MUDHEART POTTERY BLOG

Today is one of those big ones age wise.....

2012-02-02T21:07:00.000-08:00

Thought I would quickly go down to my favourite place today and take some photos to add to the morning pictures of family and gifts for my big 60! We have had some blustery weather and many trees toppling under the onslaught. The little stand of beach paperbarks are slowly secumbing to the pounding waves despite their huge lateral roots clinging to the sand. There was safety in numbers and the entertwining root systems held them together but last year's huge tides and rough weather broke this combined force and they are slowly falling prey to the ocean's fury. We are all part of this ever changing world - how lucky am I to have had 60 years of living and a great family to share it with.

Sunset and beach grasses

2012-01-10T02:18:00.000-08:00

I am sure everyone knows how much I love the beach sunsets. I struggle to turn away and walk up the little hill until the light completely fades and if by chance I do I spend more time turning and pausing thinking 'should I take another photo'. I missed today - rumblings again may mean another storm tonight - we need it as it hasn't rained for 3 days and that is almost a drought in the wet!

Pucker Gallery's Randy Johnston Exhibition touched a chord. The beach grasses are beautiful so I am drawn to his wonderful free strokes on his work. I marvel at the variety of grass cover in my little beach environment and the change in dominant vegetation as the wet moves through its cycle. The dry sees all this rich growth disappear and what remains is often ravaged by fire.

Have I touched clay. Surprises of surprises the hands actually were dirty for a few days - how I miss that passionate embrace on the spinning wheel. A new year begins!

Xmas Wishes

2011-12-24T17:18:00.000-08:00

Xmas Wishes - May you all enjoy family and share this special day together in happiness.

Malcolm Davis

2011-12-13T22:25:00.000-08:00

For a shino lover the passing of Malcolm Davis is such a loss to the ceramic world. Beautiful, beautiful pots.

Three hours, one fish, rain, sunset - what a great afternoon!

2011-12-10T04:52:00.001-08:00

Male Carpenter Bee

2011-12-09T03:28:00.001-08:00

This photographic specimen sat quietly while both my neighbour and I snapped happily away. There is quite a colony of female bees burrowing into a dead section of the teatree. I initially thought they were bumblebees but a great website on native bees enlightened me. I have a healthy population of different native bees in the front of the house so hopefully this means I have a healthy little environment at my front door!

These were the final colours of sunset two days ago and last night the whole sky was the most incredible palette of greys with soft pink blushes punctuated by crispy white thunderheads rising higher and higher into the sky. Wet season skies make up for the oppressive humidity leading into the Wet proper. That humidity is my excuse for not getting into the clay!

Some pots and claymaking

2011-11-11T02:07:00.000-08:00

I have been working in between an annoying virus coming and going over six weeks. The tiredness is lingering but the clay has finally worked its magic again. These porcelain pieces were inspired by someone special. Thankyou Zaki. The bird found his wings.

I didn't throw many pieces in porcelain for our little local Xmas Exhibition but the wonderful translucent Southern Ice commands attention when the kiln door opens.

This was almost the total of one kiln load. Cups and beakers and a few little fillers. I was a bit over them so was happy the second load featured a mixed assortment of forms.

And this is what I did today. I know I should have been throwing those cups again but the draw of the kaolin clay won in the end. My rudimentary slurrying down of the local kaolin is a slow affair.

This is the beautiful clay I will eventually from all the work. A soft short clay body with lots of minute iron speckles (which I should be trying to get rid of) but I wanted to try this clay out and see if a pot would survive the firings. Its a totally uninteresting form but it is beautifully thin and has a lovely porcelain ring to it. I just had to sit the pot on the clay with bauxite pebbles below just to show the contrast of the two raw materials I work with and these sit one atop the other. Its quite amazing to think the bauxite layer is above the white kaolin with only a mottled zone between the two.

This is what that lump of clay produced today. I had several failures as the clay only responds to gentle hands and cracks easily if I try to throw in my usual quick manner. It is beautiful to use and I should try it on the kick wheel. Today was windy and things dried quickly so I was turning these over a few hours after throwing and trimming not long after. Even though we have had rain tonight and its quite humid they sit under cover so fingers crossed there won't be any cracks tomorrow. Zaki's bird is waiting to fly from each little pot!

Cook's first taste of the Great South Land!

2011-08-26T04:27:00.000-07:00

This is not where I live (we don't have hills!!!) but its still a special family place and sharing it with my wonderful Mum makes it even more so.

This is my lovely Mum.

Coming home was filled with mixed emotions but I did feel inspired to fix that one annoying burner and throw some shino around on many pots. I love this little one in the rough local clay. Two firings seemed to bring out its true hidden qualities and I keep thinking it should stay in my cupboard - trouble is if you saw the pots I hate to let go you would shake you head!

I love the Weipa shino and its movements over bauxite and interactions with my glazes and have to consciously stop myself from using it on everything I make. Unfortunately my market is limited and the appreciative Shino buyers are too few....so the cupboards grow.......

Still all this is a good sign - I am back eager to get my hands in clay again when time permits.

Sunset Inspiration

2011-08-13T23:50:00.001-07:00

Just some of the wonderful colours which inspire this.

Special memories of 'the walker' leaving his footprints in the sand will always be in my heart.

Forever

2010-11-29T20:54:00.000-08:00

I have just sent off my 'Forever' piece of clay. What an interesting concept - I couldn't resist being part of it. Still not getting out to the pottery but it can wait - lots of glazing to be done.

I was inspired by the beautiful sculptural pieces from Burnt.Normal Church Pottery - mine are definitely not as free and expressive but they are family inspired and will eventually find their way to my special loved ones. I think I will have to do more when time permits but be a little less controlled and see where the clay takes me.

These words sang in my heart!

2010-10-01T19:04:00.000-07:00

This beautiful post really touched a chord in my heart. Life is often busy and takes us away from our passions but even in stress it is still worth experiencing and we grow from these hiccups along the way. Euan Craig writes such wonderful posts and this one did sing in my heart. There are a lot of us who do like the simple, but incredible things life offers to us - I am hopeful more of us seek to take a step back and rethink our insatiable appetite on our fragile world.

Chickens and a firing at last!

2010-07-11T21:59:00.000-07:00

Our chickens are growing and are such a hit we have to make miniatures so this is the little flock sitting on the table. Sadly a few have hit the tiles and not survived. 'More clay' is the afternoon's catch phrase and these little bits of nothing are easy to make and not as breakable as the 'dines'.

Just a couple of things from this small kiln load - managed to unload and then head to the shops and had a few sales - paid for gas - so it was worth it. Tourist season is upon us but they are reluctant buyers as they have to traverse rough roads and worry about breakages and space - a premium when you come to these out of the way places.

I loved these low bowls. I have to think about what I sit on the bottom shelves as they never get the heatwork like the rest of the kiln so I usually use my Derek Smith glazes and throw a few extras to experiment. I will do a few more like this I think.

This was one of the favourite beakers (yunomi's - now I read a blog where a potter said he wasn't Japanese so didn't feel he had the right to call them this - so I think I will stick to calling them beakers as well!). I did intend to match a lot of the beakers from the last firing with these pressed plates but of course time was short I decided I just couldn't stand the time and effort thinking about glazing but this result proves that you should sometimes stick to what you originally planned. The pressed plates all ended up with bauxite and shino but they beautiful too. I will make more pressed plates now as I decided not to take the beakers down to sell because I think they deserve the accompanying plate. Now I need time to play in clay............

Chickens........

2010-06-04T19:50:00.000-07:00

We have 20 of these fluffy little things much to someone's delight. Day old they endured a full day of plane travel to reach here and all survived and are growing rapidly. Is there pottery happening at this house......???

I will have to break from watching chickens and get outside and throw some glaze around - need another gas bottle and keep using that as an excuse as well - I do lots of procrastinating these days.......

Lithium/bauxite disc and yunomi

2010-05-18T01:40:00.000-07:00

This is the little glass disc I used on a previously glazed pressed plate and it produced beautiful swirls in a myriad of colours. I was hoping I could be the lazy potter and not have to crush them up but I now know it has to be used sparingly to produce a good result with other glazes. Didn't have enough time to do a line blend and I doubt it will happen before the next glaze but I think I will get some surprises. I did find out it eats shelves when it seeps through a cracked tray! That little tray in the previous post didn't quite like another firing!
A big part of my two days glazing was spent on these yunomis mixing the glazes with the shino in all sorts of thicknesses over the bauxite and mixed clay body. The two outer yunomis are from local clay, not sieved so there were iron particles which created interesting fractures. I haven't tried firing this clay as is before and didn't expect the wonderful results. I will be using this a lot more now and still in its natural state, impurities and all. One thing I will be more diligent with is compressing the bottoms as the right yunomi has a crack on its base and it does leak - testament to my throwing on the hump and not paying attention to its base.

This dilly is made with the unprocessed Weipa kaolin and an addition of potash. It threw beautifully and although a fairly white body the firing process certainly bought out the iron in the natural kaolin. I am still happy that I can use it and get a really thin form - I lost a couple of pieces just moving them around as they are very fragile in the dry state. The varying thickness of the clear glaze gives interesting responses from the clay.

I had a bit of a run with the pressed plates - an easy task while watching a little two year old paint and play in clay - means I can stop and run when I am called!!! and it requires little creative thinking. I think I perhaps could have been a bit more adventurous in my glazing of this little set - there are six of these - but they are growing on me the more I look at them. This size plate is prefect for a snack and ideal for the fridge - I have one in my cupboard and its use proves its versatility. We are rice wrap junkies and these are perfect for finger food and the accompanying sauce.
I am always tired after glazing and firing and marvel at all those wonderful woodfirers who labour through long nights of firing. I love the results of the fire and ash but wonder how long it must take to recover from those labour intensive hours spent stoking. The woodfire community seems to be growing worldwide and I am glad there is such appreciation for the work produced.

I have to neglect clay for a little while as we are getting chickens - they are spending a whole day flying to live in our remote climes so hope they survive the trip - we are assured they will be ok. At least our Winter nights only go down to 23C+ and the days are still hitting low 30's. Nona and Mum have to try their hand at converting a steel frame canopy into a snake proof chook house - we have lots of pythons around so I'm sure chickens would make a tasty morsel. The things we do for little ones.......

How well do we care for our environment???

2010-05-05T15:37:00.000-07:00

We have achieved a place in the Top 10 rating - I wonder when we will wake up and start looking at our environment through different eyes.

Glass

2010-05-03T19:45:00.000-07:00

I don't use glass with my pottery but I have access to a quantity which contains bauxite so would really like to use it in some of my pieces, especially the handbuilt trays. This one I threw into the bisque and I vaguely remember glass should only go to 800C so this was a little higher and the crazing is wonderful but it would not make the piece user friendly as I can feel the edges of the larger crazes. I am hoping someone out in blogger world or on the ceramics discussion list will be able to give me an idea of the firing temps and cooling to make the pieces useable.

Glaze making to pass the time???

2010-05-02T22:43:00.000-07:00

Had a busy day yesterday but I'm glad I managed to get all these buckets of glaze replenished while a bisque was happlily firing away. I hate, hate making glazes but once I start I quite get into the swing of it but wearing a mask makes it a hot job. I even decided I would make a couple of new ones up. I have never had a chun or good celadon so here's hoping they will turn out - testing in the next firing. I rarely sieve my glazes - don't think I'd make so many up if I had to face that the next day.
Here's proof my little shed needs replacing, its barely holding together and the chimney has really suffered in the past couple of months. We had light rain on and off and luckily I only had to divert water once away from the damper and that was in the earlier stages of the firing. I am glad the wet season is all but over as I wouldn't attempt firing with the leaking chimney. After such a long day the dog and I decided we would take a walk on the beach. I haven't been down to the actual beach in ages and have missed the sand and salt air. Midnight couldn't believe we were actually going down the hill to his favourite place and kept running doing his doggie checkout thing. A lone jabiru was out on the edge of the sandbar 'fishing' - that majestic loner seems to typify the peacefulness and solitude of the beach at dusk.

