Wendy Reeve: Ceramic Artist

2011-12-08T16:14:00.001-08:00

After only five months in the new studio and I have moved out! I'm not sure when I will have the new studio setup, so stay posted.
At the moment the studio's contents are sitting in my father's workshop (oops, sorry Dad) which means neither one of us can work!
I would have a picture of the empty studio, post me, but I was no sooner out before the next resident had moved in.

2011-08-16T20:27:00.000-07:00

Last weekend we had a raku firing. It was a bit of a desperate firing as the work I expected to get out of it had already been selected to exhibit in the Clunes Ceramic Award show, so you can imagine….NO PRESSURE! Lucky for me the Universe was looking out for me. Here is a shot of them ‘green’ and finished. After they have come out of the raku they have to be washed and dried and then polished. Here they are drying in front of the heater (it’s winter) before I apply the wax and then buffed to a sheen.

2011-08-16T19:52:00.000-07:00

I have a few x-rays on the window into my studio that I use to offer me a bit of privacy. This is an x-ray of my right hand. Years ago I broke my finger and fractured another in a work mishap, the finger was too swollen to get the ring off so it was x-rayed with ring in place, I’ve always liked the image. I have x-rays of myself from the top of my head to pelvis. I’ve always been fascinated by us not being able to see our insides and I guess that’s why I love being x-rayed and am fixated by programs about surgery! I think it comes from a love of finding out how things work, either that, or I am just a tad, gruesome.

2011-08-16T19:27:00.000-07:00

The front of my studio is being decorated by one of the staff members at NPS

(Northcote Pottery Supplies), Dan. These tiles are what I create when I’m testing the glazes before I bottle a batch for sale. It makes for an interesting history for me as I know each and every colour by name and code. It’s also interesting to see how I have changed the way I apply the colour from the early days to now. Instead of it being a casual swipe for expediency I now enjoy covering the whole tile to make it a solid result. Dan has then applied them according to his own personal creative expression! I’m really looking forward to the woodwork disappearing and a wall of colour surrounding the entrance to my wonderland.

2011-08-16T19:22:00.000-07:00

I have been very remiss in not contributing to this blog in the last couple of months. The reasons are many and varied and more than likely just lame excuses!

Don't you just wish sometimes, that you could be a cat, even if it were for only one day?

2011-06-16T02:42:00.000-07:00

New things….

In an earlier post I showed some new work that I wasn’t sure I knew what I was going to do with. Well here’s some images of what is going on with them now. I’m really like them, there seems to be an interesting tension between the black and white which intrigues me. More revelation will come to light as the pieces ‘speak’ to me.

2011-06-16T02:38:00.000-07:00

Moved in…

The new ‘Wendy’ house doesn’t have any windows which I am missing but what I have found is, by not seeing the day pass by, I seem to be oblivious to time passing. Therefore, I’m working longer hours, not a bad thing as I’m always happiest in the studio anyway.

2011-06-16T02:34:00.000-07:00

Moving out..

Well it was a sad day for me having to move studios but it was an opportunity to throw out an accumulation of dust covered eclectic objects! It’s amazing what one holds on to in the hope that it will be of use one day or inspiring. I found I was inspired to throw it out!

I’ve moved into a smaller premises which has disciplined me to use only the necessary.

2011-05-13T15:44:00.000-07:00

Rose St Artists Market

Connie and I have started a stall in a local market. Our first Sunday was fraught with rain. As newbies we didn’t quite have the ‘kit’ to protect us from the downpours we had. Luckily our work is ceramics so it’s not damaged by water, but standing in puddles and being wet to the knees is not a lot of fun for us! Still, we made a few sales and met some nice people so I think it was ok for our first time.

The setup at the market is really well organised and the space provided adequate.

I had a lot of good feedback on the day which was encouraging. If you are interested in seeing what's on offer check out the website.

www.rosestmarket.com.au

2011-05-13T15:30:00.000-07:00

Easter Break

Went to the country for Easter and had a fabulous time. I love the train trip too, how you start off with the density of the city and travel through the suburbs all the while noticing the detritus of humanity vanish and the landscape taking over. Even though I have made this journey many times the landscape is always different, changed by the weather and time.

