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It is interesting how different events in our lives can be turning points or shifts in our direction of work and life. At the end of May 2021 I fell over and fractured my elbow which then needed surgery. During my recovery I developed a frozen shoulder and both of these things combined make for a long slow recovery.
Never to sit still for long I went back to exploring painting and other mixed media processes I could manage during my recovery and still feed my creativity and by default maintain my happy mental health.
This of course all happened during Covid 19 and lockdown which meant I spent many hours roaming Red Hill, exploring various trails, enjoying the view of ACT and paying attention to the wonderful details of trees, leaves, lichen and rocks.
Each painting is multi layered with hand painted papers, hand printed tissue papers, image transfers from my photography on my walks and finished off with a hand cut papercut.
For some time now I have been pursuing freedom in my work. I have found that my best work is made when I am ‘in the zone’ having fully let go of any inhibitions, preconceived ideas and expectations, taking risks to push the boundaries of my practice further. Music is crucial in taking me to a place of freedom where I create out of intuition rather than logic. Intuitive brushstrokes, sgraffito and ceramic pencil mark making relate back to the abstract landscape paintings that I have also been working on. My ceramic and painting practice inform each other as I explore each medium.
Freedombegan with some sketches on old book pages which then inspired me to find other letters and documents that relate to the concept and idea of Freedom as well as themes of imprisonment and oppression. These writings have informed and challenged my personal understanding of freedom and how many of us take freedom for granted in our culture. In my work I have posed two questions “What does freedom mean to you?” and “When do you personally feel most free?”.
Photo credit: Brenton McGeachie
For some time now I have been pursuing freedom in my work. I have found that my best work is made when I am ‘in the zone’ having fully let go of any inhibitions, preconceived ideas and expectations, taking risks to push the boundaries of my practice further. Music is crucial in taking me to a place of freedom where I create out of intuition rather than logic. Intuitive brushstrokes, sgraffito and ceramic pencil mark making relate back to the abstract landscape paintings that I have also been working on. My ceramic and painting practice inform each other as I explore each medium.
Freedom began with some sketches on old book pages which then inspired me to find other letters and documents that relate to the concept and idea of Freedom as well as themes of imprisonment and oppression. These writings have informed and challenged my personal understanding of freedom and how many of us take freedom for granted in our culture. In my work I have posed two questions “What does freedom mean to you?” and “When do you personally feel most free?”.
Photo credit: Brenton McGeachie
Drawing from the memory of my travels along the coastline of Norway, Fjords is a combination of free expressive brush strokes and my favourite technique of printing on porcelain. Both the viewing of the fjords and the processes used in making these vessels give me a great sense of freedom and peace.
Photo credit Brenton McGeachy
Creating art is often a journey of self-discovery. I tend to make intuitively with the meaning behind my work unfolding over time, even long after the work has been created. Sometimes it can take another person to point out something about my work before my own eyes are opened to what I see before me. Such is the case in this continuation of the Rest series. While wandering through the Blue Mountains with my family, my husband spotted some mossy, lichen covered rocks and trees and commented how they looked like my vessels. I hadn’t even made the connection before he mentioned it, I had just been enjoying the beauty of it. With Rest - Blue Mountains I have taken the motif of the boulder with the moss and lichen as my influence to extend the theme of resting in nature.
Photo credit Fiona Klat
Process is important to me and is often the starting point for new work. Rest began with the process of printing on clay and my search for the perfect green, not just my favorite colour but my husbands as well. Through this work I began to realise that I am a landscape artist not only because of the search for green but I find myself constantly looking to nature for inspiration. I continue to enjoy the challenge of working with porcelain and its translucency.
Photo credit Fiona Klat
Rest – Ovals is a refining of my original Rest series of vessels portraying the natural, organic feel of nature with raw edges and soft oval shapes. The idea of resting continues to be strong in this series as the process is almost meditative with phases of activity alternated with times of resting and waiting.
Painting and printing...resting and waiting…
Forming vessels and bases…resting and waiting…
Trimming and finishing…resting and waiting…
Sponging and firing…resting and waiting…
Sanding and firing…resting and waiting…
Sanding and finishing…resting.
Photo credit Fiona Klat
Tunturi is the Finnish word used to describe the mountains of northern Finland.
This work is a part of the Women of influence theme which takes a fresh look at the art of crochet by imprinting doilies from my grandmothers onto porcelain. In these pieces I’ve also used doilies borrowed from friends and other family members.
These doilies represent the people who are as intricately involved in my life, as I am in theirs. As with a mountain range we go through life’s ups and downs together but even in the deepest valleys and most difficult mountains we must climb there is always light which brings hope. The joy of being on the mountain tops is always sweeter when shared with friends and family.
The work I have created for Delineations at FORM Gallery 2015 is a totally new direction from my usual porcelain pieces imprinted with doilies. After the busiest year I can ever remember having, it was time for some calm meditation which I found in the technic of sgraffito. I have always wanted to make some larger sculptural pieces and this work is my first steps in that direction.
All pieces have been hand built in stoneware, covered in porcelain slip and sgraffito.
A range of contemporary hand made ceramics in porcelain with a fresh look at the art of crochet. Most of the crochet doilies used to imprint the porcelain were made by my Finnish grandmothers over 35-55 years ago. I have named them after some of the women in my family who have most influenced my creative life.
Iida Vappu
My maternal grandmother born on Paalasmaa, a small island in Finland. One of my fondest childhood memories is playing with her collection of buttons while ‘Mummo’ sat at her sewing machine.
Aune Maria
My paternal grandmother was born in Kauhajoki. ‘Mummi’ enjoyed and excelled in all sorts of crafts including weaving rugs and making bobbin lace.
Maija Liisa
My mother was born in Kuusankoski. She taught me to sew, first by hand at the age of two with a large darning needle and then at the age of eight she gave me my first sewing machine.
Laila Esteri
My Aunt and godmother was born in Kauhajoki. Laila mastered the art of making wedding gowns. She is also well known in our family for making the best Boston Kakku, a type of cinnamon scroll cake.
Nona
Nona is my husbands’ paternal grandmother who just celebrated her 104thbirthday and the doily used to make these tea lights and vases was made by one of her closest friends who recently celebrated her 103thbirthday.
As you can imagine having lived so long she has seen amazing times in her world. Nona was born in Yugoslavia and having lived a good portion of her life in Europe she speaks Yugoslavian, Italian, French, German, Latin and English fluently. She fondly recounts tales of high adventure fleeing the enemy and hiding in villages in the 2ndworld war in Europe, then immigrating to Australia.