Orchestra

The conductor ...
The bass player...
The cellist ....

and the rest of the orchestra.

Glazed figures waiting to be fired.

Pretty bug

On a recent visit to Port Kembla I saw the prettiest bug. Does anyone know what it is?

Dad and Grandpa

... probably taken about 1938 I would guess. I wonder why they look so gloomy? Are three beautiful trout not enough?

Music to lull you to sleep

I have 'discovered' Maria Callas and in such a strange way.

For months the best way to put bub to sleep was to sit her on my lap in front of the computer watching Rene Fleming sing "D'amore al dolce impero". She would watch the video (which shows just an album cover) and nod off

Then one day last week she suddenly became bored. I tried playing her Waltroud Meyer singing Liebestod but the poor little mite started to cry! Whether it was the music or the gory production I don't know, but I quickly changed back to "D'amore al dolce impero", this time the Callas version. The changing photos in the video were enough to hold bub's attention until she slept.

I never really liked Maria Callas before but I love this video:



And just for the record ... here is Rene Fleming's version which I just about know by heart by now.

Seagulls

On the way to Manly in the ferry seagulls accompany the boat, swooping alongside. The Ferry slows to a crawl as you reach the Manly wharf.
Then on the way back, there are the seagulls again. I wonder if they fly all the way or if there is a change of bird half way along Sydney Harbour.

Seedpods

School study: first draw seedpods...
then build on it...

Rock 'n' Roll in Patonga

Last night I went to the Rock'n' Roll night at the Patonga Pub. It is a great pub with a wonderful position on the shore line, no pokies and live bands. Last night George (guitar) and Zak (harmonica) played from 7pm to 10 to midnight with hardly a break. They are a great duo and the patrons danced with abandon.
At the beginning of the evening the women danced while the men propped up the bar but as the night wore on and the amber liquid flowed the blokes all danced as well. They are a great crowd at the Patonga pub.

Next morning dancing patrons had a bleary start to the day but the sun was shining across calm water and sailing boats dotted the Brisbane Waters. A little bit of heaven.

Peace and quiet in the clay room

I have been spending time in the 2nd year work room which has been quiet and empty during the holidays. Winter sun shines in through the big north facing windows as I knead clay. It is a lovely spot and I can sit there for hours on end in the silence. I have been making violins. They take shape under my hands and seem to morph by themselves. Below is a photo of one set to dry on the shelf.

Crocodile leather?

No, not crocodile leather but ceramic. This last plate out of the kiln was a real surprise.

Kookaburra and Cockatoo T shirts

I just made Kookaburra and Cockatoo T shirt designs using drawings I did in Patonga last summer. I posted them online at Zazzle. You haven't heard of Zazzle? That's where you buy your next T shirt!

I built a Zazzle Panel (below) which scrolls through products. If you click on it and you are sent to a page that says 'No products' ... don't believe it (there is a bug in the system), just click on 'view all products'.

View more personalized gifts from Zazzle.

I Love Terracotta

I put some terracotta plates on the web today: www.artsmitten.com

Violin in blue and brown

This violin had a very thick coat of glaze: temaku and chun. Temaku is brown when thin and black where it is thicker.

Red violin

This red violin was fired twice (following the bisque firing) - first at 1080C with a turquoise glaze then at 1300C with temaku and chun glazes. The red is a combination of temaku with copper from the turquoise glaze.

Brown violin

Ceramic of course! I was delighted with this one. Click on it to see the music.

Ceramic violins

These are the first of my series of ceramic violins. They are about 15 x 30 cm. They both had brown (iron oxide) slip highlights under the glaze but it disappeared during firing making the result a bit bland.

Ah Xian

The ceramic artist Ah Xian gave a talk at the art school last week. His amazing decorated porcelain busts are held in many prestigious collections but despite his success Ah Xian remains disarmingly humble. A delightful fellow.

Eucalypt ceramic

Greta told me that if she was making ceramics she would probably use motives of Australian native plants. Next morning as I walked to school through a rather dreary part of Kings Cross I found a fresh and lovely eucalyptus twig on the footpath, with no apparent tree in sight.
'This has to be a sign', I thought and picked it up to use.

Iron, moss green honey and chun

The pot below looks as if it has just been dug up. The brown is an iron oxide slip. The wiped back glaze is moss green by Simone Frazer.If you apply honey glaze then a chun#2 glaze to the rim and fire at 1300C, this is what you get. It looks a bit faded to me but a classmate liked it best of all my pots. Just as well we all have different tastes.

Violin pot

The first lot of work fired in the reduction kiln (no oxygen) at 1300C has just come through. It is all experimental work at this stage, but I was delighted with my violin pot. It had iron oxide slip applied, then rubbed back honey glaze. I took it home immediately so I could admire it and mull over how to use this glaze in future work.