Counting Down To Grad Show

One of the reasons that I haven't been posting is how crazy things are, getting ready for Grad Show. After seven years part time study they are finally getting rid of me. After all this time, I honestly can't believe how quickly this year has disappeared. There is only 5 weeks left until the big night
I currently have just over 200 pieces made, from small to large. My intention is to create a walk through fantasty landscape. To create the impact that I would like to achieve, I hope to have at least another 50 pieces but with so little time left, I have had to start surface treatments and firings
This years graduating class is really large. There are 35 art and 12 jewellery students graduating. It should be an amazing exhibition.
The Grad Show is on at 6pm on the 4th December at Central Institute of Technology, 12 Aberdeen St, Perth. it will run for only one week. If you've never been here before you can't miss it. There is a big pink container sticking out of the building. 
With there being 47 graduates in both jewellery and art, and the licence for only 300 people, if you are coming on opening night, my advice is to come early or come late, as there may be a chance you can't get in 
To see image of my works in progress for grad show, check out my pinterest:
http://www.pinterest.com/oohollycourtney/counting-down-to-grad-show/ 

Grad Show Fund Raising Auction

Well it's been quite a while since I've posted again, so I thought I would catch you up with some old news.
We had our fund raising auction at Central Institute of Technology on the 2nd August this year and it was a huge success.
As team leader for the Artist Liaison and Board making team, there were some definite challenges in my role, but when the evening came it was all worth it.
We raised a record breaking total of $27,030!
Much thanks to all the generous artists and lecturer/artists who donated their work. I would like to say a very special thanks especially to Pippin Drysdale who generously donated 4 works; Pippin's work was responsible for a large portion of our phenomenal total. I would also like to thank our fantastic auctioneers.
Even the student works went very well, the highest raising $575. Every student work sold for $50 or over; speaking to some students from previous years, we were quite lucky on that score, on some previous years, a lot of student works have gone for only $10-$20 each. My work landed somewhere in the middle range, selling for $250. 
Thank goodness we made so much, because with such a large group our catalogue has cost $20,000 to produce! Add to that the cost of putting on the auction in the first place (just over $3000) and there's now not all that much left.

 

Supernova

It's been nearly a month since Supanova. It was a great weekend, although having a stall in the artists' alley did mean that I wasn't able to get to most the Q&A that I wanted to see. The only complete Q&A I saw was Carrie Fisher - told the family they have to watch the stall, there's no way I'm missing any of her. I also got to see the complete Kai Owen Q&A because thing were fairly quiet by last thing Sunday arvo. Oh I nearly forgot about Friday night. Because the artist alley isn't open Friday also got to check out the Merlin Knights Q&A. Really disappointed to have only seen a bit of Alan Tudyk and super sad to have missed half of Eve Myles & Kai Owen together.


I haven't really put images of my mugs online; I make large mugs with asymetrical handles that are individual and comfortable to hold. The nicest thing during the weekend was when I encountered a lady who was over here for a stall, from South Australia, who purchased a mug from me last year. She was relieved to find I had a stall again this year and came back to see me to buy more, she told me that the one she bought last time was her husband's very favourite mug that he uses it all the time.

I also decided to gift some mugs to my favourite stars. I gave one to Carrie Fisher, Eve Myles & Kai Owen. This was my third Supanova and I've been to a Comic con, so I've now met a few of my favourites, but I have never been SO nervous as when I met Carrie Fisher - I guess because I have literally spent my entire life loving Star Wars. I was a total dork when I met her but she vas very gracious about the gift.

When I gave Eve Myles she was so thrilled. She told me she was starting a new job on Monday and that she would be using it for her cuppa's on set. It was the next day when I saw Kai and gave him his gift. He said "I saw Eve's last night and I was so jealous" he was very happy and gave me a big hug.

My daughter also gave one of my mugs to her favourite Merlin Knight, I think it was Rupert Young

All in all it was a great weekend.