The paperbark are all in flower and the smell is sickly sweet but such an attraction to flying fox - we had a noisy night in the backyard with the continual squabbling over the blossums and tonight I can hear our night visitors back again.
A little someone was happy in this big sandpit planting his sticks and exploring with plenty of chatter about this new place.
We were all out here so I could film my shedbuilder (No. 2 son) practicing for the Finke Desert Race (the shed building has to wait until the wet and this event is over). I am definitely not a bike person but here I am perched on the back holding his huge camera being ferried slowly to a good vantage point. The little person in the pit crew loved all the noise and greeted our return to the car with clapping and a wide grin.
Unloading tomorrow so the week will be busy glazing and reloading but I have my one annoying burner to take off and clean - another job I try and avoid but I couldn't get it to light even at high pressure so it will have to be cleaned properly. This is what happens when months lapse between firings so it pays to keep the kiln functioning. I have a few pieces in a rich red clay and two pieces in the local porcelain so I hope they survived the bisque along with the most important pieces - the dinosaurs!!!

340 grams Exhibition

2010-04-30T05:21:00.000-07:00

My two dilly made it to Gulgong in one piece for the 340 grams Exhibition and are sitting beside two delicate translucent bowls made by John Tuckwell. He certainly managed to use his 340 grams well as his bowls look as if they are paper thin and large in comparison to what I ended up producing. This is why I love the net - I can sit so far away from John yet enjoy his beautiful pieces and read another interesting blog.

Clay Energy would have been great to experience and I did want to get down there this year but now I will have to plan ahead and really make sure it happens in 2 years time. Hopefully there will be lots of images posted by all the visiting potters on blogs and facebook sites so those of us who couldn't make it can trawl our way through and enjoy the experience from afar.

Finally loaded my kiln today and maybe I will get those burners going tomorrow. There are a few dinosaurs and some other very strange pieces to excite one little potter. We were out there again today making a 'long neck' - it had a few modifications and little additions of kaolin so I'm not sure if it will survive the night!

Pots and 'dines'

2010-04-18T03:06:00.000-07:00

We are getting some late storms and the sunsets accompanying these downpours have been spectacular. A late afternoon drive to Rocky Point boat ramp caught some keen fishermen with a golden backdrop I just had to capture. In the few minutes it takes to get home round River Drive the light changed and the skies lit up with the most incredible pink hues.

I played a little with the camera in between trimming pots today- yes I am easily distracted but sometimes my eyes see things I just can't ignore. I was explaining to my favourite little person in the house how you can see through ice and then what did I see!!!
Finally the clay is forming - I hate recycling but it just had to be done. I throw in a little local red dirt and I get excited thinking about the results under glazes so it makes the task less tedious. I just hope I stay on this roll and keep the hands working but life often throws us the odd curved ball so who knows. I seem to spend a lot of time skipping from one pottery blog to another and not actually getting outside into the heat and pushing that clay about but I did catch the video on making seals and decided I might just do that in between recycling clay..... but as you can see there are things drying so I did manage to do a little bit of work yesterday and trimmed today.

A lot has changed in my life the last couple of years so I thought maybe a change in my mark making might also be due. The three little people who make me look at the world in a fun carefree way and remind me that family is all important have merged into my new mark and I like its look and what it means to me.
And here are two little hands having fun with clay - he loves 'dines' so we had our own little version of 'Ice Age' happening - now this is potting at its best.

Pot, Pot, Pot!!!

2010-03-23T23:14:00.000-07:00

"Pot, pot, pot" - my smallest fan just informed me when he came to check out what Nona was doing. The porcelain made from the raw kaolin and a little addition of potash feldspar is beautiful to throw but we shall see what happens in the drying and firing. I decided not to add silica as there is a lot in the raw kaolin and I ground a little extra retrieved from the sieving process just to see what it would do to the final body. There are still a lot of little iron speckles in the body and I really don't know if I want to eliminate these. Now I have to go and make more and this time I will let it age a little longer than a week.

I am surprised I could get anything done out there as we had a big downpour with lots of thunder so there were four dogs milling about me, tails flailing trying to vie for my attention. One form suffered an injury but it was still soft enough to fix.

That local clay!

2010-03-09T18:53:00.000-08:00

I should be throwing saleable items but instead I'm sieving clay - pretty basic sieving process! I did make things easier making a slurry and sieving through a small 60 mesh sieve so that might be a better throwing body - time will tell.
The dogs love the lemon grass - have to grow it outside the fence as they won't leave it alone if its within their boundary but where there's a will there's a way. That brown tail belongs to one of their next door friends - yes we now have a gate in the new fence between us so the two brown dogs can visit the two black dogs with ease and they, too, like the lemon grass, and they all love clay.....
I just had to show what these two little hands made. The small jug was to be a goblet but little fingers created the perfect pourer and the bowl was made with Nona's help - he loves to 'poh' as he says and today the red clay was the attraction. I can see lots more 'pohing' coming up.

Environmental influences surface so much in my work so I couldn't resist adding some images. I marvel at these beautiful jellyfish left high and dry with the tides with their dotted patterning and delicate edges and of course the sunsets are always full of the most incredible colours.

Summer Rain

2010-03-01T18:11:00.000-08:00

The Cooktown Orchids are out again. Pennefather Beach north of Weipa will be a blaze of colour - the orchids are on the low shrubs beside the beach growing unnoticed until they flower.

Firing today - looked like a hot rainfree day but we are getting the odd shower just to make my life difficult with a leak down the chimney right above the damper. Not fun sitting there redirecting the flow but at least its only for a few minutes while the downpour lasts. Fingers crossed it doesn't get any worse later this afternoon - don't fancy the flames and water mix!
............well that didn't quite go according to plan - kiln is choking and I can't blame the burners so phone call to my helpful kiln man thousands of miles away and he, like me thinks maybe the flue has collapsed inside. 800C after 9 hours is not normal so its pointless wasting more gas until I can peer down that flue. He assures me its quite simple taking the back off so I am quite the fixit kiln-woman these days. Hopefully I can get it up and running and meet the Wednesday deadline for a local parting gift to make the removalists.

Burners.......

2010-02-25T04:22:00.000-08:00

I hate cleaning burners......and I have two to pull apart and clean before I can get my glaze firing done. Was hoping the pressure would blow the rubbish out but it didn't happen so the bisque firing took longer then normal. Haven't fired since November so no wonder the rust etc has caused problems. At least its not all four I have to tackle so I shouldn't complain. I did complain though about the gas going up in price - so expensive up here - bought my last bottle in November and there was a price rise then and now its gone up again.

Have been sieving kaolin for my porcelain and putting the little bits of coloured kaolin and rock aside. I should have been cleaning but out came the mortar and pestle to grind it to fines so I can hopefully get a glaze. Kept some of the sand and ground it as well so perhaps I can have a play with it all and get some surprises - or disappointments.

I wonder will he sleep through tonight!!!

Teething......

2010-02-18T13:42:00.000-08:00

There are teething problems with the little person in our house - 4 hours lack of sleep will play havoc on the pottery front today, but I can't blame that on these two finished teapots! I still can't quite believe I actually fired the teapot on the right and put a handle on the thing without the glaringly obvious fault. This was an end of year effort so it speaks volumes about 2009! And that other strange unfinished attempt for the 2009 Sydney Teapot Show - ah well I did have one that actually made it down there - sometimes you have to wonder at the creative ideas that emerge from addled brainspace!

The temperature and humidity is soaring up here and the rain is dropping in short bursts giving minimal relief so potting outside under the awning is quite something - they call this crazy condition associated with prolonged summer heat 'mango madness' Still I have some teapots ready for the bisque - lots of bauxite will be splashed about so the kaolin will work its magic on the shino and glazes and handles are in the right place this time.

Farewell to the Fashion Genius Alexander McQueen

2010-02-11T15:21:00.000-08:00

He was an incredible artist and will be missed on the runways

Working......

2010-02-07T19:19:00.000-08:00

Michael Kline's 12 to 12 plus walking here
finally got some hands dirty. Little hands also made their first pot. Now I have to get down to business and stop procrastinating. Yesterday was a dry day so all pots are trimmed and a few jugs even have handles but today is different - humid and the odd shower - am I looking for excuses here?

Nature is full of surprises - tucked away amongst the paperbark roots was this multi-coloured mangroove seed (I have never seen one with such a varied palette), standing tall while its mates were gathered on the high tide line in a jumbled mass.

Mark Hewitt

2010-01-20T14:33:00.000-08:00

"The world is filled with a lot of junk, its really nice to use smething that's actually made by someone you know and who cares deeply about the place where they live and its history and its geography and its ceramic culture. You know this is the manifestation of that love and experience and its just my gift to the world and this is just what I do to try and make a better place."
Mark Hewitt.

No work, new slab

2009-10-30T05:58:00.000-07:00

I have been very quiet on the blogging front - life's little complexities have meant the clay has had to take a back seat. Still I am finally getting a bigger slab in readiness for a new shed - the latter coming next year when middle son returns from his overseas jaunts. Hopefully cyclones stay away as my poor old shed is just holding together and a big blow might see it sail off across the ocean!

The dogs have loved this dust bowl to play in and are not happy with the meshing restricting access. Monday sees the pour so it will be interesting to keep two dogs from laying their marks across their favourite area.

Next week I will be glazing - famous last words - but I am hopeful I can spend some time throwing some colour around for some patient customers. Family always comes first so I will happily give time up for them, so we shall see what happens - even the clay can't match that passion.

Weipa goes to Sydney

2009-09-10T18:06:00.000-07:00

These are some of the pieces which have journeyed to Planet. Hope city life embraces them!

I am so fortunate to have inspiration overload up here and the raw materials on hand to use and make these pieces unique. Southern Ice gives such a beautiful translucency to the forms and works so well with bauxite. I still have to make up my local porcelain using raw kaolin - unfortunately its still slightly tainted with the bauxite but I am sure I will get an unusual workeable body.

Hamada, beach etchings

2009-09-09T16:25:00.000-07:00

Beach Etchings - handmade and environmental
"Why not be a potter? Pots can be used, they have a function. Even a bad pot has some use, but a bad painting, there is nothing you can do with it except throw it away"

I think I will put this up in my work area to catch my eye each time I sit and throw that clay around - thanks to Hannah McAndrew for finding this gem from Hamada.

Not much potting happening apart from a workshop with some young students from Western Cape College, but sometimes there are things in life which need our attention - when the claywork begins again it will benefit from this little break.

Homes

2009-08-15T16:27:00.000-07:00

This scrappy pile of twigs is home to

these two little doves and mum often comes and sits resting on the platform as well. I love the variety of nests sitting right outside my door in the spindly hibiscuses.
This little honeyeater's creation housed two little ones and
this incredible creation was 5days in the making by two energetic little sunbirds but sadly
nothing more happened but I am sure another couple will come and make repairs and reuse this little house with its well feathered lining.

The fires are burning everywhere outside town and the horizon is heavy with smoke so each night the setting sun is a huge orange red orb painting the skies and ocean with a myriad of colours. No wonder I am inspired to capture just some of this incredible palette on my clay if this is what I see in just a few days!
I love being home but Sydney and the workshop at the National Art School with Takeshi Yasuda was a wonderful experience. Galleries were featuring ceramics and more ceramics and I managed to see a few, only wished I had time to see more.
Our photo-shoot and the pots featured as well!!!
The local potters then had to sit through a demo - did have to read my notes as two weeks and the brain had already forgotten bits but a pot emerged (5 o'clock I kept hearing!) and I breathed a sigh of relief - even had to cut it down to fit in the kiln but it will be fired and raffled for the club at the year's end exhibition.
"How we sell our pots" - the requested article for The journal of Australian Ceramics - 6 hours later sitting at the local shopping centre - still managing to smile- only because pots sold - I need gas! - and this wasn't too much to pack up! I always baulk at going down but usually have the orchid seller sitting across the way - his orchids always attract plenty of buyers so they have to walk past and have a conversation. I kept thinking about this coming article and smiling at what my piece could contain - this was the Saturday of the 'Bullride', tourists off buses were rushing to use the toilets, "I've come from the Tip, would love to buy some but still have more rough roads to travel over", locals shopping, kids touching and mums chastising, 10 am bottle shop opening across the way, "I'm going to Timor but can only carry 10kg but I will take 2 cups, jug, microwave vegetable cooker", lots of waves, chats and "I'll look after things if you want something from the bakery", then grandson coming to help. It was a good day.......

