It's a cold, cold winter... Well, winter has finally hit - and it's sooo cold !!! I really don't like the cold, every winter we both threaten to move. It was minus 2 degrees on friday and the ground was completely white with frost, brrrr - now it's blowing a gale and making a cold day even colder! .....but enough of that... what about the art! Blue & White Anyone? I decided to experiment with a bit of blue & white porcelain this week. I had made some miniature landscapes for 'Trading Place' using some Traditional Porcelain, but wasn't sure if I should decorate the same way as I had done the stoneware ones I had previously made (see earlier posts). That's when I thought about just doing them blue. I really wasn't convinced in my own mind, but thought, hey... why not give it go - I could always wash it off and redo if I was really against it, right? I was still a little unconvinced even after doing it.... but they are growing on me.... Here's some of the results pictured below. Story Telling Cass has been powering along with more spirit figures and story dogs and is busily decorating them in her story telling style. Here's a work in progress shot (right) of one of her new Story Dogs which will be featured in the end of year exhibition. Sunday Ceramics Sunday Ceramics is now up to it's 20th episode - read along by clicking here and check out the other studios, always worth a read. New Horizons... We are also looking to the future and planning yet another exhibition, probably for 2016, as 2014-2015 are all pretty much booked out already for us - busy beavers that we are. We have already started the process of making pieces which will feature in this exhibition - name & venue yet to be finalised.... watch this space!!! ...and until next time keep creating!!!!
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Keeping up the creative flow... Well, it's been another big week in EFS Studios, is there any other kind! We have both been very busy keeping up with our creating, making more and more art - this makes us happy! Cass has been continuing her spirit figures and dogs - and has been busy this week decorating each one - as you can see, this is her pictured left, busily painting one of her puppies with blue underglaze, with some of the already decorated spirit figures behind. There's some great things happening with her works and it's exciting to see each piece come alive with her signature 'story telling' designs being painted on each one. She has been using a combination of textural surface treatments, oxides, ochres and underglazes to acheive the desired results. They are still to undergo the final firing process, so will be interesting to see the finished pieces after firing. I have also been busily decorating bisqued pieces getting them ready for their second firing. As well as pouring loads of little cups and a few caravans too. Walking in Country The other project I have been busy working on is a creative collaboration project with my Son, inspired by the project Cass and he did together last year, Yurgiyn Dahnswena (see previous blog about this), we decided to undertake a further project with him this year. He and I have been taking daily walks together around our bush property and then recording what we see and experience. Then we spend some time, usually weekly/fortnightly interpreting these walks into artworks. It's a fun process and great to see such interesting concepts and interpretations coming from a 4 year old. Exciting and rewarding. It is intended that then these artworks will be then used to create some further ceramic works with a planned exhibition and accompanying book. Stay tuned for more exciting details about this thrilling and inspiring project... and how you can be involved! Other things... I have also been working on a creating a website for a new client, Sea Silks Gallery. They are a collective of artists opening a new gallery in the Ramada Hotel complex in Ballina, the Grand Opening is today if anyone is nearby, it should be a great day - check out their brand new website, created by me - seasilksgallery.com Sunday Ceramics.... Don't forget to check in with the other studios on Sunday Ceramics Next week we hope to fire another kiln load so stay tuned for some more images of finished works so until next time.... keep creating! Please Grant us the Serenity! This week was another busy one at EFS and we had loads to do including submitting a grant application for our Trading Place project. Pictured Left is an image of our concept - it is a merging of our Art practices, as you can see! We hope to make a travelling studio to facilitate our collecting of country and pieces of place related artworks for the Trading Place project and exhibitions. It was stressful writing it up and getting all the figures right for the budget section (that's the bit I hate actually) and then getting it in on time. There was a last minute panic about some of the details, but it was submitted ... now all we have to do is wait.... ... cross your fingers for us! Gone Mouldy I have decided to make some moulds from a couple of the cardboard caravans that I made last year so that I can make ceramic vans from them. So this week I was busy preparing them for the mould making process. As the cardboard would've disintegrated when the plaster is poured around it, I had to address this first. I decided to coat them in wax as a protective coating, plus as they were not perfectly symetrical I could add bits of modelling wax where needed to help fill any undercuts. Well... this was a much bigger job than anticipated, I thought it would be quick (I am always underestimating!) - it took up most of a whole day - but will be worth it for the next stage of pouring the plaster, which I plan to do this week. For all the Stirrers... Most ceramicists would already be aware of this but ceramic artist Vipoo Srivalasa is calling out for spoons for his Object:Spoon event - click on this link to find out more. 40 of the most outstanding spoons will be chosen and exhibited at Harvard in Boston, USA. Maybe we will submit one ourselves...? Bookworms... This week we have all felt like bookworms - reading loads of books - I don't think I have ever read as many in as short amount of time as I have this week. Between us I think we are up to about 40 or so! All in the name of research ( and some even about research). At least we can both now say Assignment number one - tick! Cass is even Assignment Two - tick - good for her! Sunday Ceramics Don't forget to check out all the other studios on Sunday Ceramics, & if you are a ceramic artist you may even want to join in! Until next time - Keep Creating.... Working hard ... What another jam-packed week we've had at Earth Fire Spirit! Firstly we officially started our Honours year at Uni and it was a little overwhelming to begin with, although I think we've managed to get our heads around at least some of it! We packed and unpacked and re-packed kilns and , of course, kept creating more & more new work. Location, Location, Location In between all this we decided to take a day to photograph some of our work. We spent half a day in the studio taking studio shots and then we ventured outdoors... Shelly Beach at Ballina provided the ideal setting for the look we were going for and even though the weather wasn't the greatest it didn't deter us. Armed with boxes full of wares and camera gear slung over the shoulder we headed down to the water to take photos. A bemused man walking his dog stopped to watch the proceedings. I'm sure he thought we were crazy as we squated in the water waiting for the waves to come in - and yes I did get a wet bum! Studio Incantations The studio images also turned out fantastically and we were very happy with the results from this photo session too. We took some photos in our photography studio and others inside the gallery at Studio One29. Pictured right is a piece we collaborated on together last year and was exhibited in the Northern Rivers Community Gallery. It is a merging of our two art practices and this sparked the concept of a whole new collaboration project we have dreamed up. I will reveal more about this project in a future blog post ... stay tuned for that one, as it's very exciting - and could even involve some audience participation! Material Matters Last week my donated materials arrived for my Flatpack Habitat project. Thanks so much to RCR International for your generosity and willingness to work with me on this project. Working with Big Business is very exciting and hopefully we can form an ongoing relationship (My head is full of more ideas!). I started to assemble some of the pieces, as I just couldn't wait to get started, but quickly realised that some adjustments need to be considered. Not least of which will be the actual location where this piece will be ultimately exhibited, due to it's size and the size restraints of the exhibition space. The joys of being a 3D artist! Big Things ahead... So...another big week ahead of Art and creating, research and learning. It's always a journey, but a wonderful one! More and more opportunities on our horizon. If you're interested in ceramics check out the other studios on Sunday Ceramics Until next time... keep creating - or just go surfing! |
Clare UrquhartOne half of the Earth Fire Spirit Team, I have an obsession with transport & homes including caravans, mobile homes, temporary dwellings, etc ... and a passion for all Art! Archives
October 2015
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