Well, what a year it's already been! We all know how much of an impact 2020 has had on our lives already it's hard to believe that it's August.
Much of the momentum I had at the beginning of the year has been challenged primarily as I have become busier in other aspects of my life due to COVID. As well as making ceramics, I am a high school visual arts teacher and the changes to student learning firstly going online and then back to school as well as making sure my Year 12 class are on track with their Bodies of Work it has been a very busy time. I have craved more time to make and be on the wheel and now settling into 'the new normal' I am finally finding a little more time for my ceramic work. A big part of the slowing down of my work is also related to waiting on my new kiln to arrive and this finally happened last week. This is a big game changer and will allow me to get work done sooner and have more autonomy and freedom to the work that I can make.
During the slow period I have been working on some COVID sculptures and have fallen in love with Keane Terracotta clay. It is soft and luscious and I just love it's fired colour especially in contrast to bright pop colours and bold black and white. I have been delving deeper into some of my obsessions as inspiration such a post modern architecture, 80's and 90's nostalgia, pattern, bright colour, geometric shapes and greek vessels. See below for some of my hand built work in progress:
I am also looking forward to exploring more glaze testing and have collected some new ingredients from Blackwattle Pottery last week. The magical part of of ceramics is making glazes, the creation of new ones and waiting for the result is like waiting for a wonderful present to arrive, it's so much fun!
I look forward to bringing about some new shapes, glazes and designs in both functional ware and sculpture for the rest of the year.
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