New year | new look

When all good things come to an end. As much as I loved my AM PM Ceramics website, the reality of monthly fees & annual charges by an e-commerce USA host meant I could no longer afford it. Sigh! After much thinking, I decided to consolidate so I could focus on my practice & plans. I have revamped my Anne Masters Ceramics blog, so some entries are pretty old but a new look means new beginnings.

My ceramic practice
This is the first time I haven’t planned an exhibition for 2019! It’s surreal as I had three group exhibitions in 2018 & seem to thrive on doing too much! I have one body of work in mind as a result of travelling on trains in Europe. So watch this space when that comes to fruition! To support my practice as an artist, I own & operate a gallery which has kept me busy and focused on supporting and mentoring artists. I love my job and look forward to balancing the gallery and my own practice.

Travel blog
I also love telling a story! I love travel, photography, architecture and visiting galleries in Australia and overseas just to list a few. So, whenever you think of travelling and need some tips, advice on what to see and do, then pop on over to my travel blog to getaway in style! My instagram @annemastersceramics also features my travel in short snippets in case you aren’t a fan of bloggers and blogs.

Travel to inspire making new works
There are travel plans ahead – a trip to Hobart for the Australian Ceramics Triennale in May – which no doubt will reinvigorate what I would like to make. I’m also hoping, Adam and I go to Spain and Portugal in mid-June to mid-July, pending our work commitments. This photo is by Fritha Quinn who’s instagram is rich with colour, travel and her family. The tiles behind her are classic of what I’ll be drooling over in a few months!

So, welcome to the new website and I look forward to hearing from you, Anne x

The Journal of Australian Ceramics : The Journal of Australian Ceramics 522 July 2013, Page 100

The Journal of Australian Ceramics : The Journal of Australian Ceramics 522 July 2013, Page 100.

I am very excited to announce JAC has published my first article in its 52/2 July 2013 edition pages 98-101. It is my perspective as a graduating student on the need for education and widening skills base for those involved in the visual arts.

Thanks to the Australian Ceramics Association for including me in this issue which has a focus on Education, Greg Piper’s evocative portrait shots from Clay Push Gulgong 2013 and a showcase of Open Studios Ceramics Australia.

Enjoy reading!

Its official…I’m off to Denmark for my first international artist-in-residence

After a nail biting wait (well it was only 9 weeks…but who’s counting) my application to the International Ceramic Research Centre (ICRC) was accepted.  I’m off to Denmark to immerse myself in the world of ceramics for 6 weeks and can’t wait!  Its a wonderful opportunity as this will be my first international artist in residence following up from my first Australian residency at Canberra Potters Society.  The Centre is located in a beautiful rural setting near the fishing village of Skælskør. I’ve been there before in 2011 when Adam and I went to Europe and while he was working in Rome I flew to Denmark to visit my dear friend Amanda who was working at the Centre at the time.
Up until this week, I actually had no idea where the village was located in relation to Copenhagen until I read the faithful Lonely Planet’s Denmark and was surprised at how geographically Denmark is made up of a series of Islands linked by bridges. Skælskør is located roughly where Zeland is just south-west of Copenhagen (red star).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Centre also known as Guldagergaard is located in an old apple orchard where the main house contains the admin room, a library, dining room and the bedrooms in which artists reside. Nearby are the old stables which have been turned into ceramic studios/kilns.  Here is a peek (remember this is summertime….I’m going in the dead of winter….brrrrr).  So watch this space as I update how my plans are going for making work while at the Centre.  I plan to go 2 January – 13 February 2013 – which is only 4 and 1/2 months away!  Not much time for researching and practicing ceramics as well as and preparing myself for a lot less sunlight.  I’ve heard anything from 1-4hrs sunshine and its dark for the rest of the day….geez, makes you realise how lucky we are in Canberra where in Winter our sunshine on average is 5-6 hours.  Still, I’m sure the snow, fairy lights and gløgg (mulled wine) will make Denmark a top experience!
View Larger Map

My first publication!

Issue 51/2 July 2012 of The Journal of Australian Ceramics appeared in my letterbox a little while ago and imagine my surprise when I went to the Education Focus section to see my work included on page 56.  I couldn’t believe it and was thrilled to see my work next to ceramic friends from the ANU Canberra School  of Art – Amy, Ashley, Michelle and Linda.  We all look pretty swish.  Then, when I looked at the poster I nearly fell over…there was my work again!  I was so excited and did a mini woop woop dance in the lounge room while Adam looked on grinning from ear to ear.  The article National Education Pictorial Survey 2012 features a wide range of educational institutes and showcases graduate ceramic work.  A big thank you to the team at the Journal of Australian Ceramics for providing this wonderful and valuable opportunity.

