I thought a change from words would be good and I’d take you on a virtual 2hr walk through the town of Skælskør. Imagine it snowing lightly, crunching beneath your feet, seeing Christmas wreaths on graves at a cemetery (with the best views of the water), avoiding dog poop on the pavement and bitterly cold finger tips from taking way too many photos! Enjoy! Hint: if you click on the photo, it will take you to another page, then click on that photo to get the full size 6 x 4 photo. I’m still figuring out a better way to display photos but limited by software…
Well it’s the end of my first week (of 6 weeks) at Guldagergaard, International Ceramic Research Center located in Skælskør. Don’t even ask how to pronounce the names as we have all attempted and only the Danes say it the best!
This is my studio space overlooking part of the Sculpture Park, which surrounds the center and suburbia houses surround the park. I was lucky to meet Priscilla, one of the founding members on Monday and say how we have nothing like this back at home. I have since found out that this Center is very unique and how lucky we are to have such a beautiful house to live in and high quality studios to work in.
I arrived @6pm Wednesday night (3 January) and was entertained by a local madmen in the dark as he sang and said weird stuff. Then suddenly these loud bangs went off and I’m like terrified he’s got a shotgun. I remained calm and thankfully Rachel turns up on her cute bicycle all dressed up in her winter woollies. As we went up the streets the ‘bangs’ turned out to be firecrackers! What a dill! I was shown my room (#5) and told to come down for dinner when I was ready. I put my gear down as keen to meet the others. I met Paige, Lee and Ryan – all from the USA – and we got on well. I really liked Paige and thought she seems so cool and my instinct was right – she’s funny, cool and down to earth. The others started to arrive and slowly I try to remember names. It is a great night and I feel like I’ve settled in well. We are told to have the next day to ourselves and Rachel and I meet @ 11am as she takes me on a separate orientation tour of the house, the library, washing facilities, the clay room (the biggest I’ve ever seen), the Apple Orchard Gallery and then finally the beast of them all – the massive stables which have now been converted into studios.
There is a plaster room, a kiln room in between 2 large studio spaces, a proper glaze room – all the materials (and it takes me back to Australian National University School of Art’s ceramic workshop – which I miss) and a back room with ware boards & stuff. There is an upstairs area but that is still undergoing renovations.
I go grocery shopping with a few of the artists and I’m so glad I bought my Danish phrase book as it helps me (and the others) to figure out what we are buying. Everything looks expensive as I can’t remember the conversion and I limit my purchases. As it turns out a weeks worth of lunch and breakfast is ½ the price it cost me for a Starbucks coffee/small sandwich/takeaway lidded thermos at the Copenhagen Airport!
From Friday through to today I work at the studios as conscious about how many firings I need to do in such a short time. Six weeks isn’t long enough and I wish I had 8 weeks. I am working with 2 low fired clays – Yellow brick and Black – as this is new and totally the opposite to porcelain. I’ve also chosen 3 high-fired clays – Cerama White 444, Royal Copenhagen and Limoges (the latter 2 are crème de la crème and also expensive – but Adam is paying for it as he says I may never work with them again).
Anna and Anne
Anne-Marie-Kim-Francesco-Leah-Lee
another-great-dinner
My-room-Danish-style
My-studio-space
View-from-my-room-at-Ceramic-Center
So far, I’ve been happy with my test tiles, screen printing and stamping. I’ve worked out one possible exhibition layout and have another one in mind. But again, time is of the essence so I must keep it simple.
Finally, the group dinners need to be seen to believe just how amazing they are. Everyone is rostered on once a week and pair up to cook anywhere from 14 to 19 residents. Rachel and Egla raised the bar with their welcoming meal and everyone has been leaping to match the good food. I hardly eat anything during the day so I can save up for dinner and we usually all have seconds!
I’ve managed to do some shopping and contribute thoughtfully to the economy of Skælskør (any excuse to explain how much I’ve spent so far ;). But seriously, I do feel its great to be able to come to a small town who can’t rely on tourism solely and still be able to provide small businesses along the quaint cobbled stone main street Algade. I’ve purchased rain boots, raincoat, jumper, ceramic brooch and a few other little trinkets and feel glad that I’ve been able to support locally. The best thing is there are no shopping malls in sight! Gotta love that!
Well I’ll sign off as I did have some extra photos to put in this story but it could have helped if I had put the memory card in the camera! I totally forgot, as I was eager beaver to download photos. Ah well! shall try again tomorrow and hope for the same beautiful sunset I saw at 4pm this afternoon. The next posting will be about my ceramic work and its progress.
