New beginnings - again

This blog is usually dedicated to my personal ceramic practice, and as I really value publications that stay on topic it will continue to be so. It documents the creative process behind the scenes and hopefully provides a more in-depth vision of (one) artist’s way; questions, struggles, ups and downs, without too much embellishment.

Right now the rhythm of my practice is changing – a bit like a having a new baby in the family (together with sleepless nights, worries about the future, delight in new opportunities, energy and potential).

The new “baby” is called ClayMake Studio and (to keep the metaphor going) its birthday was on Tuesday 7/8/2018 when we signed the lease on the property and received the keys of what will become a ceramic studio.

Until now, I was splitting my creative time and focus between (in broad terms) studio practice and teaching. Now I’m adding another big project to the picture – running an open access ceramics studio. And yes, I’m very excited.

 I will still make my own work that I’ll talk about here – there is exhibition coming in November in Mundaring Arts Centre - but lot of my time will be devoted to ClayMake.

ClayMake Studio will be run by me and my daughter Emma. You can find out a bit more about it here:

www.ClayMakeStudio.com.au

So if you don’t hear from me in a while, you know where to find me!

Long Silence

Recently I read a facebook post from an artist friend saying how she realized she “didn’t make” anything in almost a year. She sounds like she feels guilty about it.

Her post resonated with me at this point of time, as it does with many creative people. Regardless of how busy we are with the day jobs, families and everything else we are involved with – we have a need to create and make. I’m not talking about “busy fingers” making. I’m talking about meaningful, thought provoking making.

I would like to find out if all humans feel that way? (Is it a “human condition”?) Or is there really such a thing as “artist’s mind”?

As I have contact with lots of creative people I tend to think that we are all like that (at least to a degree), but every now and then I am told something like “you are an artist, you are different” that leaves me in a stunned silence (really? HOW am I different?)

So how to break that creative silence?

The question is not as simple as it sounds – it depends on the cause of “silence”.

Creative thinking requires empty time, uncluttered by distractions of our busy lives, and lots of mental energy. 

Just as seeds can sit dormant for years until the conditions are right, so can the “creative mind” wait silently for the right time. And we know when the time is right. For me it usually starts with the guilty feelings of “I haven’t been in the studio for a while” and “I should really be making”.

This is usually followed by the few false starts, dragging myself to the studio (“Why do I feel like this, I LOVE the studio, what is wrong with me?”) and being utterly unhappy with everything I make.

This is the danger zone. Important thing is to go through it. Just be there. Show up. Even if it doesn’t work out and you have nothing to show after a whole day of making (working/procrastinating) come back tomorrow. It is a part of a process and (at least for me) there is no way around it. Being through it a few times, now I can see the pattern and my family knows to brace themselves for turbulence. We all know that it will pass. The only question is will I go through it or back down?

Having a deadline is usually a good incentive to persist and push through that barrier. Knowing that most of us go through those cycles helps too. I look at it in terms of seasons. There is time for planting, dormancy, germinating and growth. Ideas are seeds.

For me, the silence has been broken and I can start making again.

Writings

I have added a new page with the links to the articles and writings. You will find it under the heading          

• writings

on the right of the page.

Night time view

It is done (and dusted)

At the moment I am sitting in the shade of a tree, listening to the birds competing for the title of the loudest performer, and trying to relax.

I haven’t had the time or the head-space to write while the whirlwind of the Sculpture by the Sea activities was in the full swing. Now it is all over for another year and it is time to slow down a bit, catch a breath and reflect.

How was it?

This was my 4^th Cottesloe SxS and each one is a different experience. Some things get a bit easier – I know more people and my way around, so I felt a bit more confident. My work had lots of new elements so I felt a bit uncertain. It also involved help from lots of people that made me feel more accountable and vulnerable. Being involved in such a massive event made me feel proud too, so all together I think I was on an emotional roller-coaster, feeling exuberant, fragile, energized and inspired. I think I’m getting a bit addicted to the energy of the event.

Tomorrow early I am off to Kalbarri for a few days to recharge my batteries and soak in the beauty of the canyons, river and the ocean.

Maybe I start thinking about making again. I find that I need stillness and quiet to hear the creative voice whispers. They are so easily drowned by the every-day "noise" of activities, chores and general running around.....

Thanks to Branko and Isis for the photos!!

Bursts and spurts and lights

The frame for the acrylic has been welded; although I am still not sure how will I attach the panels to the frame.Before I make the final decisions on that front, it is time to look at the LED’s…

I have purchased 50 meters of individually programmable LED's (they come in 5 meter lengths) and couple of Arduino computers. 

Until a few months ago (before I met with All Saint's College students) Arduino's were not part of my world. Now we have been formally introduced, but not really acquainted.

This is the part of the project that I am totally relaying on help from my friends: Silas (ASC student) and my Arduino whizz, his dad Chris who knows how to power the whole set up (just look at the board at the forefront of the photo), and my son Robert, a software engineer

While they are working on the programming and powering, I'm figuring out how to physically wrap 50 m of LED's around the sculpture with the least amount of cutting and soldering. We have worked it out nicely at ASC, but with 10 x 5 m of LED's, not 1 x 50 m.

But I have the starting point:

No, no, no yes!

First mock up:

Ups, lights will be interfering with acrylic. Back to the drawing board:

Second mock up (now we have movement, not all LED's lit at once):

Ooohhh yes!

puzzles and brain teasers

A month later and there is not much progress.

 Oh, I have spent hours and days working on “it”, avoiding “it”, looking at “it”, making models of “it”….but to tell the truth, I feel that I am waay out of my comfort zone. Maybe writing about “it” will help….

There are couple of big – and quite obvious - changes here in comparison to the previous sculptures: the addition of acrylic panels and LED lights. Unfortunately, the way that I have designed and made the metal frame is very suitable for my ceramics, but not necessarily for acrylics and LED’s. The problem is that I haven’t fully considered attachments of those elements at the planning stage, so now I have to, kind of, retro-fit them.

Those hexagonal gaps in the frame ....

.... get filled with ceramic elements:

But those are also spaces where I'm planing to have LED lights, and at the moment, nothing to attach them to.

And there is nothing to support the acrylic on top:

On this photo I have a  cardboard template that is light and only needs couple of bull clips to hold it,but it is not necessarily accurate, so I have decided to make a new one out of 6mm MDF ( much cheaper to play with than the acrylic, and it will be handy when ordering a real thing). It is also much heavier than cardboard.

The first problem is: How to find the right height point in the middle of the frame to create a support for the acrylic without distorting the frame, keeping in mind that the actual frame is not necessarily as symmetrical and accurate as the drawing.

After a lot of trial and errors, I have found the perfect tool to help me - a tripod. Why didn't I think of it hours ago?

we have progress....