A new year and the "Melting Pot" deadline is coming...

Melting POT: 15 French and Australian ceramic artists will come together from 24 February - 13 March 2010, at Manningham Gallery in Melbourne. A few brooches are on the go. My aim is to make 100 in the next 10 days. I've had a head-start and already have about 20 at the green stage. My inspiration is memories of my time in France September 2008 - windows, doors, houses, landscapes, pots and food.

One sunrise and some sculptures ...

I met my friend, Bron, at Bondi Beach

just before sunrise on Friday,

as I'd heard this was a good time

to see Sculpture by the Sea without the crowds.

Here are a few of my favourites...

Jenny Orchard, Plant People, ceramic, metal, glazes

Serena Horton, Sanctuary, porcelain, plaster

Alex Kosmas, Gilded Cage, gold leaf, stainless steel, brass and cast bronze

Angela Femia & Julie Card, Going Up, pvc pipe, elastic

Marguerite Derricourt, Rat Race, copper tubing, wire mesh

Paul Trefry, Little Boy Lost, silicon, fibreglass, human hair

Belinda Villani, Tribute to a Workhorse, woven rattan, steel

Jane Gillings, Dream Home, wood, discarded plastic

Greg Johns, Pattern 111, coreten steel

Spring Fever is over... the event that is!

SF is a bi-annual event organised by the Suncoast Clayworkers, 15 - 19 October 2009.

Vipoo Srivilasa, Fleur Schell, Ian Jones and Shannon Garson and Jim Robison (UK)

created work before a group of mostly local clayworkers.

Great work, lots of sharing and some hands-on fun

filled four fantastic days.

View more of my images here

photos of Spring Fever 2009

Vipoo reminded us of what was possible using the most basic tools - two hands, a butter knife and a wooden skewer.

Have you seen this interesting new work from Adelaide artist Simone-Clare Hede?

It's decorative, disturbing and definitely different!

Ceramic artist Simone-Clare Hede presents her first solo exhibition of hand-built works, Populuxe, consisting of ceramic vessels depicting consumers glued to the television screen in a zombie-like trance, wall-mounted vintage automobiles and colourful TV sets featuring grotesque versions of commercials common to the 1950s.

Populuxe opens on Wed 14 October at 6pm and closes on Fri 23 October at the Nexus Multicultural Arts Centre, cnr North Terrace and Morphett Street, Adelaide.

Shown here are some of Simone-Clare's brooches which she sells through her new website.

... and a brooch I made earlier ... Cool Ice porcelain, Japanese tissue transfer, clear glaze and gold lustre; fired three times - 980ºC, 1220ºC and 760ºC, then paint-on rust as the final touch.

Lots of fun was had by 20 creative bods at my Precious Petite Porcelain workshop at Central TAFE, Perth, WA; working small has one definite benefit ... we used about 1/10th bag of clay between us!

Western Australia beckons...

I am off to the Ceramics Arts Association of WA Annual Exhibition to judge their annual prizes and then give a speech to open the show. Then, on Saturday, I am giving a workshop called "Petite Precious Porcelain", where we will focus on working small, make some "Cool Ice" porcelain jewellery and have some fun along the way. Hope to meet lots of the local potters, visit some studios and check out the landscapes of the south west!