The southerners and pots

2009-07-02T23:07:00.000-07:00

The southern cold drove the family north to enjoy our Winter - cold wet weather and sick kids don't lead to an enjoyable time. The little ones are playing with hoses instead of sitting in front of a fire so it's been a fun time for Nona!

I quickly did another load before they came - a mix of shino pieces, cups and beakers - the latter a favourite for cool drinks in our hot climate. Its Winter and we are still getting 30 degree + (90F) days so pottery is a must for keeping your beverages cool! Went on a bit of a jug making spree as there have been requests for beer jugs from a couple of the local home brewers - trouble with my jug making it moves from large to very small and its the smaller versions which take over and press my creative button - and they don't require handles - all the better when things are drying before my eyes.
This beaker is in the local porcelain body I have aging - couldn't resist taking some out and trying to get it working - still finding it stiff and not as plastic as I was hoping but hopefully that bacteria will work its magic and give me the body I want.

I am off to brave the Sydney cold next week and enjoy the workshop with Takeshi Yasuda. I should come home stimulated by my exposure to the galleries etc down there but I know the cold won't be pleasureable as I am totally shorts and t-shirt and barefoot!!!
I have been enjoying the discussions on the australian ceramics thread - for someone like me who sits a long long way from city centres its great to hear the many views bandied back and forth. I must admit I am drawn to those who are comfortable working away quietly in the shadows but staying true to their love - I am a little lost amongst the Art crowd - give me my beach any day! The cyber world is great for someone like me to touch base with the ceramic world but it does sometimes eat into time and takes away from actually working the clay.

Grass Basket and Home

2009-06-05T06:43:00.000-07:00

This is one of the most incredible videos and well worth watching. I hope schools make this a must see. I feel rather small and insignificant by comparison but realize I am part of a monumental destructive force waging war on this wonderful planet we call 'HOME'.
I had the opportunity to learn some grass weaving, making a Mindi. Mindi (message vessel) functioned as a vessel for transporting message sticks, their typical size being the result of this function. My Mindi took on an abstract form and seemed to take me on its own journey recreating what I felt was a female form acknowledging the gathering of women learning this wonderful art. Ninney and Emily Murray from the Jumbun Community patiently guided us through the process, Ninney urging me to keep going until the end. I am so glad she did as I feel it spoke volumes. 7 hours with a break for lunch and it sat completed and one tired but extremely happy basket weaver wove 'HOME'. Thankyou, Thankyou Ninney and Emily.
Ninney was part of the Artisan 2008 exhibition 'Jettison Wove' which is touring remote communities and Weipa has the privelege of viewing the works.

Shino and some green cups!

2009-05-17T04:53:00.001-07:00

Shino dominated the kiln load this time. Finally fired some of the big pots sitting around taking up much needed space in my limited work area. Just thought the green cups would add a complete contrast to the earthy bauxite, shino ware. Think my heart was in the glazing but it was with mixed feelings as another son flew the coop - he will be missed but is probably glad he doesn't have mum asking him to do those fix-it jobs.

National Portrait Gallery

2009-05-06T15:20:00.000-07:00

Dr John Yu by the wonderful Ah Xian. The featured portrait story is worth checking on the National Portrait Gallery site - Dr John Yu.
I just loved the gentleness in Dr John Yu's voice and feel the mood has been captured in this beautiful ceramic portrait.

There was a Crowe-ing and a Russell in the bushes on the banks of the Wenlock River

2009-04-22T16:24:00.000-07:00

Russell Crowe was on the David Letterman show calling for protection of Steve Irwin's Wildlife Reserve on the Wenlock River. This river has the biggest fish diversity of any river in Australia and as such is a pristine environment in its entirety which needs protection from mining. Bauxite mining means the removal of all vegetation, along with associated fauna followed by the bauxite layer scooped up and forever removed, thus dictating the death of the forest which depended on this layer. Sadly for the areas under the mining process up here there have been no indepth studies on the fauna so we are still not aware of the losses already suffered and the pending future losses in areas earmarked for the mining process. We need more high profile voices like Crowe's to make a stand for the preservation of some wilderness areas which will be forever lost if we don't speak out.

Camera and pots!!!

2009-04-13T18:21:00.001-07:00

My photography is always a struggle - especially with the reflective light bouncing off the shino and my wonderful blue black 'Milky Way' series but now the camera has failed me. Remoteness makes these things all that more difficult as the nearest 'hospital' is in Sydney so I will be walking my beach without this constant companion.
Porcelain 'Milky Way' dillyThe images never do this wonderful glaze combination justice - there is so much refracted light it hinders the contrast especially on the porcelain body. Sunlight works magic and I so wish I had the equipment to capture these works properly.

The little shino basket, glaze rolling back off the underlying bauxite over a local clay mix.
Shino, bauxite and a 2 glaze green always works to capture the local monsoon colours.
Beakers - these found some good homes - shell marks highlighted with the bauxite and multiple glazes over a local clay mix create interesting responses.
Local clay filled with its abundance of iron works so well with two little soy pourers.
Southern Ice Porcelain, beautiful and impurity free, and I go and add something like bauxite to change that crisp whiteness but it works so well, the transluscency accenturating the bauxite markings. When the camera returns the dilly forms will find their way to the paperbarks just on sunset - 'dilly inspired porcelain basket with its found woven soft coral handle sits quietly amidst its fragile surroundings, reflecting on the past indigenous women who gathered along this pristine shore for thousands of years leaving only their footprints - if only we could do the same.'
My AvantCard postcard - "CallingAllArtists.pdf"

The Truants

2009-04-12T15:59:00.000-07:00

There's a great new Triple J Unearthed band from Townsville - The Truants -it just happens to have my nephew Steven on guitar. You go STEVO!!!!! Just love 'Perhaps its Time' - and heard it played on J yesterday so I was pretty excited and proud.

What a week!

2009-04-11T06:49:00.000-07:00

Its been a week of constant work - can't believe what has been accomplished but it proves when the brain is in a good space hard work seems effortless - although I must admit running with countless whellbarrow loads of dirt did have the aches and pains coming to the fore.
Still the pottery area is now almost doubled and the pending slabs for a new awning over the kiln look all that closer to being achieved.
Now to some of the pottery - this little bowl was thrown out of the local kaolin - dried too quickly as I was impatient but I still decided to fire even though it cracked in the bisque. I love the striated marks on the clay and the shino has taken on an unusual hue. It was thin so I now wished I had thought more about what I was doing and added some extra layers. Still it has me intrigued as I now want to work out what I should add to lose the cracking but retain the wonderful imperfections - and I really want it to be a local component. I realize I need to pick some more knowledgeable potters' brains for some suggestions. I have made up a porcelain body using the local kaolin with all the additions but after this bowl I would love to pare down to the bare essentials. In all of this I have to try and pay for my experimenting so have to put the time into the necessity work as well, but my brain is a little in overdrive!
Oh that shino - it just has to be my favourite glaze and over the bauxite I am transported to my source of inspiration - that beach I walk nearly every day - although there is a crocodile alert so its walk at low tide only until he is caught.

Trip away again! and Stokers Siding Pottery

2009-04-03T05:12:00.000-07:00

I had a quick trip away again - one little boy has not been well but he still made a comical joint act with dad, sneaking up like any good little rabbit!
Kids provide endless joy so my week with them was wonderful.

Had a trip to Stokers Siding Pottery - so worth a visit - and had a chat to Bob Connery. He was renovating a kitchen so I really appreciated his time spent showing me his 'shed' - what a wonderful work area, little creek running by his workplace, its past life as a bakery long gone. Seems fitting there is still a version of cooking going on in that great space. I came away inspired so hopefully the rhythm of work will take hold. The kiln is loaded ready for tomorrow so that's a good start!

Radio Voice!

2009-03-12T04:48:00.000-07:00

I am continually surprised with the cyber world - would you believe 'Etsy' led to a radio interview on my work. I still find it so hard to listen to myself but family all over think its wonderful, especially my mum and dad who are still trying to think of who to tell. Little grandson No. 1 thought it was so good to see himself eating an apple at the pool - that was the most important part of the whole post - now, he has his priorities in the right place. No wonder I love these little people in my life. I spent last night sieving through pottery photos and decided I really must get some sorting in order to make life a little easier on myself.

I love teapots and wonder why I don't make them more often - they take time I know but the results are beautiful and the best thing is they seem to find homes so that should push me to do them on a regular basis. Now that I am back into the clay with a vengence I think the teapot has to feature amongst the cups and bowls. Trouble is I like doing both functional and non-functional pieces so I am not at all disciplined in my work practice and will change on a whim. I can make a cup of coffee and walk back out to my little space and start on something new.

Easter is on my mind at the moment - rabbits on bowls.......they do look comical so hope mums and dads decide they will suit some little people as well - maybe if I entice them with an easter egg it might do the trick. I did think I should stay true to the Australian animal theme with a bilby but I decided the furry rabbit would sit on the first lot of bowls so maybe the little bilby can grace the next output. Then I have to think about the dinner sets I should be making - those dinner plates are such a pain and my little area is not conducive to big plates drying everywhere, but it has to be done - not anytime soon say they say - well that is not good for someone like me because I just put it in a place called 'later'.

Now these are my regular visitors - Midnight's friends and neighbours, the brown pair, Max and Gus and No. 2 son's new baby, Drama (Johnny Drama - who's an Entourage fan?). They all insist on eating clay on a regular basis and fight for places around my feet as I work - its a wonder I produce anything! There is the odd strange mark inflicted on drying work and I do a bit of quiet noises when the party gets rough. They do make great lawn ornaments when quietly eating bones don't you think?

March Madness

2009-03-09T07:06:00.000-07:00

Finally some pots from the kiln. The load has been sitting for a few weeks - had some fixing to do before I could fire - fixing of kiln and firer! (Don't think she is fixed just yet, but that's another story). Felt good to see a few pots worth re-examining. Now I have some handles to weave on the porcelain dilly forms. Loved the unglazed bauxite finish and plan to play a little more with this later in the month.

Cups, beakers and goblets are slowly filling my little area - have decided the next load will consist of just these forms - bet I sneak in a few porcelain pieces......can't help myself and I have to try out
my new batch of porcelain - well that's my excuse.

Happy Wanderers

2009-02-23T16:24:00.000-08:00

Back home after traversing from one end of the country to the other. Flying is wonderful - city in the morning and my remote abode in the afternoon! I think I will spend today digesting all I have seen and heard and trawling the websites of the speakers at the conference - their work and associations are amazing.
Barmah Lakes amongst the Red Gums .

My morning walk was a bit on the late side -the loss of so many paperbarks is more evident now with all the greenery gone, the high tides dragging their stumps into formation along the foreshore. Hopefully March rains don't add to the loss of this stately little stand.

I have been walking in a bit of a daze of late - the mind staring out to sea rather than reconnecting with the world in miniature at my feet. Images have been passing by so it felt good to glance at my feet and watch the incredible parade of nature's patternings. I need to get back to all that influences my creativity then the work will bob around in my head like the mangrove seed on high tide trying to make shore.

Myer Indigenous Award

2009-02-14T21:20:00.000-08:00

I am off tripping again - this time to Shepparton with Thanakupi for the Myer Indigenous Awards. Thanakupi is patron of the award this year and I know both of us will have a great time down there and I will be able to meet those I link with by phone and email. Our bus trip from Melbourne will take on a sobering role as I am sure we will see evidence of the horrific fires experienced last weekend. Weipa locals had a lively auction yesterday at the shopping centre and raised a tidy sum with lots of us donating time and goods to help the cause.

I spent a few hours sitting at the shopping centre selling my wares after the auction and was happy with the response so now have to set my hands aworking. Cups and beakers? Sorry none available...... seems I will have to sit and fill that kiln up with the oft requested items.
Now this is my No. 1 grandson at his favourite spot peering for fish. Don't you just love the effort and complete non-caring way kids do their stuff - sometimes I wish we could throw caution to the wind and be just as carefree. Shame we grow up!!!
Back to pots - love this textural effect with the bauxite, shino and cobalt on the Weipa clay mix. Need pots like this to keep pulling me back to the wheel.