1 January 2013 – Well, I’m on the train to Frankfurt after a whirlwind trip to Freiburg. Thankfully, Nicole stayed with me to ensure I got on the right carriage/seat after my earlier debacle. Yes, moi thought she had it all figured out as to where to stand on the platform in line with the carriage number. As I boarded the train and tried to find my seat I was confused as the numbers went down from 75 and I was 85. I walked (rather fought my way through bags) as people huffed and puffed at me. Carriage after carriage, I couldn’t find my seat and asked someone who said, “You have the right seat number but you are in Carriage 1, you have to go back to Carriage 4”. OMG! I could have cried. I was sweating, tired and had to back track with 20kg bags in hand. By the time I found my seat I was shaking so much I couldn’t lift my bag on to the luggage rack. Luckily a teenage boy helps me out. I settled into my seat and down the aspro to calm my nerves.
After a while, I note its very quiet, no one is talking and I realise this is a quiet zone. An older couple leave and replaced by an older couple that could speak English. I had been chatting to the woman near me as she spoke English and then we all started to talk. It was great as the teenage boy wanted to practice his English, the woman wanted to ask about Australia and before I knew it, it was on for young and old to turn the quiet zone into a friendly exchange of talk. I was excited, as up to this point, I hadn’t really had a proper conversation and was missing it.
I farewelled Katherine and we exchanged cards to keep in contact. We got on well as she told me how hard it was to get a job in the museums, as her degree was art/history. She said it was tea-lady wages, starting at the bottom and with no possibilities of promotion. Katherine moved to a town outside of Frankfurt to improve her work opportunities and now works for the council organising art festivals. She loves the job but the only downside…not many men to date! Like me she was @ the same age and said it was mainly retirement people. I said she could always date an older man – just wipe the dribble every now and then off his face!
The teenage boy was at technical school and starts an apprenticeship with Bosch in 2013. I asked if it was the music group and he said no, it was engineering parts for cars, ovens etc. I told him about a company with the same name which make entertainment systems, noise-reducing headphones etc. Katherine and the older woman had to translate and everyone had a laugh as they teased him saying that’s what he’d rather do!
Our-Chalet
Black-Forest-Germany
Early-sunrise-from-my-room-Black-Forest
Fondue-and-barbecue-for-NYE
NYE – Blowing-party-streamers
Marion-Anne-Julius-Nicole
Marion, Nicole and Anne striking a pose
Morning-after-NYE
Okay, onto my adventure – Stefan and Nicole collect me from the station and we drive to Emmendingen (south of Germany). Its dark, I have no idea what the country-side is like and as we get closer the trees are decorated with fairy lights, its starting to feel a lot like Christmas/New Years Eve. We arrive and friends of Nicole and Marion welcome me. It instantly feels like home and I settle in with a quick glass of white wine before we head to the restaurant for dinner. It’s a typical German country style restaurant with lace curtains and Christmas decorations adorning every spare corner. Luckily Stefan helps me with the menu and we decide on deer with mushrooms – little Bambi as Nicole rubs it in!
As the night goes on I get tired and it dawns on me the jet lag is settling in. By the time we arrive at the chalet my words slur and its clear I need to go to bed. I bid farewell and hit the pillow pretty quick. Unfortunately, I wake up the ungodly hour of 4am. The bright light shines through the glass door and while I try to sleep, eventually I spy the most stunning sunrise, and photograph the oranges/pink skies.
By 9am, I get ready so I’m not late for breakfast. No one surfaces till after 10am as they all have dark rooms and it is then that I discover there are outdoor roller blinds that which block the daylight!
I meet people one by one and think how on earth will I remember names and its quite funny as I try to repeat in my head – Stefan, Lily, Katerina, Ben, Kyle and so on. We sit down to a German style breakfast – cold meats, cheeses, bread, butter, jams and freshly made coffee/peppermint tea. Conversations flow in German and English and I enjoy the banter. There are 8 adults and 5 children. Everyone knows each other through work or being neighbours and its funny because they chose Freiburg to have a snowy New Years Eve. As it is, there is no snow and the 6-foot; orange/black snow markers look forlorn against the lush green grass.
I ‘m given the option to go to the supermarket and help Marion buy food for the party or go for a walk in the Black Forest. I opt for the latter and we head on foot into the cold and I’m thankful for my thermal underwear. We head off through masses of fallen leaves, head down the valley and search for the tallest tree in Germany. We eventually find the tree and it’s a bit of a disappointment. Even worse, we realise we have to now walk back up the mountain! But who cares! I enjoy the fresh air and thankful it’s not freezing.