One morning I woke up to find fog had descended through the night but not long after sunrise it lifted and my mother and I went for a walk. The light coming through the trees was beautiful as was all the dew that had gathered on the spiders webs.

2011-04-16T00:33:00.000-07:00

Master class by Phil Elson

Went to a workshop held at Northcote Pottery today. Phil has been a potter for over 30 years and therefore has a wealth of experience which he generously shared with us. To see his work you should visit his website www.philelsonpottery.com.

As potters usually work in isolation we don't often get to see how someone else works and so it's always a great privilege to watch someone else's practice. We all throw pots but we all do it a little differently, we've all found various little techniques and ways of doing something. I have been throwing for over 25 years and I always gain some new insight in how to throw by watching someone else's technique.

Phil throws a variety of shapes and these include some vary large cylinders and bowls; they are extremely fine and sometimes seem to defy physics!

Phil told us about his daily practice and it struck me that we all have our own rituals that we undertake in order to get ourselves in the right headspace to create. I wonder about collecting these anecdotes from artist to see if in fact we all do something very similar or whether it varies.

This piece is by no means the largest that he creates!

And he lifted it off the wheel without warping, now that's skillful. I use batts so that I can remove a piece and let it harden up before I attempt to touch it. Phil did say that he uses batts when he throws his really big pieces. I guess size is relative!

So there we have it, a good day was had by all I think and I would be surprised if anyone came away without gaining some insight into their own methods of making.

2011-03-19T18:49:00.001-07:00

So March is marching along nicely. Change is in the offing. We had the largest full moon in twenty years last night and it was a beauty. The mornings are darker as we change out of daylight savings mode. It's coming towards my favorite time of the year...winter. I know most people think I'm crazy for loving winter, but then, I think they are crazy for loving summer!
I'm losing this studio and being moved to another. I'm going to lose the view, the northern light and access to fresh air, which to be honest, I am dreading. The new space is going to be smaller too, which is causing me much consternation, as I will need to divest myself of excess 'stuff' in order to fit into my new abode. I will of course make the new space work, and it's really only about getting used to the transition, but the upheaval to get there is not something I can embrace at this stage.
The work is coming along and the Raku crew and I will start firing on the 1st of May. It will be fabulous to get back into the firing process.

2011-02-18T16:08:00.000-08:00

So it's February and now I am in the swing of the year. I mentioned before that I was creating some new work and here is a preview of it. I call them sentinels, I'm not sure why, perhaps it's because they look so patient waiting to be completed! I haven't bisqued them yet, so they are stacked on the shelves and look lovely in their monochrome grouping, suggesting to me that they should be displayed so. We shall see.....
I went to a talk at Craft Victoria recently (thank you Sophie) which was quite enlightening in regards to applying for grants. Nella from CV spoke as did Christobel from Arts Victoria and Anita who designs exhibitions. All speakers were very interesting and thought provoking. I came away very inspired and feeling very positive about being able to participate in the processes required to get my work 'out there'.

2011-01-22T19:57:00.001-08:00

Because it's the beginning of the year it also feels like it's the beginning of something new, a chance to 'try again' or launch into something completely different.
January is the time of year for me that induces contemplation and speculation, I'm all for the contemplation but the speculation just gets in the way of creativity. The duality of being in the mind and Self is a constant battle. Meditation is the order of the day so that the mind is emptied and can freely manifest, it's truly liberating.
I'm working on something new and witnessing myself trying to grasp the concept of the work and at the same time allowing it to 'be' and become what it must without using the mind as a conduit. For me creativity comes from a deeper consciousness not the mind.
The Journey continues........

2010-12-12T22:17:00.000-08:00

Saw this article on Wikipedia and thought it was pertinent to some of my thoughts on art. Any thoughts?

Essentialism

Main article: Essentialism

In art, essentialism is the idea that each medium has its own particular strengths and weaknesses, contingent on its mode of communication. A chase scene, for example, may be appropriate for motion pictures, but poorly realized in poetry, because the essential components of the poetic medium are ill suited to convey the information of a chase scene. This idea may be further refined, and it may be said that the haiku is a poor vehicle for describing a lover's affection, as opposed to the sonnet. Essentialism is attractive to artists, because it not only delineates the role of art and media, but also prescribes a method for evaluating art (quality correlates to the degree of organic form). However, considerable criticism has been leveled at essentialism, which has been unable to formally define organic form or for that matter, medium. What, after all, is the medium of poetry? If it is language, how is this distinct from the medium of prose fiction? Is the distinction really a distinction in medium or genre? Questions about organic form, its definition, and its role in art remain controversial. Generally, working artists accept some form of the concept of organic form, whereas philosophers have tended to regard it as vague and irrelevant.

