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Chicago and Lake Michigan – city skyline and Watervale wedding

Hello everyone,

Well its been a jam-packed week as Adam and I have managed to squeeze so many sights in during our first part of our Chicago stay and then 3 days in Michigan for a beautiful wedding.

We are now back in Chicago for 3 more days and fly to New York this Friday. But back to the beginning. I’ve decided I want to get a job in Chicago! We’ve heard so much about this city but had no idea just how exciting and diverse the place is and it makes Melbourne and Sydney look like the younger sisters. The city sky line is an architect’s dream and we were told to do a boat tour and being me I did my research to find that the Chicago Architect Foundation are the official sponsors of Chicago’s First Lady. We worked out that the best time was 5.30pm as the night before we watched the skyline and the lights started coming on @ 6-6.30pm and we thought we get a mix of late afternoon/evening skies for our picturesque photos. I think we took more than 100 photos as at every turn the tour guide would highlight the significance of a building, the location or architect/s involved. PS – if you click on the photos they will come up larger.

 

Evening boat tour Chicago_1
Evening boat tour Chicago_1
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Evening boat tour – Chicago_2

Before the boat ride we managed to pound the pavement for 2 days non-stop and visit Millennium Park, the Magnificent Mile, the Water Towers, MCA (we’ve got tickets to see the David Bowie costume exhibition touring from the V&A and can’t wait for that!), the Rookery (a stunning art deco building designed by Lloyd Wright) as well as the Robie House located in Chicago’s outer suburbs. A contemporary home built on a prairie and costing $60,000 back in 1910 (equivalent of $3.4 million today) – the cost included the house, land and furnishings – so actually a bargain at the time! While we were there we went to the local University and it was like Hogwarts on steroids!! We couldn’t believe the size/design of the buildings and ornate landscaping in the University of Chicago. Obviously a prestigious university for those with money and connections. I wonder if they have ceramics or international relations here? We stayed at the Longman & Eagle Inn located in Logan Square – basically a trendy part of town consisting of way too many hipsters! Beards, bicycle and boutique beers are the staples for these indie style guys.

Anne on Magnificent Mile
Anne on Magnificent Mile
Navy Pier
Navy Pier

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Chicago Theater
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The Rookery

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Okay, we did heaps more but I won’t go into everything as we have a wedding to indulge in! Adam and I hired a car and headed north to Arcadia, Michigan – approx. a 5hr drive which ended up being close to 7hrs as we got a little confused heading out of Chicago and onto the main highway. We were thrown by being on the RHS with a LH steering wheel and then trying to figure out the signage and exits. I think I managed to blurt out a few swear words (not at Adam) but at some of the drivers and eventually we got the swing of the road and the rule is you must stay in the far RH lane if you travel slower than everyone else. No one adhered to the speed limits of 70 miles and we saw many people pulled over by the police. We found our way to Holland which turned out to be the prettiest town with beautiful shops and a Swiss cafe (surprise! surprise!) for a late lunch. By the time we got to Arcadia, the sun had well and truly set and temperatures had plummeted. With only a light jacket, bare pin legs and sandals we stood out as the “Australian’s” everyone had heard about! We wolfed down dinner with the Danes who we just pipped us at the post and then went to the bonfire next to Lake Michigan. Okay, now this is meant to be a lake but I’m talking sand dunes, reeds and washed up tree logs and a howl from the lake that made it sound and feel more like being at the beach on a stormy evening! Absolutely mind-boggling. We headed back to the house, found our room – hot pink bedspread that Adam adored 😉 and creaking springy mattress with one pillow to share…ain’t love grand.

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Watervale Inn, Arcadia, initially a logging town in 1917

 

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Inside Watervale Inn where the reception was held

The wedding – we have a magazine in Australia called ‘Frankie‘ and its one of my favourite style/design icons. I had a feeling Amanda and Paul’s wedding would be ‘Frankie’ style with lots of hand-made touches – flowers in glass bottles hanging off the aisle chairs, Turkish lanterns in various sizes, a flower arch, ceramic potted succulents on the tables and the list goes on. So, this is where I’ll end as the last two photos are pretty special and a special start to their journey and the rest of our trip.

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Amanda’s beaded dress, her hair and glowing smile says it all – stunning!

 

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Lower Herring Lake and a stunning sunset for the couple
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Why do all good things come to an end?

This is name of one of my favourite songs and yet it’s all about a breakup between lovers. I love the lyrics and Nelly’s sweet sounds.

So, how does that relate to my exhibition? Two weeks ago, we bumped out of Strathnairn. It was very quick. In less than 2 hrs we all packed up our artworks, labelled the ones that had sold, put a thank you pack with each sold piece and before I knew it I was heading to my friends place to help her with her Kickstarter project.