Inside, while resting I realise it’s New Years Eve in Australia and Nicole decides we need champagne to celebrate! By 3pm, we decide to nap and re-group later. However, jet lag prevents me from doing so and instead I write my first (this) blog for 2013. At 6pm, I put on my party clothes and head downstairs where everyone is busy making food and drinking. We watch a black and white film, “One for dinner”, which is a German tradition every NY. It is a comedy skit, which keeps the children (and adults) laughing at the absurdity of the story. Katarina teaches Marion and I to make lotus flower napkin holders for the dips. We have fun as we tackle origami and drink at the same time. We sit down to a yummy indoor barbecue and fondue dinner.
We have a few hours to go till midnight and I check my emails/face book as its 11am in Australia. I get carried away and again hotfoot it down to see everyone has paper stuck to his or her foreheads! They are playing a game; I get allocated a name, stick it to my head with honey and think my new friends are pulling my leg! We laugh and carry on as we try to guess. Mine is not a character, is female, is well known, short and I sing “I should be so lucky” and everyone cracks up! Ya, Kylie Minogue.
Suddenly, coats and scarves are being donned and before I know it we are singing Happy Birthday to one of the friends and wishing birthday and NY wishes. It is perfect. Nicole summons us outside to get the firecrackers happening. It hits me how cold it is and the wind whips through my jeans. But, the town of Freiburg provides us a glorious show as firecrackers go off across the skyline. It is panoramic and a fairy-tale ending to my trip to Germany and being looked after so dearly by my friends Marion, Nicole and Julius and of course their wonderful friends and children.
I fly to Copenhagen in the morning and this is where reality will set in. Like most people, I will be heading to work and madly creating ceramics for 6 weeks.
As some of you may be aware I’m now in Germany for a little holiday and then to Denmark for my first international arts residency. It’s the sort of ‘holiday’ my family and friends are slightly envious of as they see me jet set (yet again!) to another exciting destination.
I left Australia 28 December 2012 and arrived at Frankfurt Airport on Saturday at 6:10am feeling a little flustered after losing my passport in Singapore. I went to buy perfume at the duty free shop and couldn’t find my passport…I panicked…checked bags in and out and went straight to the info desk. I explained I must have left it on the plane. She smiled and said Mrs Masters! I said yes and how did you know? She replied “we have been paging you for a while. It is a loud speaker system”. I apologised and said I was still tired from the trip and very embarrassed at my mishap of leaving the passport on the plane (it slid out during the landing but I didn’t see it). Little did she know I was busy trying on perfume to buy and totally zoned out to anything beyond which fragrance to choose!
Anyway, I’m now in Frankfurt after hair-raising 160 miles cabs ride along the autobahn and a full day exploring the city on foot. I think I covered 50kms (felt more like 100kms) in total as I pounded the walking paths, pavements, cobbled streets and shop floors. It wasn’t till I got home @ 6pm and took my shoes off I realized I had bloodied feet, torn my brand new stockings all in the sake of being a tourist. But it was worth it all as I was so lucky to have sunny weather the whole day and later found out it had been raining all week – hence the crowds. Actually, I discovered the reason why there were so many people out and about was the sales. Yes, end of year/post Christmas sales and everyone was on the hunt. I tried in vain to look for a proper winter jacket in the popular shopping strip – Ziel.
My cute duffle coat won’t cut below 1 degree and do you think I ended up finding one? I was confused with all the brands and so many look like skiing jackets and moi does not slide anywhere, as she’s not a fan of the slopes. While I saw a lot of American brands I really wanted to buy a German jacket designed especially for their winters. I had no luck finding someone to help as sales assistants were run off their feet and I think I had tourist written all over my face as they avoided me. Generally speaking, most people were helpful but English was limited. A shame. Well onwards and upwards as I head to the flashier end of town – Goethstraße.
This is where all the luxury fashion and jewellery houses are and I came across a second hand shop (these are very popular in Germany). The ladies were fantastic as they chatted to me about Australia, shopping and helping me find a jacket. While they had beautiful weekend wear jackets they were not practical for day-to-day wear. As I headed to another part of town it started to get cold and I put on my hat, scarf and gloves. Quelle horreur – a glove is missing! I panic and retrace my 1000 steps all the way back to every shop I’ve visited. I’m a crazed woman as I have lost my favourite leather glove. No such luck and I head off to the next district, which is more art/design/craft, focused. I exit the train station and am totally lost as the street signs and map are confusing. I ask for directions and find that the street I want is split in two – go figure!! It’s getting dark and finally I find the shops I really wanted to look at. I zip in and out, trying on cute skirts, looking at designer items and eventually find the shop I was after. Although it’s a fashion shop and I explain to the man the shop I want. I show him my trusty book and he says “Yes, my friend owned that, she got pregnant, and offered me the space so I now have it”. Anyway, I decide to check it out and to my amusement he and this lady want to read my little Wallpaper guide, ask me all sorts of questions and offer me a glass of champagne once they hear how far I’ve walked. I spy a top, try it on and discover he is the designer. Instantly, I purchase the top as its my one and only purchase (a shocker as I had been shopping for 6hrs!). TIP: don’t focus on purchasing one item like I did….I was fixated with trying to buy a jacket and missed out on so many other nicer things to buy).