Not a lot of pots

2009-01-14T02:30:00.000-08:00

Life takes twists and turns and we never quite know what is in store. Pots have been few - I like to think this will change as the mud in my veins nourishes the soul and I have missed it.
This was my morning beach scene - for those who have followed my ramblings there is a noticeable change to the paperbarks. We have had higher than normal tides and strong winds as a cyclone was lurking in the lower gulf. The waves are a powerful force on these beautiful trees with their entangled root systems so many suffered in the onslaught........

and this was the tide and wind in action on the first day and the paperbarks had to weather another full day of the forces of nature with a second huge tide.

For all those potters out there - the band of kaolin has been exposed during the monsoonal weather. Large chunks lie amongst the rocks so I think some of these pieces will find their way back with me. A shino with this kaolin is salt and iron laden so gives interesting hues.
Dusk often draws Midnight and I back down to catch the last glimmers of light across the ocean.
The cacophony created by hundreds of frogs is incredible and these pools are filled with tadpoles.
I have a few more dillies - these were thrown before life became tangled - weaving in another direction!
And this bowl is one of those gems from a firing - images don't do them justice and they are always hard to part with.
And finally I did make a little batch of porcelain using the local kaolin - didn't stir or age - but couldn't wait so threw these pieces after 2 weeks. Of course its not translucent but its a wonderful throwing body and I love the results so now I have a bin which is being stirred several times a day and will sit for at least 2 months. I plan a few more smaller test batches to see if I can get a translucent body - my usual fly by the seat of my pants changes. Its still great to have an affordable local workeable body.

Firing!

2008-10-05T23:57:00.000-07:00

My little kiln stacked to go -
and this is now ready to glaze - it holds a lot for a small kiln so I know I will have two loads once I have thrown the glazes around. I am still deciding whether to keep throwing the porcelain while everything is clean and try and get another bisque load before I start the glaze process. That red bauxite gets onto everything so that lovely white porcelain will end up with the odd dot or two.

I love this Southern Ice porcelain and having two wheels allows me to throw and leave the form to dry a little while I play musical chairs and throw another chunk of clay before I return to stretch the form even further. Finally made a local porcelain body today so here's hoping it will work well. Threw a bowl out of local kaolin only and so far its holding together - worth a test in the kiln to see how it fares. Don't know why I haven't tried it out before???
Almost sunset time but just headed out my door and looked skyward as the clouds are building and the frigate birds are overhead. High above was an incredible line of birds - my brain of course saw the decorative conversion to a bowl - think they are pelicans but who knows, it was such a wonderful sight!

Three fabulous little boys!

2008-09-24T21:16:00.000-07:00

I am having a break waiting for some cups to dry so I can attach handles. Thought I'd have a look at some mud musings. There are some interesting pics and thoughts from a young potter in China - what an experience - how I wish I was 30 years younger and able to traipse the world now. I wanted to bike through China about that long ago so the country has always been on a one day to do list.

The families went swimming yesterday so couldn't resist adding this photo. No wonder I spend a lot of time nursing and playing with my little grandsons.

A day in clay!

2008-09-20T03:03:00.000-07:00

This was yesterday's morning treat - the cormorants coming to land followed by several white egrets - a stunning sight in the early morning light I never get tired of. There has been a lot of bait around so the word must go round in the birdworld that a feast is to be had if you get in early.
Putts Palm's waterhole is shrinking and the outer edges have dried so it didn't take much for the fire to take hold. All night the air was smoke filled and this morning the town was covered in a smokey haze. Fires are a problem this time of year and I expect the beach to soon suffer the same fate.

At least the paperbarks on the edge of the waterhole managed to resist the leaping flames - it was still smoldering all along the outer edges when I took these photos this afternoon so a few of the smaller trees will not survive.

And here is the work for the day. With this hot weather the clay dries out really quickly so I can trim a few hours after throwing. I must say I am over the recycled clay but I have to stick with it and try and get rid of it all but it makes the process a lengthy one as I pull it out of the buckets and allow the dry air to do its work then the wedging and adding local clay takes ages. The dogs hate the sudden bangs as I work away at deairing. Bowls and beakers are loosening up the bones so another few days and I can have a change of clay and work on something a bit more creative. Don't get me wrong, I love bowls and have added the odd scratch here and there with my the trusty shells, marks to grab the bauxite and shino in the glaze process later on. After the break I have had from clay I know I need a good week working solidly to get in clay mode and start throwing the odd something special.
A walk on the beach alone after work was called for. The dogs were given a bone as enticement to stay home and I slipped away to walk and savour the sunset with not another soul on the beach. The soft coral I use for my handles is coming ashore with seaweed attachments and this one sits wedged in the sand catching the dying sun.
A fitting end to the day!

Work at last

2008-09-16T02:01:00.000-07:00

The house is very quiet - seems so strange. Mum and Dad have returned home to the cooler southern temperatures. Time slips by when you are having fun with all the family.
The two little boys are growing - still keeping parents awake at night - this is why its so nice to be a grandparent - we can get a decent sleep!Finally got my hands in clay and it feels soooo.... good - working with recycled clay so lots of wedging which is a bit of a pain but its a start and sometimes the starting part is the hardest of all after a long break. Need another day to loosen up and then maybe I will get the porcelain out and do some more refined work. Had a few breaks, one for a snake of all things. The dogs decided a tree snake was fair game and poor snake succumbed before I could rescue it from three relentless pursuers. I am not a lover of snakes but if I know they are non-venomous I am happy to share my yard. The Torres Strait pigeons have arrived and their distinctive call is a beautiful wake-up sound and a reminder the 'wet' is not too far away and I have a shed to build!
I sent a dilly off to the city - I am sure it will stand tall and proud in its new abode. The paperbarks last night had the wonderful sun tinged hue and I was almost tempted to run back home and bring some of the porcelain pieces down for a sitting. I love this little stand at the end of the beach with its tangled roots making perfect seats to enjoy the setting sun.
This little insignificant bubble caught my eye as I walked the beach doing my usual eyes down to catch life in miniature along the foreshore. This was no bigger than my nail but it must be one of the first box jellyfish to come in on the tide - I won't be putting my feet in the water from now on as this little bubble packs quite a punch. November seems to be their month so this one took me by surprise. Now I haven't had time to mention the frogs from the last wet season - they are still hatching and hopefully by the start of the monsoons they will all be gone. I wonder how many have survived the garden and one of the large resident frogs living in my pot. They seem to wait for nightfall to make their escape so perhaps a few will add to the cacophony of calls when the storms begin.

The messy potter!

2008-07-30T03:49:00.000-07:00

Well I had a pottery week at last. The wayward burner was fixed so I had no excuse not to finish glazing. I work in this mess - do other potters stumble over glaze containers with pots in varying stages of progress? Midnight, my four-legged companion, usually sits at my feet and often my neighbours two add to the confusion. The dogs all like to pinch the hard local clay and sit eating it then later deposit red telltale mounds on my lawn. I have been threatening to fire these pieces and hand them back to their 'Dad' - they would make a great talkingpoint especially if they were sitting on display somewhere in their house instead of in my backyard.
My poor shed is slowly feeling the effects of the heat and will be replaced soon, bigger and better, with the help of wonderful sons and son-in-law. I have a few months before storms but I am sure once work starts it will be finished in no time.

What a difference having all the burners going - the day went along without a hiccup - the flames worked some magic despite my lack of creativity. The porcelain is always so difficult to photograph to capture its beautiful translucency but these forms with their woven found soft coral handles caught some of the light. I need to head to the paperbarks on the beach and capture them in the incredible sunset light we have lately.

More porcelain - stained with bauxite - almost a cardinal sin to the beautiful Southern Ice body but I had to see what would happen with its incredible translucency and the contrasting bauxite dust rings and I know I will use it again.

There is something quiet and understated in this little bowl made with Weipa clay. I think it will find its way into my cupboard and be used every day. Some bowls seem to sing their own song.
And these two little bowls have snuck into a spot amongst the little gems I reserve for our dipping sauces - you can never have too many or that is my excuse!
And this multiple fired piece stays in the family. No 1 son was horrified it was to be sold especially after withstanding the flames not once, but three times, to achieve its final appearance.

Smoke in the skies are creating the most incredible colours as the sun sets. The light changes each second, catching clouds and tinting them delicately then the blood red colours stretch across the night sky before darkness finally sets in. I never tire of these incredible paintings Nature creates on my doorstep.

Etsy and Me

2008-07-16T02:12:00.000-07:00

I have been busy setting up my etsy shop - such a great way to reach out to the world and although separated by distance there is a community both on etsy and the blog who are worth visiting. I have my favourites and marvel at the regularity of some of my fellow bloggers and their work output. I wish I could catch the disease as I have big plans which don't quite come together but I am having lots of little boy and babies' time so there are other compensations. Micheal Kline is a great read with a lively network of potter friends, and his pottery isn't too bad as well!

I thought I should put in today's photos. I mentioned the pandanus nuts in my shop details and here they are nestled in the fronds. The pandanus leaves are dyed and used for making baskets, headbands and armbands. There is a wealth of information in one of my favourite books, 'Thanakupi's Guide to Language & Culture', written by this very special friend and wonderful indigenous potter.
I love this image - imprints of early morning gatherings along the tidal mudflat, the shadows tricking the eye and giving the prints a raised look on the sand. There were two beautiful egrets feeding on the waveline, but the great egret stretching its slender head as it searched for fish caught my eye. I must try and capture his stance with a couple of quick line movements one day.

Now for the kiln - had a mucky firing so refired yesterday so hopefully the results will be an improvement on what confronted me on Saturday. Have to clean one of the burners as my trusty old firing schedule goes by the wayside once I am down to 3 burners. I didn't have too many nice words to say last night waiting for Cone 10 to drop! At least the porcelain pieces came through the first firing so I managed to salvage something after the time spent playing with that flame.

Shino and surprise beach pig

2008-07-08T05:13:00.000-07:00

This is my fun glazing - always love seeing the end result of playing with the shino and bauxite. These are just two of my little pieces pre-firing showing the patterning worked with the deliberate movement of hands and layering of shino. The process is slow waiting for the shino to reach the point where the addition of colour can be manipulated, moved, shino reapplied, reworked, fingers outwitting the thick flow. Hopefully there will be a few gems amongst these to make the time spent worthwhile. I like the freedom the shino gives me to capture landscape miniatures of my surroundings. I love that familiarity with the piece and it is always difficult to let them go because of that attachment.

Bauxite pebbles and a well travelled shell caught my eye tonight on the mudflat. Not a perfect specimen but its stained ridges and little barnacles made me look twice.
Now there is probably a black feral pig captured in this picture. He was digging behind the paperbarks and must have seen midnight and I coming down the hill but stayed put. On our return he decided we were too close and run onto the beach and off into the mangroves. Midnight was just as surprised as I was and just watched the antics of this thing before realizing maybe he should have chased it. This is the first time I have seen a feral pig on the beach. There must be something good to eat under the sand behind the trees as he has been digging little craters everywhere. They are so destructive up here and there are thousands roaming the cape. Turtle nests are often targetted adding to the myriad of problems turtles already face in their survival.

setting sun and mud patterns

2008-07-06T05:21:00.000-07:00

Tides are low and the mudflat is made for little feet to explore. To share this experience with one of my favourite little people comes close to pure bliss. Last night he had a sleepover and I don't know who had more fun - think it was me!
I always think there will be nothing really new for me to capture but again my beach surprises with its residents' patternings. Images like this remind me continually just how little I really know about my surroundings, even though they are a part of my daily life, and reaffirm my commitment to the environment's protection. I wish I could transfer all these wonderful etchings to my work with the confidence mother nature uses to wield her pen.

The beautiful photo of my porcelain piece amongst the paperbarks was accepted by AvantCard as a postcard image so there are opportunities to promote artwork and place all over Australia and bring attention to our incredible environment. Being a member of Artworkers keeps me regularly informed on happenings in the 'outside' artworld and this was one I am glad I pursued.

