ) has an excellent ceramics department with original and inspiring teachers including, when I was there, Jim Cooper and Maddie Child.

The white jug in this painting was made by Brian Wood who was a ceramic expert and curator even before he was an art school student. I bought it at a final-year student sale.

It has an unusual and graceful form and although it is not completely waterproof  I have kept it and admired it ever since. It is an art object but I use it as an  utilitarian object - I keep my paintbrushes in it. (Eat your heart out, Peter Voulkos.)

Jug with brushes

Ceramic pots with hibiscus

Ceramic pots with Hibiscus

This is the same painting at different stages - the background morphed several times in the painting. First it was light, then the shelf under the pots was dark (bottom photo), then the background was all dark. I painted in some foliage in a vase at one stage, then painted it over. Nothing seemed to work with these pots.

Finally I added a Hibiscus from the garden.

 I have now rearranged the shelf next to my easel so there is enough space for me to create an arrangement before painting it. It's my little 'Margaret Olley' corner. I should have done it before I started my current spree of painting domestic items, but better late than never.

I have put my recent 'porcelain paintings' online at artsmitten.com.

Dancing Violins to Make You Smile

Seasons Greetings! A bit of whimsy make you smile in this, our turbulent 2011/12.