On Sunday I had a srumptious breakfast in the Wintergarden with its twinkling candles, ornate candelabra and his and her matching joggers running past outside next to the Main river.
Breakfast-at-Hotel-Gerbermühle
Hotel-Gerbermühle
Alte-Oper-Frankfurt
Locked-keys-bridge-over-Main
Main-Plaza
Main-River-at-nacht-night
Romer-the-old-town-in-Frankfurt
Swan-on-Main-River-Frankfurt
Wintergarden-at-Hotel-Gerbermühle
I plan to catch a train from Frankfurt to Freiburg to meet my friends Marion and Nicole as they whisk me off to the black forest (Schwarzwald) to celebrate New Years Eve with 8 grown ups and 6 children on a farm with cute family apartments. The Bauernhof is located in Emmendingen (near Freiburg) in the very south of Germany – the site is written in German but if you check it out the photographs you can see how quaint the setting is http://www.ferienhof-buehrer.de/index.cfm.
Well, auf Wiedersehen (bid farewell) and please watch this blog as I continue to post about my adventures in Germany and Denmark – the land of snow, fairy lights and gløgg (mulled wine). Oh! And Happy New Year to everyone!
…We left Hobart last Friday at the ungodly hour of 5am to catch the red-eye home to Canberra and then off to work. Suddenly, I missed Hobart and all it had to offer. I met so many nice people (I’ve got the gift of the gab and can talk to anyone about anything) and when Sue from her divine shop Shall Design offered for us to stay at her place I realised just how nice the people are in this quaint town. She heard of our terrible experience – a B&B which poor hubbie had booked and turned out to be a frightful, horrible dive and should have been d-accredited to that of a 1 star hostel! Thankfully, the Henry Art Jones Hotel (housed in the former IXL Jam Factory) came to our rescue and gave us a discount on their studio loft and when we arrived Thursday afternoon they upgraded us and provided complimentary drinks for our anniversary. I highly recommend this place for your next accommodation – you can purchase from more than 400 artworks on display throughout the hotel, go on an art/history tour every Friday at 4pm with a complimentary drink…we missed that 🙁 and enjoy the shopping in the IXL atrium.
So Hobart, this is my version (no not Lonely Planet…while practical…I prefer Wallpaper Travel and recommending alternate places to eat, visit and experience) – click on the images below for more details:
Well we’ve only been in Hobart for 3 days now and I can’t believe how much we’ve eaten, drunk, looked at art and bought lots of goodies. From jewellery to porcelain & paper art works to smelly cheeses and boutique beer we are having a ball. Hobart is a small but quaint city with lots of boutique shops, an array of gourmet food and nice pub/hotels which are pokie machine free!
I have been speaking to the shop owners who have all been helpful and loving my highly organised note pad and folder containing pages taken from Country Style and Frankie magazines (some of these go back a few years and have been hoarded in my travel box for that “one day…when I go to…”. It really is a nice experience to be able to tell the owners I’ve come to their store based on my research and word of mouth. Australia has so much to offer when it comes to boutique/art/design/food shops that exclusively support young and upcoming artists/designers as well as those with a passion for good sources of food. Such a nice change to shopping malls and online shopping. While these 2 have their pluses/minuses nothing beats going out in the fresh outdoors (well windy, drizzly, cold, sunny in Hobart so far!) to experience first hand what small business owners have to offer.
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So, if you are going to Hobart, I can recommend the following:
the disensary – beautiful clothing and body luxe items
Ruby’s Room – a gorgeous smorgeous kiddy shop – cushions, clothing, toys and all things nice
Pitbull Mansion – I bought a dress (expensive but don’t tell Adam!) – I could have bought more…but I’d have to work more! Mmmm no thanks I’m on holidays 😉 – featured image from Pitbull Mansion Facebook page.
Luxe – At first this looks like a bridal shop but once you go in it has so much more on offer. Beautiful tops/shift dresses/jackets and more. If only I had more money….