Two new bundles of Joy

2008-07-01T05:16:00.000-07:00

Here are the two new little additions to the wonderful world of Nona. Each day is pure pleasure.This is Jackson getting the Nona bumpat - and below is Matthew in these expert hands of mine!
This is so much fun, even beats pushing that clay around but I did start and attack this table full of work. Didn't get too far, was dithering around mixing dried out glazes from months of neglect when family and friends rescued me. Tomorrow I will walk the beach and start early and hopefully my creative brain will kick in and that kiln will fill.
I had this work covered for two months to protect it from the dust which is such a problem in our dry spell so preconceived decorative ideas have long gone - the trusty shino will be thrown about liberally as that always conjures up my connections to place.

I can hear the mine's machinery at work as I write - the land is being changed forever and the future planned expansion is massive. Millions of dollars in earnings and revenue for all, but the scarring is permanent as revegetation can never be the same. The original forest relies on that bauxite layer to exist . This is a slash and burn operation so all is lost to the bulldozer and fire before the machines take their prize. These images affect my work and I try to capture the environment in all its forms, beautiful and scarred -reminders of what remains and what has been lost.

Sunset Paperbarks

2008-06-20T04:30:00.000-07:00

A lot has happened this past two months and now we have two more little boys to enjoy. Both born within 5 days of each other so we have three boys with birthdays in the same month. This grandparent thing is so much fun and I still get a full night's sleep not like two households I know!
As for the pottery - its been a long time since I dirtied my hands but finally yesterday the clay was working its magic. The morning walks have started again and sunset tonight with porcelain amongst the paperbarks was a wonderful way to end the day. Along the beach I always get a sense of the softly treading footsteps from times long gone and feel a sadness for lost cultures and environments all over the world. I know we can't stop progress and the mining boom is insatiable but I think we will not be looked on kindly by our children's children for the damage we inflicted on our Mother Earth.

Family treasure and new additions

2008-04-12T00:36:00.000-07:00

This will be the last post for a month at least (unless two little people decide they want to experience life on the outside early) as Aleta and I are flying tomorrow and Janine and Nicholas are coming out on Wednesday to await the arrival of their babies. The little crotchet silk set was made by Biz Nona 57 years ago to bring me home in and the lacy number was made 36 years ago to bring Christopher home . It has a little story. In the 70's there were strange pants you wore with lacy legs - that was a time of some odd fashions. This little dress is from one of these strange pants I used to wear!!! We will have to see who comes home first in the family heirlooms.
More photos but these are inversions - I thought they were worth posting. The spear grass looks beautiful dressed in these colours, its seeds adding a delicacy to the image.
There are two types of mangrove seedlings here but the highlight is midnight fishing in the background with the mangroves behind.

Frog's Coming Out!

2008-04-09T00:24:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was a big day for the first frog. He had his coming out with lots of visitors admiring his new green coat. I think we have all learnt something in the lifecycle of frogs and we checked out our little 4 legged friend all day long and into the night. He did some jumping and moved from habitat to habitat and was still sitting astride one of the trays at 11 last night - yes I went out to check with a torch!!! - said I was a little mad. This morning he was gone so hopefully he will survive the perils of larger frogs, birds and tommy roundheads in the garden. There are a few more siblings sporting back legs so we should see a little community emerging over the next few days.

Legs and toes

2008-04-06T05:33:00.001-07:00

I am always told I am strange but I am sure Nicholas thinks some incredibly interesting things happen when he is with Nona. Several weeks ago Midnight's bowl was full of little wrigglies - mosquitoes I thought but on closer inspection they were tadpoles. Everyone scoffed at my suggestion of frogs - no toads they all laughingly proclaimed but I stuck to my guns and was on a mission of restocking the frog population. Anyway toads never got in that wonderful pottery doggie drinking bowl. The bowl was lifted up away from thirsty visitors, especially Gus! and rocks and plants added to make a home for this mass of taddies. They love lettuce and paw paw leaves said the net so the feeding began. Each morning Nicholas feeds the 'tabowls letta and pawpaw'. One bowl has turned into several low ones as heat matters and the sheer numbers made for a very crowded home so Midnight now has his bowl back and the bench is covered with several habitats.

Now you would think the detractors would ignore all this nonsense but oh no there are daily inspections of the progressing growth. It has been very interesting as I just assumed they would all develop at the same rate but this hasn't been the case so we have some looking decidedly huge against their fellow siblings. Back legs hang like little pieces of string for a couple of days then start moving froggie like across things. I think we have all learnt something from my madness - am I laughing?Now there are some other feet and toes - they just had to be painted. I think Nicholas did a wonderful job on my knobbly toes.
The Cooktown orchids are all over the citrus trees and are a delicate shade of purple but last night the pinks of the sunset gave them this unusual look.
The speargrass is bending over with the knock-em-down rains and the dragonflies are everywhere so its nearing rain's end. The wonderful wet season is almost over but the water is still patterning the shore with delicate etchings in the sand.

Sunset Romance

2008-03-15T19:35:00.001-07:00

You must click on the image and get the full view of these two figures out on the mudflat under this incredible sunset. Mud underfoot but the absolute beauty of the setting sun against a backdrop of cloud hues makes for a romantic moment in time.
Midnight checking the occupants of the tidal pool, reflecting on his little slice of heaven.

Hot Potato, Hot Potato

2008-03-10T22:04:00.000-07:00

This has been the funniest morning yet. Nicholas and I danced for the camera and then we had the two preggie girls join in later at Nicholas's request. I promised I wouldn't put the last one on but its just too funny and I think all the rellies should have the privilege of just seeing what the rain and hot weather does to us all up here! Anyway Nicholas and I shouldn't be the only ones to act the fool should we? Beware all those who venture north of Cairns as this is what happens if you stay too long in the wilds of Cape York!

Still more rain and one particularly fussy bird

2008-02-26T03:43:00.000-08:00

Well it seems our smart weather forecasting bower bird decided his first bower on the left wasn't quite up to scratch so he has built another female attracting construction on the right. The shell collection is not as impressive but a closeup of his new dancing place shows the attention to decoration is stunning to say the least. He tends to strut from one end of the bower to the other calling to the attentive audience of several females - he obviously knows he does himself proud!
I don't think we have had a dry day in February yet. 377 mm of rain in the last week is a lot of water dropping from the sky. The beach is awash with thousands of mangrove seeds piled in mounds changed daily with the tides but the almond trees are still hanging on, even flowering with some seeds already forming. These two wild almond trees have defied odds and survive along with several others I thought would surely die. High tides again gouged the shoreline carving new patterns......
pulling rocks away and exposing more of the beach kaolin layer, piling the mangrove seeds against it. For the pottery lovers this shows just how close the kaolin is to the ocean.
A couple of videos for the family. Looking up and down the road from the back gate - the kids all love to ride their bikes through these drains but school was in so it was quiet. And of course Nicholas scaring Auntie Aleta - he had just watched Monsters Inc. so was really into scaring us all! This is Nick's favourite movie even though he has watched it heaps and heaps - just ask mum and dad how often!

The urge to put down words

2008-02-05T14:37:00.000-08:00

I still marvel at the connections we can make in cyberspace from places such as mine. Apart from giving glimpses into my world this allows even limited computer savvy participants like me to connect with not only family but like-minded artists. I love my environment as well and feel if others see it as I do they will feel a connection to their own surroundings and want to help protect it for future generations.
It has been an interesting week as I deviated from the arts to finance via the mouse. Wheelings and dealings of the big boys, Rio Tinto and BHP, became interesting reading especially when this mine is part of the package. The billions of dollars tied up in all this is astounding and the league of players involved walk a world few of us really understand. Unfortunately I still equate all this with the surrender of pristine environments to feed this insatiable developing world and it scares me, so I go on my early morning walks and live in optimistic hope some of the special places do remain for my grandchildren to enjoy. Stand up for the Grandmothers.

This grandmother's early morning walk catches the lone jabiru fishing, with a companion behind also casting for breakfast. I caught glimpses of my feathered friend's footsteps along the beach. He must have started at daybreak, quietly ambling along the shoreline. Midnight and I received a cursory look across his shoulder so we turned back and left him to his task.

Rain has been falling nightly, and early mornings often see dappled sand but this particular morning the leaves had left soft stains from the light rain - often the best images are captured in quick moments and this is one. It already sits in a frame thanks to Tania and her great printer.
As for things clay. This looks promising but........ I haven't really got out to do anything exciting. Did make up some porcelain using the local kaolin and also mixed some of the lighter local clay. Its great to throw but too friable so have tried adding potash and a bit of silica. Will have to see how it goes - bit hit and miss just like everything I do but maybe I will be surprised. Of course playing with this heavy iron based clay means I will have to have a huge cleanup when I decide to pull out the porcelain - is that my excuse for being lazy! I keep looking at the layered chunks and think they should go into the kiln as they are - might be interesting?
Now for family viewing. Another Nicholas video - the potter is at work again.

Pottery at last

2008-01-22T02:14:00.001-08:00

Finally some pottery for 2008. Had a long day as one burner decided not to start so the firing choked around 1200 and I spent a long time trying to get things to move with constant rain falling. Fortunately the annoying leak took up and no water came down my chimney but not having anything to close off my unlit burner port seemed to create all sorts of problems and reduction was minimal. At least the porcelain sitting high in the kiln with its bauxite additions looks magical under sunlight, the variations in brush marks and etched designs highlighted with the clay's wonderful translucence.
This pair acknowledge my concern for the local environment under threat of mining. I haunt Google Earth distressed at the proximity of the survey lines and encroaching machinery forever altering the landscape so now the straight line takes on a sinister meaning.
This low plate bears that hard line contrasting with the soft raised shino full of bauxte flows. I am still not sure it worked as I wanted - the underside shadowing the freeform decoration hinting at its ultimate fate. At 25cm wide I was worried it may slump but it held its form. This is new ground for me - testing the limits of this new clay addition to my practice - so far I love the results.
Dugongs, those gentle sea cows, feed along our coast on the seagrass beds and rough weather washes long pieces of this ribbon-like grass ashore so naturally it finds its way back to my little cache of found materials. Weaving it through these holes gave an interesting touch so the Dugong bowl is born!
I have been a bit neglectful of my glazes - have to sieve my kaolin as I use the local material but prefer not to sieve the glaze after slaking down. Unfortunately bauxite often creeps into the favourites and this particular dark green glaze probably needs a clean up. This was a bit of a test with shino and bauxite on porcelain and I will definitely try the combination again in the next firing, being a bit more mindful of my glaze mixing.
Finally a stoneware piece - the elegant blue black always a favourite addition to the load.

Now we have Nicholas collecting his wonderful pottery from the kiln. He has been patiently waiting for his masterpieces reminding us each day that his bowl is in the kiln! Things are getting exciting for Nicholas especially Nona's pottery and cups of tea............and the new baby in the tummy!!!

Jumping, jumping, jumping

2008-01-09T13:11:00.000-08:00

Nicholas has discovered uninhibited jumping - there is still an apprehensive look before he leaps but the urge to feel that mix of scared exhilaration takes control so of course Nona had to join in - she understands such craziness and isn't that what Nonas are for.
I have just been to the beach again - my camera works overtime capturing just a glimpse of the beauty all around me. Midnight often waits patiently but there are times where he feels the necessity to alter the canvas spread before the camera and leave his unmistakable mark! The ocean is quieter today but its colouration and seed laden waves a reminder of its past fury. Several of the wild almond trees have fallen in its wake but one determined soul sits several feet from its original place upright and defiant so maybe it will survive. The shore is clean, flattened into submission, the vines entangled amongst the thousands of mangrove seeds pushed into a continuous mound marking the ocean's onslaught. Winds are still whipping up the seas leaving whitecaps far offshore.
I love this photo - taken almost at sand height peering under the exposed paperbark roots. It projects a sense of calm despite the almost total exposure of the trees sustaining root systems.