I' m having some trouble loading images of my stall, I'll try again later

Almost forgot to take some pics yesterday, just remembered before i closed up the kiln - I just hope the kiln is cool enough in time for me to get them to Supernova

Getting Ready for Supanova

This year is just wizzing by.
Been busy making for Supanova this weekend
I have a stall in the artists' alley - if you are going to be there please stop by and say hi.
If I am not about it is because I am off seeing some of this years great line up, but my lovely fore bearing husband will be there if I am not.
My daughter Bethra is also getting in on the act, she plans to sell lots of lovely badges, bracelets and some other goodies
I will post some images of work in progress tomorrow night
There are some lovely Goblets, Tankards, Unique Ceramic Wands
And some super huge mega Goblets - the biggest will fit a full bottle of wine, or mead. 
will also post some images of set up and from the weekend itself so keep an eye out

Gomboc Opening

It was a lovely day on Sunday, thank goodness the weather held fine.
If you missed it, don't worry it is open until the 30th June.
A bit of excitment for me was being interviewed for Channel 44's show Gallery Watch - it should be on this weekend on Saturday 8.30pm; at least that's what I was told, it might even be the following week

All ready for Gomboc Sculpture Survey

I had intended to write a little as work was in progress - but I have been so busy getting it all done
The opening is this Sunday, 2nd June 2013 - here's the link for more info:
http://www.gomboc-gallery.com.au/ 

For the last 4 weeks or so I have been very busy making work, I did start about 3 months ago but there's nothing like a deadline to have you pick up the pace. The completed work consists of over 150 pieces, it's funny, it looked like so much in the studio, but there's nothing like the scale of the great outdoors to make it all feel diminished

Finished the installation last Sunday - began on the Thursday, I was thinking it might take me 2 - 3 days for set up, but it ended up taking 4. It's always the way isn't it? these things always take much longer than you expect

Action shot of me placing work in the site at the end of day 2

Here's an image of the final work:

I think its quite tricky to capture a good photo when it comes to some 3D work and this is certainly true with this work
If you would like to see more images of the work close up and in progress here's the pinterest link: http://pinterest.com/oohollycourtney/gomboc-sculpture-survey-2013/

Encaustic Glaze Application

 Around August last year, I was thinking I wonder if you could use wax as medium to apply glaze, instead of a resist. It got added to my "I'll have to try that sometime list"
It was serendipidious when, at Potober here in Perth WA last year, New Zealand artist Royce McGlashen demonstated making underglaze crayons. I thought "well now that I know wax works as a medium, I definitely have to give encaustic glaze application a try now"
It still took me till December last year to get on with it. All these have been done low temp, I am yet to attempt experimentation with high temp glaze.

This first one was heated and then applied with a brush, which results in a quite thick coat, and as you can see it resulted in an interesting melted effect. It was then refired with a satin glaze applied over the surface.
(it has to be done in two firings because the wax in the colour would act as resist on the surface) 



The following images are of works where the wax/glaze or wax/underglaze has been applied with heated tools; far easier to do on a flat surface, quite a bit trickier to get a good effect on a 3D surface, but early days of experimenting

 

 (This photo is courtesy of Cher Shackleton)


The following images are surface close ups:

I am very interested to know if there is anyone else out there experimenting with this technique, as far as I know I am the first 

Check out my pinterest

I've just finished loading up a whole lot of images of my artwork to pinterest:
http://pinterest.com/oohollycourtney/
Please take a lookie and let em know what you think.
Still have a lot from this year and last year to upload...
Getting there
But for now I must get back to work, far too little time until I need to get my work installed for Gomboc

Hello again

Well it's been a very long time since I have posted.
I have been spend the last few years focussed on learning and developing my skills; and on making.
The unfortunate upshot of that is I have so many beautiful objects without a home so it's well overdue that I take the time to get online and talk about my work, ideas and techniques. 
It is my intent that from now on you will find at least 1 or 2 posts from a week telling all about what I am up to.