Behind the scenes
Some of my latest designs and ceramic items which are now available through my online shop. Beautiful, tactile items for you and the home. Have you ever wondered about the process behind my ceramic creations?
People often ask me- How are your works made? and how long does it take?
ind out more about the behind the scenes processes that take place in creating one of my ceramic artworks.
Have you ever wondered about the process behind my ceramic creations?
People often ask me- 'How are your works made? and How long does it take?' ...
This is quite challenging to answer in some ways as what may have once taken me 3 months to make may now only take 1, as the more I create and the more confidence I gain with the medium and the project, the faster I become. In many ways I also find it difficult to add time to my work as it has taken me over 10 years to be able to do what I do! I also cannot finish something in a day, or even a week. There are so many processes and each creation takes time. I then also need to wait for things to dry and fire, there are many variables that are out of my control and not everything turns out as planned.
But instead of going on about all that, here is a little guide to give you a bit of an idea of what happens behind the scenes of my creations.
First off I need to come up with designs. My work is heavily influenced by nature. I take lots of photos, am out in nature and surrounded by it most of the time, loving the outdoors, camping and also living in the Perth Hills. I then draw up my ideas, sketching in notebooks, colouring in, adding ideas and insights. Choosing the correct form, size and material is important and takes time to get it right.
I usually use porcelain clay to create my work, and depending on the size, thickness and form, I use straight Southern Ice Porcelain. I love this medium, finding it to be one of the best clays we have here in Australia, very strong, extremely white, but also with its challenges.
I blend Southern Ice with Superior White Porcelain Clay when creating larger works or my Black Series of Botanical Vases.
A journey through time
1. Wedging, blending and preparing clay as well as adding stains to make coloured clay bodies for my marbled collections.
2. Weighing the clay and rounding it off to get it ready for wheel throwing. They clay also needs to be at the correct softness or firmness for the item I am creating.
3. Throwing the form on the potters wheel. I love this process and it's over again all too soon. I find it very meditative as the wheel spins and your hands work in rhythm to create a symmetrical form.
4. Drying the work to leather hard so it can be trimmed and a foot-rim turned into the bottom of the work.
5. The work is then dried a bit further to allow cleanup and the design to be transferred onto the vessel. At this point, if the work is black, I paint on a black slip made up from my clay body, stains and oxides. It is then painted in a wax resist to stop smudging and uneven drying in larger forms.
6. I then carve into the surface and often also use natural found objects to press into the surface for unique textures. I also carve my signature at the bottom, and at times the flora group or collection.
7. The work is covered and allowed to dry out very slowly over weeks or even months for larger pieces.
8. Once bone dry I level the base though sanding it on a flat surface to make sure it sits level. Each piece is then cleaned up once more with a fine fiber sponge to get rid of throwing lines or any roughness on the outside and inside.
9. Work is then stacked into the kiln for its first firing. I fire to a high bisque at 1060 degrees Celsius.
10. The next step is sanding... This is done with wet and dry sandpaper of different grids to get the perfect smooth finish on the outside of my work. Making it beautifully tactile, soft and smooth.
11. Glazing. I make up all of my own colour through careful testing and measuring. I pour the glaze into the inside of the work and then out, getting a nice even finish. The outside is hand painted into all the little grooves of the carvings and then carefully wiped back so that the colour just remains inside the carved design. I then handpaint highlights of colour or clear glaze into certain parts of the work as an added feature.
12. All the pieces are then loaded back into the kiln for a final firing to Stoneware 1280 degrees C. (Generally this takes 2-3 days in the kiln)
13. Once cooled they are once again sanded for a beautiful silky finish.
14. The final stages then involve inspection, quality testing, pricing, cataloging, photographing, promoting/marketing and selling!
So there you have it! A little insight into how I make my creations.
From my hands to yours, from my home to yours.
Please enjoy and Rediscover Ceramics.
Tall Native Botanical Vase featuring Eucalyptus blossoms
A new series of banksia vases in black and white sgraffito from my Native Botanical Collection
Home Sweet Home; Latest Products
Some of my latest designs and ceramic items which are now available through my online shop. Beautiful, tactile items for you and the home.
Some of my latest designs and ceramic items which are now available through my online shop. Beautiful, tactile items for you and the home.
New Beginnings!
A little about my journey so far...and where I am today. It has been a wirlwind of a ride and I have met so many great people on the way.
...I have always been a very creative individual. I actually came across ceramics and pottery in University as the painting classes I was doing up to that point were full, so i decided to try something different. I was instantly hooked! I changed my major to ceramics and haven't looked back-
A little about my journey so far...and where I am today
I am extremely fortunate to have come from a very supportive and creative family, growing up in Spearwood with my parents and younger brother. After completing school, I went on to Study Visual Arts at Tafe, and then Fine Arts and Teaching at University, and am now a High School sculpture, art and ceramics teacher at the Perth Waldorf School, as well as an artist, running my business Rediscover Ceramics.
Some of you may know about my ceramic beginnings, so I have just added a little recap for those interested in hearing how it all started.
I have always been a very creative individual. I actually came across ceramics and pottery in University as the painting classes I was doing up to that point were full, so i decided to try something different. I was instantly hooked! I changed my major to ceramics and haven't looked back.
Over the years I haven't really had a proper studio space I could call my own. l started off at my family home, sharing a space with my father - from Pulse Art Studio. Once moving out, it was then the carport (and dining room table) where I set up, not that that was very practical at all! I started teaching pottery classes at Canning Arts Centre, and there I was able to use the space to some extent, moving work back and forth to be fired for 6 years.
In 2014 a new opportunity presented itself and I found myself at The Clay House for an amazing 19 months, first in North Fremantle, and then a move to Mosman Park. Here I worked as the programs coordinator, teacher, as well as a resident artist alongside Ceramic Artist Beste Ogan and the Founder of the Clay house and Soda Studios, Fleur Schell, an incredibly talented and renound artist. It was an incredible time, jam packed with events, workshops, exhibitions, teaching PD's, holiday programs, weekend courses, incursions for other schools and meeting the most amazing people.
At the start of 2016 however, it was decided to put the Clay House on Hiatus for the time being as we each wanted to dedicate more time to our growing businesses. So...
I have now set up my studio at our home in Wattle grove, where myself and my partner moved over Christmas 2015. It is a wonderful location in the Perth Hills, right near Lesmurdie falls, and beautiful surrounding bush land. I am also in the process of setting up a small gallery display space which I am hoping to have open very soon.
At the end of 2015 I partook in a crowdfunding campaign pozible project, where with the public's amazing support I raised funds to purchase my very first secondhand kiln which I have now done up and fired up! I am extremely grateful for everyone's support, as without it I wouldn't be where I am today. Thank you!
Life is whirlwind and full of adventurous journey and so many things to discover and learn. Stay tuned for more information and come and visit my new space once it's all up and running. please make a booking by contacting me.
Enjoying my new space at home
Otherwise check out my Native Botanical Collection at The Studio Gallery & Bistro, Yallingup and for those in Perth check out my beautiful display at Aspects of Kings Park and Fremantle Arts Centre. Check out my stockists for more locations.