Ocean and beach

2008-01-08T23:54:00.000-08:00

This was the beach yesterday at low tide with the exposed paperbarks' roots - no wonder several have given way to the ocean's onslaught and below is the scene today close to high tide. The bright green debris is thousands of mangrove seeds and the waves are heavy with more. It was so blustery this afternoon with pounding waves and salt spray filling the air. Midnight and I, alone wandering the newly formed landscape - pure heaven.
Two of the upended paperbarks entwined, but still held to the shore with a couple of determined roots - how much longer will they cling tenuously to the beach which gave them life.
Another victim entangled amongst stronger companions, paperbark strips dancing with the waves and gales, against the heavy backdrop of an angry ocean.

Cyclone Helen tries to come to town

2008-01-06T00:27:00.001-08:00

Today has been filled with lots of rain and continual checking on the weather site to see the progress of the former cyclone called Helen. The mine went into Code Blue which means filling the trucks with bauxite and tidying up then homeward bound for the workers to do the same. I am so glad I didn't start to move my pottery as the low pressure system decided it would turn as it came closer to the coast and now is lower in the gulf leaving us on the outer rim but its still windy and the sea crashing on the shoreline is filling the air with its incredible sounds. The wind has picked up tonight so an early morning visit to the shoreline might reveal the results of nature's forces at work .This is Evans Landing, normally a road but now awash - children enjoying the waves and on the wharf lots of people fishing for grunter - one of the nicest eating fish.

These temporary dongas felt the force of nature and apparently yesterday the water washed in even higher so lots of cleaning will be needed when the men return from their Xmas break!
Now for all of you familiar with my beach scenery this will bring home the might of nature - the usual dry flat is now awash with waves.
This is the top of the beach and the entrance - to the right my mum and dad always stow their shoes to pick up on the return but now the ocean is carving the ridge in its forceful way.

Remember my clever little bower bird - here's his collection of bits in his range of pinks, purple and red - he decided to build his nest away from the shore and I wondered if he had some premonition of things to come. I feel his choice has proven his innate ability to predict the coming weather.

His bower is at the bottom left of the picture under the bush and the water is not too far away. He is safe for now so hopefully he will not have to relocate again.

Nicholas and I decided we needed to have another present wrapping session with Nicholas as the present. He was completely cooperative and stayed still while I covered him in paper telling him he was the present. He is so clever this little grandson of mine and then took to the walking present bit as well. He walked straight ahead without peeking acting the part with me in absolute stiches behind.
Don't you just love the comical look of determination - meanwhile mum is literally running trying to keep the camera clicking to capture these wonderful moments.

Now this looks like something out of a Japanese movie - the paper transformed with that wonderful swirl into an incredible kimono fit for a little king! We had so much fun with that wrapping paper, later using it to slide and write on. Nicholas loved every minute in the hallway. Life provides us with some unforgettable intimate moments and how I love the digital camera allowing endless clicking to capture all these moments converting them in an instant.

Sad times and Xmas

2007-12-25T20:00:00.000-08:00

This is Mum's beautiful Verbena, her outside Xmas tree as it ends up covered in these fluffy white flowers for Xmas. Sadly its also a reminder of Glenn's passing, as he always picked it to freshen up his car for his drive home. We never know what life has in store for us and I suppose that is part of the wonder and despair of its winding pathways.
x
Grandad and Nicholas enjoying Xmas Eve in the cool of Nicky's aircon. How nice to eat in comfort as the typical monsoon temperatures mean any house other than Nona's is better! We can all roll around and play without feeling uncomfortable.
Nicholas locking me away in his room - very exciting playing behind closed doors! Look at that 'do not disturb' face.....
Here we all are waiting to open our crazy presents - think we are a little over our supposed $10 Xmas - Nicholas enjoyed handing the presents out and took a little prompting to finally start checking what was under all that paper. Grandad picked these great wooden toys to win little and big boys hearts. And could Xmas be more fun with bubbles - and a little boy chasing them amongst the typical Northern footware - a giveaway to their location.
This little kitchen was a big hit with the chef and he has been cooking up a storm since Xmas day and speaking of Xmas Day - spent in the comfort of Aleta's aircon - this was the end of a great Xmas lunch.
Family is fun and having everyone home at Xmas was a great end to a big year.

December already

2007-12-01T21:21:00.000-08:00

December already. Seems November slipped by too fast - Grandad has been away a whole month - cough cough, brmm brmm - as Nicholas always says. I think Grandad is missing his little boy. Now this month has seen some incredible cake making - just look at that face and the wonderful mixture everywhere. We really do have a chef in our midst and he taste tests every creation before and after! This little chef had a major event - his first sleepover with Nona - he slept really well but I think Mum and Dad were missing his company which is understandable.

And this was the last birthday for the year! Nicholas was so keen to help his uncle unwrap his exciting parcels - there was a shortage of paper but the oh so creative ones and lots of sticky tape worked wonders. Of course there was the dreaded sponge and the family and dreaded neighbours and their dogs!

The pottery club exhibition went well - always a busy time of the year with end of year events happening every weekend and this time we had to share the evening with the Dance concert so a lot of mothers missed out but came through the week so the little shop is starting to look quite bare again. I finally did some cups and beakers but most sold so will have to sit down and face putting those handles on again. The weather is perfect for quick drying but pretty hard on the potter as its just so hot and humid. We were apparently 40 yesterday so I had the industrial fan blasting away, the noise driving me a little mad as well!
I must apologize for the following repetitious display for my pieces
- and I call myself a photographer!!!

I love the beach - how often I say this! I feel its mine even though I share it with lots of walkers and their four legged friends but there are mornings when Midnight and I are totally alone on our 20 minute walk and its total bliss. The freshwater creates such interesting gutters along the shore after the torrential downpours - its amazing how much water falls out of the sky but the beach is testament to the quantity as it seeps out on the sand, reversing the patterning created by the tidal movement.

I know, I can see that fresh track - a blot on an otherwise beautiful view.

More porcelain pieces with their dash of bauxite to attach them to place. These were a late addition to the last firing but they didn't go down to the shop - I have more pieces to fire so will wait and enjoy looking and touching a little longer.I couldn't resist this sunset photo with the frangipanni in the foreground - the flowers are touched with the same yellow in the sky and are the most delicate of pinks.
Now this is the start of a huge thunderhead - they build and boil and seem to climb endlessly up into the sky before the lightning begins. Spectacular and I could sit and watch for hours but for the mosquitoes - they are the unwelcome guests the wet weather brings along.

Studio

2007-11-14T04:43:00.000-08:00

I finally attacked my work area opening it up with the addition of a new giveaway work bench - can't believe my luck as its made my little area so much more user friendly. My shelves have found a new home in the garage section so now I have more natural light. Of course I immediately filled my bench up with work - about time as I have had too much time away from the clay. Now the glazing begins! I am a tad inspired as I have sold some of my pots at the 'Between Seasons Show' at Cudgegong Gallery !!!
Nicholas was so interested in my hand movements trimming so he wanted 'up' and then helped compressing and then decorating with some deft strokes. He will have a record of this little event with his Nona. Of course there's always the unexpected in this household and today was no exception - a frog let out a croak from the icecream bucket in front of us. Well this had Nicholas enthralled and a little apprehensive even though he loves frogs and we have to check one of their favourite haunts every day. We decided to take this frog to the frog house and see if he would be happier away from the constant prodding of trimming tools.

So here he is ready to disappear into the depths - overnight he must have decided he wanted to remain a potting frog and returned to his former residence amid the tools! Nicholas will be fascinated again when we sit at the wheel.
Tomorrow I must finish glazing and load that kiln......

Papa's 80th Birthday

2007-11-04T04:53:00.000-08:00

This is a special day - Papa celebrated 80 years. As we couldn't make it we decided to capture a crazy sort of greeting only this family can do. We all wished him a happy day and wished we could have been there to share it. Jeffery left today and will be up there with Papa and Nona tomorrow so will pass all the hugs from Weipa way.
Bruce and I were to be heading down for the big event but a lot happened this month so the flying away was put on hold as Bruce has left for better things workwise but its been a sad thing for family and we all spent the last night together around the table. Red to black - both marking the skin really well so he will be washing darkened work clothes.

I will have family to keep me going and lots of muddy hands doing my pottery as well as watching the two girls bloom as their finer shapes are moulded into a beauty only becoming of mums-to-be. I said I will be having twins - when they visit - as they are due within 5 days of each other and in the same month Nicholas was born. Must be something in the air up here as there are over a hundred pregnant women in town and still going. Such a shame the new hospital still won't cater for all these young mums who have to fly out a month before they are due - makes it very hard for little families especially if they have to rent for that time.
Now Christopher makes a mean banana cake and so does Nicholas - he watched intently and repeated all the steps mixing like a demon - a chef in the making!
Now the cake making moved outside and the colours just got a whole lot better and creamier. Tania even had her knee decorated so she could feel part of the action.
I just had to add this - after the night's high tide worked its magic on the dreaded plastic bag reminding it that special creatures like fish need protection from its clutches. I didn't think plastic could actually look so beautiful and to think the human hand was not at play in the artistic creation - the scourge became a thing of beauty in the early morning light.
The rain disappeared after that first huge storm but perhaps the bowerbird knows something as this year he has positioned his bower at the side of the road below the track down the hill - some distance from the beach - usually his bower is on the top of the beach above high tide. His beautiful creation is littered with white shells and bright pink and green. Some years its blue which takes his fancy but as always his little dancing area is immaculate - no wonder the ladies converge in great numbers when he prances with his little pink feathers rising on the back of his head a contrast to his dappled drab grey. He also oftens visits for a swim in my water bowl for all my feathered friends - mimicking many birds as he splashes loudly. He is another new bird addition to the front of the house.

First Storm, Nicholas gets a haircut

2007-10-13T15:02:00.000-07:00

We had our first storm last night with huge claps of thunder and torrential rain. The neighbours had their phone blown off the wall with a lightning strike and then out went the power for an hour. I love the rain and accompanying storms with the night skies lit up like Lunar Park. Midnight hates it and gets to come inside until it passes, but he isn't quite as bad as Max and Gus next door.
We were the first on the beach, Midnight and I, and our footprints tell the story of our movements along the shore - interesting to look at the crisscross of midnight's journey while mine is marked by stops to grab a digital moment. The sky is heavy looking out to sea promising more rain - no wonder as we have had such hot days and the humidity is building. The rain will herald all the changes to the foreshore, green overtaking the browns of summer, washing the dust away for the next wet months.The beach was so soft underfoot, the rain peppered sand forming a gentle cushioning to our tread. I love the contrasts formed with wave washed smoothing.
Its nice to see the beach free of tyre marks with only these environmental etchings creating exquisite little images.
Just had to put this in. Nicholas loves planes and Grandad finds some great clips on Youtube so he sits up on his lap and watches intently until the images come up, often with the cutest little searching sideways looks at Grandad watching his reactions as well. We will miss this image when Grandad leaves.Here is our newest addition to the golfing circuit - he has some great shots but oh can he carry that bag complete with the swinging arm gait, determination etched across his face. Is this Grandad's future caddy and protege?
Now yesterday was a big day. Nicholas with the beautiful curls became Nicholas the little boy. Daddy cut his locks off - we were all sad to see them go but I am sure Nicholas feels so much cooler and looks cooler too.
Here I am doing my little boy thing - don't I look great!

September Kiln Load

2007-09-29T05:54:00.000-07:00

This has been such a busy month and lots of good and bad happening. Still I managed to get this firing done as I wanted to enter a couple of art awards. Good for me to make an effort and actually do something. At least now with computer magic we can either email or burn images and the selection panel do the rest. This digital age makes things so much easier. I could have never taken the hundreds of photos trying to get the right light, angle and clarity. Still it would be nice to have a professional to resort to now and again.
Anyway here are some of the better pieces from the flames. The porcelain has won me over. Only tried a few pieces as I didn't want to ruin the whole lot and loved the results. Only wished I had tried it a long time ago but they say there is always a reason our development moves along certain paths.
This old barbed wire is courtesy of Merluna Station - I love the random rusting - the iron red mimicking local surroundings.
I really love the woven baskets - their intricate patternings and shapes used for so many things - beautiful, strong but delicate utensils no manufactured piece could ever match. I feel such an emotional bond when I am throwing and decorating the forms inspired by them.