It’s the strangest feeling when an exhibition comes to an end. Hence the song resonates with that mixed feeling of relief and a tinge of sadness.

You’ve spent months creating, making and stressing about the works and hoping all goes well on opening night. I think we (as in the artists) all dream the night before ‘did I stick that bowl down…will it fall off the wall…should I have made more?’ – quite silly thoughts but artists are constantly assessing, reassessing and wondering how will their works be received? And yet, none of that worry was really needed. We did really well and I thought I’d put up our reviews that appeared in The Canberra Times and The Sydney Morning Herald along with my interview with ABC Radio 666.

Interesting works from Claybodies ceramic artist group

666 ABC Canberra by Louise Maher

To listen to the interview: click here

We’ve had an amazing couple of weeks with our publicity and I’m so grateful to have a community of journalists/photographers/bloggers who support us as best as they can. So, thank you to all those involved and supporting visual artists practice as professionals in the field they love most.

Oh! and if you want to listen to Nelly here she is: http://youtu.be/KEtkyFQxHuw

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Packed to the rafters! Claybodies@Strathnairn opening night a success!

Image courtesy of Strathnairn Arts

Well, we thought a few people might come out on our exhibition opening night but with rain forecast and a chilly afternoon we were a bit worried! But luckily, the skies were blue, the afternoon was only slightly chilly and more than 250 people came to our opening night! I think Linda’s mulled wine, the warm fireplaces and of course fabulous ceramic works for sale were enough for guests to make a little side trip to the country.

Image courtesy of Strathnairn Arts
We think we hit at least 250 attending the night – people had to park in the paddocks as there were no car spaces left!
Richard, Brian and Paul
Richard, Brian and Paul

Strathnairn Arts is a quaint homestead located on the fringes of Canberra’s suburbs. On one side is a horse training facility, vineyards and olive groves and on the other side of the road is suburbia. Most people don’t realise that 15 minutes outside of the city’s center is this wonderful place which showcases the visual arts in it’s two galleries, a shop and cafe. On Sundays in Winter you can purchase wood-fire pizzas and look out into the garden filled with lemon trees, orchids and gum trees (and the occasional horse wandering along the footpath!).

Anyway, we had a great night and speeches went down really well with Strathnairn Arts Board President Alaine King welcoming visitors, ceramic artist and lecturer Joanne Searle formally opening the event on behalf of Anita McIntyre and myself speaking on behalf of the exhibition group. I think the mulled wine settled my nerves. It was great to be able to thank everyone and raise the Claybodies profile – a group of ceramic artists meeting monthly to form networks, exchange ideas and techniques and participate in exhibitions in Canberra.

Image courtesy of Strathnairn Arts
From left to right: Joanne Searle opening our exhibition. Liz Crowe, Melinda Brouwer, Linda Davy, Monika Leone, Anne Masters, Jo Victoria and Erin Kocaj. Pam Crossley in Melbourne but will be at Strathnairn Sunday 29 June as part of ‘Meet the makers’.

We initiated a ‘Meet the makers’ program so artists would be at Strathnairn on the weekends to meet the public and explain the processes involved. Some of us took our work in and made so it was very hands on for children and adults to watch us in action.

Anne in action at 'Meet the makers'
Anne in action at ‘Meet the makers’

It’s our last weekend exhibition this Saturday 28 and Sunday 29 June. Hopefully you can come out and meet some of the makers Erin and Pam and check out the works by members of Claybodies.

Photos courtesy of Strathnairn Arts, Canberra Potters Society and artist

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My next exhibition – claybodies@strathnairn – 14 June 14

I just realised 14 seems to be a popular date when it comes to me being in group exhibitions. My last exhibition was 14 Feb 14. So, I hope this is a lucky number for me as my 2nd exhibition for 2014 is just @ the corner. As I write this I am down to the wire as I continue to fire my works…but shush! don’t tell anyone ;).

This work is quite different to the Marion series I created for the Feb exhibition and thankfully took less time (3 months vs 2 years!). I did have grand plans of showing a body of work that would involve the flying ducks with a twist. However, technical issues prevented me from continuing this work*. I had to bite the bullet and go back to familiar territory – working with shellac and porcelain.

This series is all about Winter seeds – in particular gumnuts captured in a graphic motif. The colours are as crisp as a Canberra’s winter’s morning and evening – white (morning frost), black (evenings) and bottle green (lush green grass). The white in particular stands out as I’ve used Southern Ice Porcelain – Australian white clay renowned for its finesses and whiteness[1].

This is just a sneak preview of the work which is designed to adorn the walls of your home or work place. They are @ 11.5 c and come as 1, 2 or 3 in a set. Hopefully this snippet will entice you to come and see the exhibition on the opening night – 4pm Saturday 14 June (nibbles, wine and warm fireplaces as winter hits Canberra with a shock!)  or Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays till end June.
Winter seeds series - black as night
Winter seeds series – black as night
Here is the invitation front and back with details.
  claybodies@strathnairn invitationClaybodies invitation back details
* Don’t despair – the ducks haven’t been shot down! I do plan to re-visit them as I really want to explore this iconic wall adornment and reinterpret it with a twist. So, watch this space!

