Majolica
works
Click on each
picture to view albums
Majolica
is tin glazed earthenware introduced into Europe from Moorish Spain by
way of the island of Majorca and produced in Italy from the 14th century.
The Italians
raised this form of ceramics
to it present high art form.
Much
of my majolica is inspired by Australian wildflowers, with a 'Prestonesque'
technique, although I also enjoy painting abstract designs.
My
work is wheel thrown, hand
painted and thrice fired with 22ct gold lustre. For those you technically
minded, I
use a fine white porcelaineous
clay with a white zircon glaze then painted with ceramic colours. I
fire to 1220° C and apply 22ct gold lustre before a third firing to
750° C.
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Conceptual
and Fanciful
This body of work
represents two distincts interests.
In the first,
I create fanciful, larger than life birds inspired mainly by extinct and/or
prehistoric varieties. I give each bird its own personality and name. I
also create fanciful floral garden sculptures.
In the second
body of work I cononcentrate on "conceptual" themes such as the example
above "Earth Bound I and II" in which I have layered different coloured
stoneware clays. This is my way of referencing the form, surface and texture
of the earth that surrounds us.
In this conceputal
work I search for the essence of the material's structure and the qualities
it naturally posseses. |
Hand-built
coil and raku works
These
pieces are handbuilt using coils and
slabs of a versatile and groggy clay called BRT.
When
highly fired, iron spots come to the surface and glisten in the sun.
Raku
is a Japanese pottery style with roots in the development of the 'tea ceremony'
about 400 years ago. Raku is a low-fired, glazed pottery.
When
red-hot, pieces are removed with tongs and placed in a metal container
usually with sawdust or paper to catch carbon which is infused into the
body. This
is a quick, spontaneous way of firing with unpredictable results (risks
as the quick thermal shock can crack some work). |
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