This poster was published in Issue 51/2 of The Journal of Australian Ceramics, July 2012.
Permission has been given to make it available on this website.
© The Australian Ceramics Association 2012

 

Press – CPS Newsletter 2012

Work in progress - shellac on new forms

While I was overseas, attending the NCECA conference in Seattle, the Canberra Potters’ Society (CPS) April 2012 Newsletter hit my email and lo and behold…a report on moi!  Wooh! Hooh! very excited as Jane Crick (CPS Members events and teacher) reported on my presentation to members as part of my obligation when I was awarded the arist in residence award.  I really enjoyed sharing my experiences with the members and gaining critical feedback on my work. It was also a bit surreal to read the article in an internet cafe in Victoria on Vancouver Island, BC while snowing fiercely outside and it didn’t seem that long ago I was getting work out of the kiln on a warm summers day ready to show the members….

[box] Please click on the PDF and enjoy! Pages from cps_news_apr12-2[/box]

Artist in Residence

This year we have added a graduating student residency to our EASS awards, and I am delighted to announce that the selection panel chose Anne Masters, who graduated with a Master of Visual Arts degree just last week. Anne will be our first artist-in-residence, and will be taking up her residency about mid-January … – The Canberra Potters Society Email Announcement 27 Dec 2012

I can’t believe its end-February and I’m nearing the end of my 6 week residency.  Wow! A lot has happened since and I’ve been in a bit of spin.  I was offered a job at the School of Art and needed to start asap.  Luckily for me, CBR Potters’ Society (CPS) was flexible and happy to extend my residency to accommodate my new 2 day a job week.  This is on top of my other 2 day job at Style Emporium (SE).  Its funny how you think your year will pan out…I honestly thought I’d work 2 days at SE and 4 days on my ceramics. Then came the fabulous EASS award and of course my 4 days would now be in a swanky new studio recently built at the CPS.  So, how’s it going? Visit my blog “General tab” for an update.

NCECA Seattle, USA, 28-31 March 2012

[box] Attending my first international ceramic conference.[/box]

NCECA is a well known acronym in the ceramic world and everyone gets pretty excited about going and a tad disappointed if they can’t.  NCECA stands for National Council on Education for the Ceramic Arts. I was fortunate enough to attend this year’s conference after much encouragement from my ‘patron’ (the hubby!).  Its funny now, since coming home and reading an article on a local politician who’s mantra is “when things get tough to say loudly ‘I am living the dream’”, this comment confirms that I made the right decision to attend.  NCECA provided an opportunity to network, make new friends, see old friends and broaden my views on what is happening locally in the USA and internationally in the scene of ceramics/pottery.

Over four days I attended presentations, lectures and demos. I helped my former teacher/Head of the Ceramics Workshop Janet DeBoos hand out information to prospective students/workshop attendees on opportunities available at the Australian National University School of Art.  While I could only help for 1 day, it was great to meet students (primarily from the USA) who were keen to find out about Australia, where Canberra was located, what the weather is like and how competitive the selection process is to obtaining a place.  When you have 4500 delegates attending the 2012 conference and ‘the biggest category of people attending NCECA are students’ (according to the President of NCECA)…then no wonder they work hard to obtain a place and pursue their passions.

I was lucky to have met internationally renowned ceramicist Robin Hopper earlier in our travels who provided advice when attending NCECA.  He warned me it would be full-on; to make sure I went to the emerging artist’s presentations and most important – to enjoy.  Well he was right!  It was full on…the first day after talking to umpteenth students/artists/exhibitors my voice went slightly hoarse.  But it was worth it.  I realize now attending an arts conference of this size allowed me to experience a rich and diverse program.

In particular, on day three the demonstrating artists – Jason Walker and Christa Assad – were informative, entertaining and as dynamic as each other in their approach to working with clay. I must have taken 100 photos and Walker provided amusement by telling the audience to photograph now as he poured the slip in slow motion!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Walker is very methodical in the way he works – he takes one month to create an object and I think he was bemused that we (the audience) had the patience to watch him slowly slab form his fish object.

 

Assad was fabulous and a born entertainer.  I’ve never seen someone work on the wheel, talk, talk and continue to talk while throwing and assembling necessary components to create a ceramic fire hydrant.

 

 

 

 

I stayed for as long as I could but in the end had to leave to attend the next lecture.  While NCECA produced a fantastic program, I struggled to make the nail biting decision of what to attend as there were a few clashes.  Apparently I was not alone as many other attendees faced the same dilemma.

I really enjoyed attending NCECA and wish I could expand on it more.  Perhaps the most enjoyable moment for me was meeting an artist at a local art gallery showcasing sculpture by 13 selected ceramic artists from Hawaii.  I was quite oblivious to whom he was and the gallery owner delighted in telling me ‘did I know Shigeru Miyamoto?’  I said ‘no and apologized as I didn’t really know American ceramic artists as there are so many’.  As it turns out I was standing right next to Miyamoto – an established ceramicist based in Hawaii.  He was so nice and not at all bothered at my faux pas.  We got the shuttle bus back to the centre and talked about all sorts of things and when we parted ways Shigeru gave me a farewell kiss on the cheek.  Wow! How’s that for a cool dude and moi being so chuffed at her networking abilities.