These last two images couldn't be more different but I love the total contrast - but they still both have the attention to individual detail I love to give each pot I throw or handbuild. It is so satisfying looking at what you create and revisiting the thoughts you had working that particular piece. They all tell a story, albeit one known only to the potter but alluded to in the little signs captured by the flames.

Spring in Weipa?

2007-08-31T21:14:00.000-07:00

Well Winter has gone and now its supposed to be Spring??? Weipa really heads straight into Summer but the wild almonds actually felt Winter and their leaves changed to Autumn colours dropping to the ground. Its too hot to walk the beach in the midday hours now so morning and afternoons see lots of dogs and their mates walking the beach. A resident croc has moved in and he often pops up to say hello.

Fires are always a sign that the cooler weather has gone and we have had some unseasonal rain last month - seems a lot of the state had unseasonal rain - so grasses grew that extra little bit and now fires are taking hold. This one was over towards Andoom and with the heavy cloud as backdrop and the dying sun peaking through made for a pretty impressive view.

I couldn't resist this little bit of seaweed weaving - strange how work mimics nature. I love the grass woven baskets and have been throwing some porcelain forms with minimal weave marks. I want woven handles with the found soft coral I incessantly pick up while walking so this little image really struck a chord. I would have missed it had I not been down trying to capture the waves rolling around the oyster covered rocks. There is something special getting close up views of the shoreline and this proves it.

I have been rearranging my files and came across this old scanned image of my mum and I in Babinda with Cassie, our pet cassawary. He loved the big skirts worn at the time as he used to nuzzle mum so anyone visiting was greeted with this determined bird wanting to get under their skirts. Needless to say it had mum's friends yelling from the gate. Dad came home with Cassie one night - a little chick Dad caught after the parent was hit by a car- and Cassie grew and grew - he could swallow whole apples in the end and we were sent up to the Azanarri's shop to buy speckled fruit for his food. In those days speckled fruit was cheap, sometimes given away! Cassie's colours were impressive, his neck irradescent greens, purples and blue, and equally impressive were his feet. He never seemed a threat but didn't much like our dog Whiskey and always attempted to stomp him if he came near. Our chooks accepted him as a strange bigger cousin but in the end he was too big to keep so went off to Hartley's Zoo in Cairns. Apparently he lived a long life in complete comfort and I am sure had lots of attentive tourists. These wonderful birds are endangered and often fall victim to cars as they cross the roads. Habitat is dwindling so how special to think I actually watched Cassie mature in my own backyard. Thanks Dad. xxx

Why I love my Beach

2007-08-04T23:10:00.000-07:00

This was the start to my day - call from Jeffery via Bruce - one finishing night shift and one starting the day run - they noticed the red patches heralding a great sunrise so Midnight and I off to the beach to catch the colours dancing on the water and cloudy skies - absolutely incredible. This photo was just after the best colour display as I was trying to make Rocky Point to catch it across the Mission River towards the bridge.

These little gems are tide creations - what the eye can see when it stoops down to Nicholas's level - a new world opens up with nature's works of art.
We are luckier than most - we have plenty of water up here so lawns remain green during our prolonged dry spell - sprinklers leaving behind creative droplets on the leaves continually dropping with the winds and drier weather.
This was Sunset last night, the colours changing as the sun sinks below the waterline, catching the clouds in the sky.
Do I get sick of sunsets - never when in the space of two nights you can catch glimpses of these incredible colours across the sky.
Now for the pottery - I have sent a few of the pieces off to the gallery. This is all new for me as my work usually stays in Weipa as I have not taken the next step. I have always wanted my work to be seen outside its place, to give others a glimpse into my incredible inspirational environment, to touch and sense the attachment my fingers transfer to the clay.

This tall bottle form started out as a combination piece but of course as any potter knows the clay takes us on a journey, it and our subconscious proving a force to be reckoned with. As usual the Shino is still such a wonderful experimental part of my decorative technique and the constant, bauxite, conjures up the most incredible pools across the piece.
Shino again moving across a simple bowl form, intermingling with the base glaze and bauxite adding its textural mark.

I love teapots. I am a coffee drinker really, always need my two cups, my heartstarters to begin my day, but I do love the odd cup of earl grey - but its always the teabag and not the teapot which delivers my tea! I do own a teapot but its only used on odd occasions. I have made a lot of teapots over the past couple of years and they sit on shelves in many places. My friend in India is threatening to take her favourite from Brisbane back over to enjoy her tea so I know they are well used and loved in a lot of households. Tea conjures up shared memories so the pleasure in the throwing proces containing local clay then adding kaolin, bauxite and shino brings immeasurable satisfaction. My place and I are always a part of the occasion of sharing tea!

The Sydney Teapot Show - they say its full of quirky little numbers honouring the ritual of tea, little pieces representing the likes of "Tea with shakespeare", "Tea with the Zeitgeist" (yes I did go and look it up as they said!!!), "Teabags" and "I never take any notice of those arty-farty Clayworkers suggestions" - which is the category my little number went under. But in a way I went my own arty-farty way didn't I. Now these teapots don't have to be functional to be part of the show but I can't make a teapot without all the working bits even when its not really a functioning teapot. One year I will take a trip to Sydney and visit this show. It seems to have great coverage so there are many out there who love the teapot like I do. These are a couple of teapots made recently still awaiting good homes, and they are functional.

I love our clear night skies, brilliant lights in the Milky Way without any light pollution. It just begged an interpretation in my work so a series has evolved, like the Milky Way the possibilities seem endless. These are just a few of the pieces evolving - another journey.

More Shino crawling and layering across heavy throwing marks, highlighted with shell scratchings. Favourite shells picked up on Rocky Point. Shell varieties are limited, unlike Mapoon where shells are found in the thousands built up in rills, carefully collected and graded by Zoe and Mable into the most wonderful necklaces. An art of incredible patience, time consuming to the maximum. I feel in using the shell as a decorative tool I am honouring this wonderful delicate artform. They inspire me with their work and I will soon be wearing one of their beautiful pieces - wait for the photo! There is an article in 'Capeyorker' magazine with Zoe collecting her shells (www.capeyorker.com).
This tall form is now making its way to the Cudgegong Gallery - along with some other work - hopefully it will survive the journey by parcel post. Isolation makes for an interesting parcel service - barge to Karumba then onto transport overland to Townsville up to Cairns and then its distributed from there, all in all about 2 weeks to reach its destination. The barge is often late and in bad weather it sometimes doesn't come at all. This combination of services also provide our food - interesting when cyclone season is about. Woolies can run out of milk and vegies as we all head down to stock up when we think the RainGod is afoot. Still it makes for an interesting life and I wouldn't have it any other way.
These two interesting pieces have gone to good homes. I hated letting them go but my house does have a bit of pottery about - Bruce is always offering to give it away - but I know he secretly likes having it around. I really loved this piece - my 'Ocean Drop' and kept it at home for more than a week. It was so representative of the beach with its contrasting bauxite washes and the foaming tide rushing in over the mudflats. My boys would be shaking their heads - they know I hang onto things - too sentimental - that's why I still have all their school books and the other doodlings - crazy mum - but as for that daughter of mine - she will take it all - she is just like me - but how I love this family of mine.

Fun with Biz Nona and Papa

2007-07-11T05:33:00.000-07:00

How lucky am I to have so much fun with family. Biz Nona and Papa have just gone and it was wonderful to have them here to enjoy all the family. We had endless walks on the beach and our little man won over two hearts insisting on saying two goodbyes with hugs and kisses each time he left. Winter up here is pleasurable especially when we hear about the southern temperatures.

The Hibiscus still flower profusely and our little man just loves picking them every day - tries so hard to put them behind his ear and anyone else's who comes close.

Here are our three favourite people enjoying the Cultural Centre and its great views and coffee.
Just had to throw in a couple of pottery photos. Here I am getting my pieces glazed, was the first time Mum and Dad had seen me take the clay from start to finish, even they made pieces to take home. As usual Midnight just has to make the photo - his disguise given away by those two shining eyes staring up from the bottom of the photo. I think he could possibly be my unsung assistant!
And this is some of the finished pieces - late night kiln opening after 12 hours of firing- Biz Nona in her Winter jamies too!

The beach is a photographer's paradise - this little group of mangrove seedlings seem to form a heart with their strange curling together. There are a lot of seedlings this year so it will be interesting to see how many make it through and survive the onslaught of the wet season and storms later in the year.This is an interesting beautiful photo with the bird footprints captured so clearly on the mudflat where freshwater bubbles up from below. It forms little patches of ochre coloured quicksand - almost scary as you can put your foot into it and it just keeps going under. There are several of these little bubbling spots, some quite large and the water it drinkable - just ask Midnight.

The Palm Cockatoo has the reddest colours around his cheeks and under his wings. This one was down on the wild almond trees having a feed then flew off so I managed to get quite close continually snapping away. I think he was quite annoyed at me for being so audacious and kept bending his head down. They have the most beautiful distinctive call.

Here are Max and Midnight cavorting on the beach with their two-legged mates. Tides have been quite low and the flats are worth a look. The marks formed by waves, birds, shells and even stingrays make for an interesting almost psychedelic landscape.

The setting sun and reflections with the great backdrop and best of all Nicholas alone in that great expanse.

Can you guess who these 3 are - Midnight, Nona and camera and Nicholas. I love this expressive photo capturing our connection on the sand. This is the day Nicholas discovered the moon as well!
This is our last morning walk before Mum and Dad leave. Shoes are retrieved and the Midnight goes on the leash again to head up the hill to home. This is a well worn track and provides endless pleasure to a myriad of feet wandering along the foreshore. I know we all had such a happy time - family is fun, love and sharing - and we will do it all again next visit.

Rain Again!

2007-05-29T14:32:00.000-07:00

We have had unseasonal rain - at least everything is looking brighter as things dry so fast here once the 'real' wet passes. The flat to Rocky Point Beach is now looking brown and listless but the shower yesterday will bring some fresh shoots - unfortunately they probably won't survive long.

My Friend and inspiration Thanakupi has just returned from a quick trip to Canberra for the Reconciliation Celebration - her yams are now huge bronzes taking pride of place in our Capital. Here she is working at her table transforming the clay into her stories, both top and bottom receiving equal attention to detail. I love hearing the legends and her songs - another world has opened through her eyes.

The art of keeping busy

2007-05-26T22:06:00.000-07:00

Just read an interesting article in Review in Weekend Australian. I think why it hits home is that I can identify with it so readily on a personal front familywise. Andrew Lindsay said "many people just don't understand that, yes, music and performing and painting and writing fiction are all real jobs, what one does for a living." "All the artists I know are keeping very busy indeed, even though their works are sometimes hard to quantify, and thus are just not included in the gross domestic product."
There seems to be this peception that artists, just because they are doing something they love actually don't work, where in fact most of us work very hard and long hours without receiving the secure pay cheque at the end. We rely solely on others to appreciate our work and then purchase it, mostly at a cost far below its expense in time. Yes we all love what we do and thus spend long hours 'working'.

Now here comes more of Nicholas for the Southerners!
This was a wet day organized at Napranum. There were so many small children and not a tear in sight - everyone was having so much fun getting wet and mushy.
This time of year the Cooktown orchids are out at Pennefather Beach. These are some in my yard - no comparison to the beach though - its just thousands of orchids along the kilometers of foreshore. A stunning sight.

This is one of our resident rainforest frogs. He lives in one of my pottery totem poles.

Nicholas just loves prunes - all nice and sticky on his face and in his curls!Forever the Ham. I can remember Nicholas's uncle just loving things on his head. I think he is loving his new house soooo much, as well as mum and dad.

Nicholas and his big 1ST BIRTHDAY

2007-05-19T18:59:00.001-07:00

Well this will be a pottery free post. Something more important happened in our lives. Ours favourite little man turned one and did he have fun!
I think the adults spent more time laughing and trying to capture untold images and video clips of this big event. These great photos come from Auntie Tan Tan Tan - Nona's are yet to hit the site but these are too good not to show. This is for my Auntie Maleta and family and my Biz Nona and Papa.

How I love my balloons! Nicholas uses his thumb and first finger with such dexterity - everything is touched this way and he even eats very delicately with both hands using these favourite fingers.