Further: Reason may argue the true medium of art is universal for all material mediums, and this is the formless medium of Idea. Art is the expression of a formless 'pool' of intelligent creative potential,[ by the gateway of consciousness] expressed in physicality through a material medium of choosing. Organic form can be seen as 'how well the artist has made a body for his expression of life-force'; The ability of the physical medium to clothe and resonate all aspects of the idea being expressed. Idea is defined in form- Thought is made clear in picture. The artist may or may not be conscious that his art is idea-bearing, and harbors ability to spur thought in those [who receive the art]. Even if the idea is only vaguely known, this can be interpreted as feeling. At clearer levels of awareness, whole concepts maybe be birthed from the art. [('Organic Form')]: Naturally expressed Art grants greater ability to be seen for its true quality, rather than being looked at solely for the physical representation which the "life of the piece" is enclosed in.

2010-12-06T15:02:00.000-08:00

Green version.

2010-12-06T14:44:00.000-08:00

This work is about the unseen creatures that are the backbone of our planets existence but are not even considered.
They are ameoba, single cell organisms, rootifers and the like. I just think they are beautiful and fascinating.
I changed the designs this year and incorporated the opening on the top with the image, which worked to make them more integral with the form. I also increased the colourant in the clay body which works better too as a backdrop mimicking waterways.

2010-12-06T14:39:00.000-08:00

I have been trying out more colour in the Raku process. In some instances I colour the clay body but here I have used a bright red glaze (festive isn't it?). I must say I've really enjoyed the change from the subtle colours to the more dramatic.

2010-12-06T14:25:00.000-08:00

These are a few things I have been working on this year.
There have been a few ups and downs in both my work and personal life. It makes for an interesting time. But I have to say that being a creative is a Godsend as a way of focusing and staying true to the 'path'.
Having my studio as my 'happy place' has been very important for me as an outlet for energies I could not expend anywhere else. Working there has been calming and meditative.

2010-01-29T18:46:00.000-08:00

Another form I love throwing...not quite a bottle and still not functional. It's about the inner space.

2010-01-29T18:36:00.000-08:00

I love throwing bottles....I don't know why because they are not functional even if they look it! I just love the form.

2010-01-29T18:25:00.000-08:00

This is the top view of a piece which shows the designs. They represent microscopic cells, protozoa, rotifers and the like.

2010-01-29T18:00:00.000-08:00

It's been awhile since I've added anything to this blog but I'm glad to be back! These are some images of my new work.
I haven't been doing Naked Raku for long, so it's still a work in progress but I'm loving the change from the more traditional Raku. Naked Raku is more ....drawing with smoke...than glazes, so it adds another dimension to the work.
The thing I find with Raku, is that it can tend to be either, predominately black and white or lurid with colour, subtlety is hard to achieve. With NR the backs are softer and whilst there's no glaze on the piece, I find if you colour the clay you can add colour where the glaze would have before and that the softness of the colour and the blacks is a lovely combination.

A Poem!

2009-05-21T01:21:00.001-07:00

I'm so full of feeling
by Fernando Pessoa

I`m so full of feeling
I can easily believe
I must be sentimental.
But when I mull this over,
I see it`s all in thought,
I felt nothing whatever.

All of us spend
One life living it,
Another, thinking it.
And the only life we have
Is split between
The true one and the false.

But which is true
And which is false
Nobody can explain.
And as we go on living,
The life we spend`s the one
That`s doomed to thinking.

translated by Edwin Honig

Sonnet 76

2009-05-21T01:21:00.000-07:00

Why is my verse so barren of new pride?
So far from variation or quick change?
Why, with the time, do I not glance aside
To new-found methods and to compounds strange?
Why write I all still one, ever the same,
And keep invention in a noted weed,
That every word doth almost tell my name;
Showing their birth, and where they did proceed?
O know, sweet love, I always write of you,
And you and love are still my argument;
So all my best is dressing old words new,
Spending again what is already spent:
For as the sun is daily new and old,
So is my love still telling what is told.

