Pots, my trusty mate, the dog & my inspirational beach

Big week bisque/glaze and I feel like a potter again.   The kiln worked well but climbed a little too high in the soak so where there should have been some light there was a darker outcome.    The next day with another look I wasn't as critical but I will be a bit more diligent next time.  I have been throwing slabs on the floor adding Weipa Kaolin and bauxite to texture the clay.  I even brought home a little of the beach kaolin you can see in the photo to crush and add.   I must use it as a glaze.  I am drawn to Stefan Schwarz and his constant use and tests with his local raw materials.  Beautiful glazes.  There is so much I want to do with what is around me here and now I have no excuses as time is my own.  The beach I walk is full of so much I could use.  Every year after the fires go through I promise myself I will go down and bring back ash from the grasses and trees that fall but still have not done it.  Now its green and the rain has washed all the ash away so I wait again for the dry and its predictable fires and this year I will head down bucket in hand and fill it!   I am slowly getting the feel for clay again, its been a long time since I have been able to completely focus on that wonderful muddy medium.

Best feet forward and a coconut

Its been such a long time since I walked the beach with my 4 legged mate in tow.   He has watched eagerly this last week willing me to grab the camera, his cue to race to the gate and walk his favourite place.

This week is a new beginning and yes my terrible feet are decorated with bright blue nail polish - the preferred colour of little feet - he will think they are great, I know.   The coconut, well I happen to love coconut and of course it is the new health 'discovery', and this tree on the beach is the sweetest coconut in town, and I do know where the best coconuts are.  Making coconut milk has been a weekly past-time for me for nigh on a year now and has been consumed by human, dog and chooks and there have been obvious benefits for all of us.

The beach is so inviting and the heavy dark colours of the impending storm only heighten my senses and I have forgotten how much I have missed walking my favourite stretch of sand.   It has suffered from the rough seas and looks a little less vegetated but still so beautiful and the play of light soothes the mind.

Sandworm carcasses intermingled with mangrove seeds line the beach at the highest point of the rough tides from Oswald - thousands of empty tubes and my mind takes me to glazing and the effects they may create.  The beach always prompts thoughts of clay so I know I won't be too far away from sitting at my wheel again.

It has been such a long time since I did clay seriously and this was a blog about my dance with clay.  Life can twist and turn, both good and bad and that has happened in the last few years.   I have had much joy in my life but there has been sadness in the family and there will be heavy hearts forever and I now think before I complain about mundane things.  

I am looking forward to sitting with dog and chooks as my companions, feeling the rhythm of the wheel and the gentle movement of the clay under my hands.  This is a strange new experience - this life alone and I wonder how my creative juices respond.   For 61 years I have been someone's child, sister, wife, mother, wife again, mother, nona - I am still all these things except someone's wife but for the first time I am living alone with all the time now to return to that creative passion of moving the clay.   It is an exciting prospect.  Hopefully then this blog will be my new clay journey but first the house needs some minor adjustments!

As for the coconut tree, here it is with a damaged bush almond on the right and the remnants of its mate entangled around the base of the coconut.    Palm cockatoos love the bush almonds but many trees have fallen to the ocean's wrath but there are still enough to entice the rare and endangered birds to feed.

Sunset today

Sunrise Valentine's Day

Sunset and beach grasses

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!

Happy Wanderers

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.

Not a lot of pots

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.

A day in clay!

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!

Etsy and Me

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

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

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.

Family treasure and new additions

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.

Legs and toes

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.

Still more rain and one particularly fussy bird

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!