The kiln is on

This is the glaze kiln this morning before the firing. There are lots of unknowns in here...

I'm hoping that I'll like at least some of them AFTER the firing

Into the future

I never find it easy to write about the future plans. So many things can change in an instant, and writing somehow brings it to the realm of reality before it’s time. Perhaps I am conditioned by the unpredictability of ceramic process. I’m spending hours and days making objects that will change in the firing, and lots of them will not survive. Glazes look very different when applied, and when fired….and there is no going back, only starting again. One way to avoid most of the “firing disasters” is to keep making things that worked in the past. Over and over again. I guess that that point is what separates the artist from the maker. I want to try new things, develop new ideas and experiment. So the rate of discontent with the results is, I guess, higher than average. Or maybe we just don’t want to talk about it publicly and therefore we help to perpetuate the myth of the smooth road to success. In artistic sense. (See graham-hay.blogspot).

And thus, I don’t find it easy to write about the future plans….

I am working on my first solo exhibition. It will open at Heathcote Museum & Gallery, Applecross, Western Australia, on Friday 8th July 2016.

 Less than 2 months to go and a lot to do. I am still undecided should I document the process and emotional turmoil associated with it in order to shed some light on “behind the scenes”, or should I just give you successes? Vulnerability versus self-assurance. Drama versus Fairy Tale. Perhaps there is a middle ground….

in my studio, surrounded by the works waiting  for glazing and second firing.

This piece will be part of the wall installation...

Drift

Set up in Mandurah.

Transport is so much easier with the ute than with a large trailer. And being able to drive all the way to the site makes it even better. 

 View of the improved and streamlined inside structure. It looks much better than the original.Recently I had a conversation with an artist painter about the ability to go back to previously "finished" work and re-paint sections or the whole work. This is just about the first time I was able to go back and change aspects of the work after it was finished. You can't do that with clay very often.

 I really like this work. The cubes are made of burned timber.

Thank you City of Mandurah for awarding The Shape of Thought a Highly Commended award.

Breaking a long silence

This is the busiest year ever, in the good way. 

Issues with the phone camera are preventing me from documenting (and therefore posting) as often as I would like to. 

Intuitive Sense of Connection has had some framework modifications, and is now ready for installation in Mandurah. 

I hope that the weather will be wonderful so we can all enjoy a day out among the sculptures.

Hope to see you there:

For more information on Drift, click HERE

Finished installation

It is not an easy installation to capture on photos:

About Spider web

The idea:
Spider Web is inspired by the delicate beauty of water droplets caught in the spider web. It gently moves in response to the wind.

Porcelain pieces are loosely based on this microscopic image of radiolaria (marine plankton), symbolising water drops:

And this is my spider web concept:

Individually made high fired porcelain pieces, reminiscent of microscopic entities, symbolizing light or water droplets caught in the spider web. Pieces will make a gentle sound when they touch in the breeze. 

Remember when I was making them?

Tomorrow I will take some images of the finished installation

Spider Web, Installation

Early morning start:



9 AM

10 AM

11 AM

12 NOON

1 PM

1.30 PM - finished half an hour before the deadline

Ready for viewing at Heathcote, City of Melville sculpture walk.
Open from Saturday 19th March to 3rd April.