Jackman & McRoss – I was given 2 verbal recommendations as well as my raggedly eared copy of Country Style June 2010 which listed this “worth pining for”. OMG I had the most amazing salmon/scrambled eggs on rocket/aioli on brioche with the best coffee so far. They don’t have a website…but are located at: 57-59 Hampden Road Battery Point TAS 7004, Australia. BTW – cute shops and beautifully preserved colonial homes are dotted along this road and worth the walk to Battery Point.
A common ground – Okay this is my blushing moment. As I was shopping, Adam came to tell me that the gourmet farmer I liked from SBS TV was in his shop. Well, of course I had to go that very minute and check out Mr Evans as he was way more important than some divine peice of jewellery! His first name escaped me as I was so excited about meeting the food critique who had left city life to go back to where the food comes from and start up a farm to plate concept. He also happened to be a bit on the cute side hence my need for speed….anyway, back to the shop. We enter, he’s serving someone, I’m in a daze, he offers cheese and I’m yes, yes and blurt out “I’ve been watching your series and love it”. The lady next to me looks quizzical and looks at him. He smiles. I’m like “OMG…he’s the gourmet farmer! Don’t you know?”. No, she says fairly blandly. Well I carry on like a smoked pork* and relish in telling her about his farm, his pigs, smokehouse, his cheeses and anything else that comes to mind. But at one point I must have just decided to stare…at him…maybe because he was even better looking in real life…and eventually Adam’s sweet voice pricks my ears….”Honey…for the 4th time…which cheeses are we buying?”. OMG…I’m so embarrassed…caught out big time and realise how pathetic I’ve been with my drooling/swooning and silly behaviour. But who cares! It was fun meeting him, buying the gourmet goodies and knowing that Adam can’t wait to tell people about my blushing blonde moment of swooning (and drooling) over a local farmer in full view of him (the hubby…oops!). *apologies for the edited version of the colloquial Australian version “carry on like a pork chop” meaning that someone (moi) behaves in a silly or stupid way…”
24 June 2011 – A 2hr train trip through the hills of Romagna we headed to Faenza – a town associated with its long history of majolica production. We went to Cento anni del Museo Internazionale delle Ceramiche and for a few hours immersed ourselves in the history of porcelain and concluded with the 57th Premio Faenza – the International Competition of Contemporary Ceramic Art.
We went into the town where laneways were dotted with ceramic tiled street names and the local bank displayed contemporary ceramic wares.
A local artist was kind enough to let me photograph her as she hand painted traditional designs. We agreed that next time we stay overnight as the museum was extensive and breaking up the visit would make the trip worthwhile.
I was fortunate to have a letter of introduction from USA Visiting Artist Professor Anna Calluori Holcombe, and as a student visit the Richard-Ginori factory/museum – a 1/2hr train ride from Florence to Sesto Fiorentino, Italy. My husband came along and luckily he did as he has the memory of an elephant and soaked up all the technical aspects of the factory while moi focused on the creative components.
Excerpt from email
Sent: Saturday, 25 June 2011 6:45 PM Subject: re: last days in Firenze as we head to Roma tomorrow
” … In the last 24hrs I have managed to fatigue poor Adam with too much porcelain viewing. Yesterday we headed to Faenza, a 2hr train trip from Firenze to visit the International Ceramica Institute and Museum. The day before, we travelled by train to Siesta Fiorentina (11 mins out of Firenze) and headed to Richard Gionori Porcelain Factory and Museum. The Museum Curator Olivia greeted us and took us on a tour through the factory and museum. It was a very informative and insightful view into the world of ceramics produced in Italy by the founders back in 1753.
It would be too much to try and tell you all about it but basically we saw production work of machines and people producing 17,000 objects a day. From soup tureens to dinner plates to cups to sculpture work – there was something happening in every corner of this large factory. Probably the most fascinating area for me was the hand painting area and mould-making. I was brave enough to show the head designer my 2 latest pendants and he was fascinated with the raised surface and sheen. Adam was so good in trying to translate some technical details in addition to Olivia translating. It was a nice moment and clarified my love of studying and pursuing ceramics as a career …”
In my 2nd semester of studies, Patsy Payne, Head of the Printmedia and Drawing Workshop, ANU School of Art, encouraged me to draw and to use different sources – photographs, nature in real life, and my imagination. Thanks Patsy.
One of the sources – seeing the bowl in person at Richard-Ginori Museum …
Another source:
Doccia, Museo Richard-Ginori della Manifattura di. Richard-Ginori 1737-1937 Ceramics from the Manifattura Di Docica Museum. Edited by Gangemi Editore. Florence: Gangemi Editore, 2007.