Shakespeare 1609

2009

2008-12-30T13:14:00.000-08:00

I haven't posted for awhile and feel a little guilty but with the wind up to Christmas and working fultime it's been hectic.
I'm packing up my house to move and have packed up both of my old studios, one in Melbourne and the other in the country, and consolidated it at Northcote Pottery which is going to be far more convenient.
The new Raku kiln is still to be finished, however all the elements (sorry about the pun) are in place I just have to put them together and then I'll be cooking on gas! And I can't wait.
I do have to find a new place to live though, so the beginning of 2009 will be a tad busy!
2009 looks like it's going to be an interesting year and I'm looking forward to seeing what pans out.
All the best for the New Year.

2008-11-22T18:29:00.000-08:00

I was in the city the other week doing the galleries with a friend when I came across this. I'm a fan of Bruce Armstrong's work so seeing these two new sculptures being installed outside the Hyatt Hotel was fortuitous. He has another piece called, The Eagle, on Wurrundjuri Way, near Telstra Dome.

2008-11-22T18:02:00.000-08:00

Mabelle Marra’s approach to ceramics is greatly influenced by her Argentinean background. Using pre-Columbian firing methods, she creates vessels that reinterpret wares from the Condorhuasi period, 650BC to 700AD, of North Western Argentina.
Her work is currently exhibiting at Pan Gallery. I really love the faces, they are quite endearing, consequently I bought this piece and am looking forward to getting it home. Check out the gallery site for more information.

Pussycat Potter

2008-11-08T23:38:00.000-08:00

This is one of my cats, Cocoa, who always wanted to throw a pot. He would sit and watch me intently as if he was trying to figure out how to do it! When I wasn't in the studio he could be found asleep on the seat at my wheel. Of course, now my studio is elsewhere and we don't pot together anymore.

Resident Artist's Show

2008-10-18T03:05:00.000-07:00

The show at Pan Gallery opened today and I'm very glad to say that I was able to get some new pieces in. The exhibition consists of recent works by the artists in residence who are Ray Laurens, Sophie Milne, Zoe Churchill and myself. Some of us are still settling into our new environments so it was good to see us able to get such a collection together.

Rock Sculpture

2008-10-15T02:11:00.000-07:00

This is from the Antarctic.
Nature has created yet another masterpiece.

Raku kiln

2008-10-06T00:01:00.000-07:00

In the next couple of weeks I plan to start (and hopefully finish) building a Raku kiln. It will be wonderful to be able to fire in the city rather than in the country. Although I do love the environment up there.

Dad and egg...

2008-10-05T02:28:00.000-07:00

Apparently if the egg hits the ice for more than a few seconds, it's dead.

Antarctic antics

2008-10-05T02:11:00.000-07:00

A friend of mine, Nick, is having an adventure in the Antarctic, where he's been for the last year. He sends me images from time to time to torture me. I wouid be there in a shot if I could!
At the moment he is helping the scientists with the tagging of the Emperor penguin chicks.

Pretty Colour

2008-10-05T01:05:00.000-07:00

I'm colouring my clay and then throwing it which saves me a process further down the line. I'm strapped for time so efficiency is everything.
I love mixing the colours; it's one of my favourite things about my job..opening a 10KG tin of stain and seeing all that saturated colour.....yummy!

First Works

2008-10-05T00:52:00.000-07:00

I've been throwing again, after a dry spell between studios, and am amazed at how out of sync the eye-hand coordination gets. But I'm happy to say, that it hasn't taken me too long to get back into it.
I usually Raku my work but as my kiln is in Bairnsdale (4 hours away from Melbourne!) I am trying out some variations on a theme. I'm playing basically!

Studio space

2008-09-27T23:58:00.000-07:00

This is my new studio space at Northcote Pottery, a bit of a contrast to my previous studio, which was cold and dark. I am thoroughly enjoying this new environment.

Image courtesy of Angus and Victor in Vancouver

2008-09-03T03:14:00.000-07:00

Naked Raku

2008-09-03T03:04:00.000-07:00

2008-09-03T03:01:00.000-07:00