The absolute concentration on this burning thing. Mummy tried to show him how to blow it out but he was mesmerized with the flame - but not the cake - now that little video clip will come on another post when I get it downloaded. Its such a funny sight - he just loved the cake - just had to use both hands to get as much as he could.

Yes Daddy is always up for some fun - froggie is from Auntie Aleta and Uncle Troy.

Isnt this the most adorable little boy - and those curls!

Auntie Aleta playing and singing clapping hands and feet.
We had a great birthday!

Beach changes

2007-05-14T17:49:00.000-07:00

I love the everchanging landscape of 'my beach' - well its Rocky Point Beach but as I walk it continually I feel as if I have a bit of ownership. It provides me with so much inspiration and the changes I have witnessed each year prompt memories of the environmental phases but there are always surprises. Take this little insignificant insect feeding on these 'End of the Wet' grass flowers. I always notice their appearance in the house but never realized they fed on these plants until I took this photo on the beach flat. Now I know why so many appear as they have this huge feast awaiting. These grasses don't last that long either so no wonder they descend in such large numbers. The flat is carpeted with a variety of little delicate plants and I am sure if I investigated further there would be insects to match each variety.

This appears just sandy soil but with the wash from the layers above during the wet it is probably very fertile and with each plant variety succumbing to the approaching dry further nutrient is added to the sand.

The dreaded speargrass - the bane of every motorbike rider - how do I know this - well Jeffery loves bike riding and actually worked for two years guiding bike tours to the tip and speargrass was a defiant enemy - latching onto all things. I still find a beauty in their configuration and standing tall like this they rise above the smaller flowers - they are so laden at the end of the wet and then flop over with the 'knock-em-down rains'. It is fascinating to watch the seed when wet as it straightens out and moves - no wonder they have such a success rate in reproduction.

Then you find these little gems below the grasses - their vividness such a contrast.

This little flower cluster is only an inch across with the most delicate individual flowers. They are prolific at the beginning of the dry but end up in little lone plants dotted along the flat until the plant succumbs to the dry season or foreshore fires. It is also supposed to be good for stomach ailments. A little bunch of all these plants sat on my windowledge for 2 weeks before they finally withered. Who needs a florist? And as for these beautiful flowers. The vine is hardy - also medicinal - and covered in these vibrant flowers. All these treasures grow within a 20 metre strip. These tend to be closer to the foreshore. Later in the dry the Timity vine grows with its little edible balls.

I couldn't resist this monster on the beach - it really had me looking as I walked along - yes we do have crocodiles so from a distance my eyes were trying to make sense of the form. (Is this a pot in the making?) Of course Midnight wasn't the least perturbed and christened the beast - as he does any little outcrop. Many dogs also walk this beach so its quite a trip for the doggie crew as they all must leave their mark for friends to acknowledge!

I love the tidal wash - I did wait several minutes snapping as each wave came to shore - but the little seedling trying to attach itself seems to epitomise the daily struggle on the foreshore.
And this is the reward - standing tall and proud. Unfortunately we have vehicles using this little beach and they do untold damage. No matter how many notices go up they are continually
ignored so this little defiant plants stands no chance against a tyre.

Here's the fisherman - he doesn't seem to catch many fish but he does have a lot of fun trying. Usually the jabirus walk here on their stately legs - its very shallow and teeming with life so a variety of birds feed especially in the mornings. Evenings are quieter times - best time for the fishing dog creating his own water patterns.
Now I couldn't resist showing this side of this talented beast! He loves to drive - especially with Jeffery. Now Jeffery has two cars - one very upmarket with plush seats and this, his bike carrying ute but Midnight is equally at home in either car - talk about adaptable.

I love this photo - I was almost ready to run home - and along came this happy family framed with a backdrop to die for. I love being this close to the ocean - I can be cooking tea and look out and see the sky changing colour so I head out the back gate and run past two houses down the hill and past the flat onto the beach. I never tire of the sun setting - the colours are always amazing. Living on the west coast we have the most incredible sunsets.

Nicholas having a bath in the laundry sink - he loves it and so does Nona. As for the frog - he wasn't quite sure - he wanted to touch it but that look says it all. This little rainforest frog didn't quite know what to make of all the attention.

Oh my ankle - this is for the family - its a lot better but its my potting foot so I have to get it working. At least today it feels a bit more normal and after some physio I have got a bit more movement. Can't believe I can do so much with one step. I wasn't running either!!!

I really have had two weeks of enforced rest so it has to stop! Have lots to do in the clay department.

2007-05-06T19:45:00.000-07:00

did I need a Rest....

Well after a good couple of weeks of pottery and the Club Exhibition I go off and roll my ankle stepping down one step - tried to walk then hobbled and finally lay down on the cement! I must have looked a treat as a couple of people apparently walked into the building - must have thought I was inebriated and sleeping! So I have had to keep my leg up and take it easy - that's not so simple and I have read all the weeklies - oh how exciting they are. Thank goodness Aleta had been given some for work - I wouldn't spend money on them but they have provided some distractions for me.

Couldn't resist putting Nicholas on here in his cranky pants nappy - he's usually in his huggies so Nona (me) had great fun putting him in a proper nappy! He is one this week and trying to step out so won't be long before he is walking properly and the words are starting to come out. Each day he seems to do something else and he is always laughing and has us in stitches too. How I love this little bundle.

Here he is with Dad - big grin always.

Now for the pottery - had some great pieces come out - still love the shino and the miniature landscapes it forms on my pots. I know the big handbuilt pieces dominate but there is something to be said about a small teacup in one's hand - the senses stirred with a small delicate piece are hard to beat. There is such beauty in the little areas of shino, oxide, glaze and bauxite.
I will never tire of the shino and bauxite combination. Have been itching to get out there and I can't do anything, even handbuilding comfortably. Thought I could at least get something going but the aching foot says no!

This little teacup is a gem. I did try and abstract a birdlike form with glaze and oxide and although it didn't show clearly it still is a painterly piece wth some beautiful colours formed with the shino movement.

Matt black and shino - always stunning on a large or small piece. The bauxite pieces in the shino colour the trail and the crawling forms its own landscape. The local clay gives extra dimension to the glazes and feel of this small piece. I had to make it my own! I can hear Bruce sighing again - more pottery...

I have never been a lover of the browns but there is just something about this set which attracts me - I think the cobalt spots are such a contrast - I try to add these to the glaze when it is still moving so they pool, just as the tide pools on the mudflats as it recedes. The local clay has small impurities in it and these leave telltale marks in the pieces. I always try to use a favourite shell
from the beach to alter and mark my pieces - even if the user doesn't realize I know and that is what's important. I have left my own little environmental mark!

Another little handheld bowl - it just begs for closer inspection and being small this is so much easier. I have added kaolin so it sits like oyster coated rocks in my landscape and the shino washes around like the incoming tide. These are such fun to glaze and I reapply the shino and add extra glazes and oxides while the shino is still wet and thick. My hands do most of the work and little drops fall to fill spots with pools of colour. It takes ages but its so worth the end product.

Here are the tall pots with my mess all round! - so good to handbuild every now and again. My doodling at the pottery shop on a Thursday night paid off with the green pair. I love the glazes over the bauxite and the trailing glaze on top. They seem such a regal pair and at the moment like all of the pieces here, I can't part with them yet! The matt black trio with their shino splashes worked well. I want to do more of the coil combination - the Lost Cities in the Northern Territory provided inspiration and also the little mudmounds on the beach are coiled up the same way. This was what I was hoping to get out and do this week as well as my teapots for the Sydney Teapot Show but I will just have to be patient. I have a firing to do for Thanakupi as well but she has another couple of weeks before she needs her pots. We both always work so much better when we keep each other going.
Perhaps I should be doodling...... Did I need this rest.....

what a busy but productive two weeks!

2007-04-27T04:09:00.000-07:00

This has been such a busy couple of weeks but I have been on such a high as all three glazes yielded some great pieces - of course it means I cant part with some of them - typical me. Sit and look at things too long and they become permanent fixtures in my already overflowing pottery house! - more complaints from the man of the house about pottery no matter where his eyes wander..... But it was also the great jewellery workshop with Maurie Maunsell which really spiced things up. Now I want to make silver jewellery as well as still sit and play with the clay non-stop - oh where are the estra hands for all this creative activity? Managed to make three rings and even added some of our hard-won Palmer gold from the weekend working jaunts we had in the 80's - think Christopher still has vivid memories of that shovelling behind the dredge along my side. As for Jeffery and Aleta they were too young so spent hours enjoying the surroundings and playing in the sand - we just shovelled and of course Bruce and I had gold fever so we would spot those glinting pieces on the mat and just want to put through more sand - poor Christopher. Well I ended up melting some of that beautiful rich gold specks and they sit atop two rings which I made from scratch.

Coming home from the end of the workshop I then had to madly finish glazing my big pot - well that was a task - didnt like the first design so I had scraped it off then sponged and reglazed again with the base glaze. I then sat and decorated until after midnight - had to get it done as I like to get up and start my firing at 6/6.30 at the latest as it always seems to take 12 hours. I have accepted that and am happy with my results so why change. I always love getting the first glimpse of the pots and will the kiln to cool quickly but patience is always the potter's life and I have to wait out a full day and night until I can peek. Don't know how those potters stand the days they have to wait for some of the climbing kilns to cool.
Here is the finished pot - the photo really doesnt do it justice as the blue glaze seems to pop out with little volcanic rims - really unusual and probably the result of the messing around with the base glaze - I am really happy with it but as usual cant sell it!!!
I then had my big pots to finish glazing and that was the final fire - they were stunning and are the best pieces so now I am so keen to make more and experiment. Have to get something done for the Sydney Teapot Show as weel so after the weekend exhibition I have to get back into it. I have ideas running around with the boy's offering some great ideas so I think I will have 3 teapots to send.
Well off to bed - photos of my big pots will be on here in a couple of days.

Pots and Summer Heat

2007-03-11T21:34:00.000-07:00

This is a strange way to begin the year but I thought Bruce with his machine a good way to herald 2007 - give some idea of the colours which provide constant inspiration to my pottery. It is easy to see the iron reds which dominate Weipa's landscape. The contrasting green will only survive the monsoon rains and all too soon the landscape will be the variations of red. The heat is still very oppressive - rain being a mixed blessing as its so steamy after the cooling downpours.

March already. The year is 'marching' on - I want to slow it down so I can get more in my days but perhaps my time management needs working on. I am supposed to be working for our local Mother's Day Exhibition but am always drawn to the non-functional and then get myself bogged down and dont do anything. Still have managed a firing for Thanakupi - that is always inspirational and just hearing her relate her stories adds wonderful dimensions to her pots. I am privileged having this association and love having her in my street so I can just run up and say hello. We both try to keep each other working - I think its the guilt thing -if I am being lazy I just have to visit and refocus again. She is 70 this Friday and still loves her pottery so I figure I have plenty of years left as well!

Sunset on my favourite walking beach - this view is never tiring and forever changing so I spend hours entranced often snapping away until the light fades and then I am rewarded with photos like this!
As for the pottery from my last firing. A little more experimentation with my favourite green and black combination - I think its worth the effort and

of course I have to include my bauxite and shino pieces. This platter sits at Jeffery's so he has some of Mum on his shelf! I don't think I will ever get sick of playing with the shino and just love the process of dipping my hands in the thick creamy glaze and building up the layers over the bauxite and kaolin. My landscape forever captured by the flames.

The bottle form - still a favourite in all its shapes - this time handbuilt slab form instead of my usual thrown and altered pieces.

And finally the first birthday of the year - mine. Christopher provided the wonderful wrapping paper again..... not quite the Xmas shocker! Nicholas then helped his Nona to unwrap - paper the best toy ever! The birthday weekend was great - think I am just the luckiest mum in the world with all the family living close by so I made the most of it all - two days of birthday celebration. Somewhere in all of this the pottey does get to feature - here's proof!

Tania with Max, Gus - the neighbours and Midnight (yes the perfect name as he hides in the right of the frame) all waiting for a scrap - they do appreciate my work, ignoring my mess, and stop often to give a loving lick as I am throwing and then proceed to eat the local clay from the buckets!