[1] It is also renowned for its translucency – as my work is about wall tiles this feature was not a focus.

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Afternoon tea all day! This Sunday 23 February…

Hello everyone,

In case you live or are visiting Canberra and wanted something different to do then visit FORM Studio and Gallery where I’m part of a group show exhibiting ceramic works. We are hosting an afternoon tea all day! this Sunday 23 February.

Yes, come and have a complimentary cup of tea and a decadent slice and meet some of the artists featured in ceraMIX. For more information please view this flyer:

Afternoon tea_ceraMIX_FORM_flyer_final

Thanks, Anne

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Making our mark – Artist Statement

Making our mark                                                                                                                                           Anne Masters

In February 2012 I came across View from the Summit of Mount Ainslie, 1911[i] a rendering of American architect Walter Burley Griffin’s imagined Canberra by his professional partner and wife Marion Mahony Griffin.

This drawing fascinated me. Upon reading about the variety of processes Marion used to convey Walter’s winning entry in the 1912 Australian Federal Capital Design Competition I felt a compulsion to respond to her interpretation. Marion’s use of drawing, silk-screen, lithography and watercolours was something I thought I could relate to in my ceramic work.

While I could visualise Marion’s watercolours through glazes, I also wanted to create layers within the work, adapting the techniques ceramic artists use.

I knew Marion drew ‘…on linen tracing cloth, lithographed on window shade holland (starched and polished linen) and rendered in watercolour and photographic dyes …’[ii]. An Australian shade blind with a simple weave pressed on the clay tile became my first layer. I then created a stamp from a Canberra tourist spoon (relic from my childhood collection) to press a series of rows into the bottom of the landscape. Selected parts of a vinyl placemat from the National Museum of Australia shop created the centre focus of the drawing – the ‘City’ and the ‘Environs’[iii] with the famous Griffin axis lines in between.

Local ghost gum trees and Marion’s silhouette, were drawn then screen-printed onto the clay tablet. I drew myself in a contemporary pose utilising a modern process (decal printing) to create a solid black image. The constant hands-on process has been fascinating. Through every action – pressing, making glazes, painting – I felt I have forged a relationship with the woman who made her own mark nearly a century ago.

For nearly two years Marion has been my constant studio companion; she has helped me to understand a little bit more about making my mark in my place – Canberra.


[i] Andrew Metcalf, Canberra Architecture, Watermark Press. 2003

[ii] Roy Lippincott, n.d, Creating a new nation’s capital: The Griffins’ vision for Canberra. National Archives of Australia. Accessed at (http://naa.gov.au/collection/publications/papers-and-podcasts/designing-canberra/griffi-vision-for-canberra.aspx) on 11 July 2012.

[iii] Batterham, I. 1998. ‘The Walter Burley Griffin Design Drawings of the City of Canberra: Conservation Work at the National Archives of Australia’. Restaurator: International Journal for the Preservation of Library and Archival Material. 19 (3): 115-171.

© Anne Masters Ceramics

 

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My work in-situ at FORM Studio and Gallery

Creating a box to match the narrative behind Making our mark

This beautiful box* was made by a School of Art (SOA) Furniture workshop student, Andrew Carvolth. It is made with American White Oak and Australian Blackwood. The idea behind the box was to have the American White Oak represent Marion Mahony Griffin being an American in Australia – hence the white inside and the Blackwood on the outside.

In my research I discovered Marion used Japanese White Oak and Australian Blackwood in her furniture and objects she made when living in Australia in the early 1920s.

I discovered it is hard to get Japanese White Oak and the Head of the SOA Furniture Workshop Ashley Eriksmoen suggested I consider the American wood as they were fairly similar and there would be a nice connection that I wanted between Marion and myself.

For more work by Andrew Carvolth please visit his website.

*Box does come with a lid. Watch this space and professional photos will be uploaded on the website in the coming weeks.

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My first group exhibition: 10 February – 3 March 2014

Hello everyone,

Please find attached an invitation to visit my first group exhibition since graduating from the Australian National University School of Art Ceramics Workshop. The exhibition, ceraMIX  features 12  ceramicists (local and international) who form part of a collective called Claybodies.

Opening night is Friday 14 February at 6pm and you can also visit between 10 February – 3 March 2014 to check out our works. All details on invite: Invite ceraMIX by Claybodies

If you can’t make the night we are also hosting an Afternoon tea all day! on Sunday 23 February.

Afternoon tea_ceraMIX_FORM_flyer_final

Cheers, Anne

 

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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!