Andrew Walford Exhibition this Weekend

It is always interesting to visit Liebermann Pottery at The Old Gasworks, and this weekend is even more attractive as Andrew Walford on of South Africa's most revered potters has an exhibition running until Sunday. Don't miss it!

Lindy van Hasselt Exhibition

Click on image to enlarge

Lindy van Hasselt is one of our students at The Pottery Studio in Bryanston, and this promises to be an exceptional show of her work. Diarise the date, and be sure to get there if you possibly can.

Workshop by Ruthanne Tudball in Bryanston

New Show at Kim Sacks Gallery

Kim Sacks Gallery requests the pleasure
of your companyat the opening of

TRAVERSING
An exhibition of ceramics by
three women who have a creative connection to Denmark.EXHIBITING ARTISTS

Clementina van der Walt – Priscilla Mouritzen - Kim Sacks

OPENING: Saturday 15th September 2012 - 10am to 5pm
PREVIEW: Friday 14th September 2012 - 10am to 5pm
The exhibition will close Monday 8th October 2012.

Clementina, Priscilla and Kim will conduct a walk-about
and a discussion at 2.30pm on the day of the opening.

Refreshments will be served.TEL: 011 447 5804 MOBILE: 083 377 9076
WEBSITE: www.kimsacks.com EMAIL: kim@kimsacksgallery.com
ADDRESS: 153 Jan Smuts Avenue - Parkwood - Johannesburg
GALLERY HOURS:
Monday to Friday 9am to 5pm - Saturday 10am to 5 pm - Sunday 10am to 2pm
And any other time by appointment – and with great pleasure!
Secure parking on the Property

A Feast of a Month

August has been an incredible month for the ceramic community of Gauteng. Feast or famine the saying goes and August has certainly been a feast of a month.
Firstly 2 shows at the Everard Read Gallery and Circa. Southern Guild at the former and Wilma Cruise's The Alice Diaries at Circa. How wonderful it is to see ceramics playing a major role in exhibitions at fine art galleries. Both these excellent shows deserve to be seen. I was fortunate enough to attend the walkabout at Wilma's exhibition which gave me further insight into her work. It is rare to see exhibitions of this calibre and I urge you to see both if you are in the area.
Also this month at the Kim Sacks Gallery we had the pleasure of Wendy Gers, renowned ceramic historian, hosting a session of Small Talk. These informal get-togethers are held regularly at the gallery and are an opportunity for conversation and debate.

Daphne Corregan: the workshop

Over and above this was the selections for the Ceramics Southern Africa National Biennale and I had the privilege of attending a workshop presented by the visiting award judge Daphne Corregan. What an incredible day. I loved seeing the intuitive way she works and her obvious love for the clay and the possibilities it offers. What a month this has been, and what a joy to be a part of it.

Clementina van der Walt at Kim Sacks Gallery

From the Table, to the Wall, and Back.

CLEMENTINA VAN DER WALT

Clementina van der Walt requests the pleasure of your company
at the opening of an exhibition of recent ceramic works.

There will be a discussion and a “walk-about” at 3pm
on the day the exhibition opens.
Refreshments will be served.

This exhibition will run for the month of October.

OPENING: Saturday 1st October 2011 - 10am to 5pm
PREVIEW: Friday 30th September 2011 - 10am to 5pm

TEL: 011 447 5804 MOBILE: 083 377 9076
WEBSITE: www.kimsacks.com EMAIL: kim@kimsacksgallery.com
ADDRESS: 153 Jan Smuts Avenue - Parkwood

GALLERY HOURS: Monday to Friday 9am to 5pm - Saturday 10am to 5 pm
And any other time by appointment – and with great pleasure!
Secure parking on the Property

Days of Miracle and Wonder

So much time has passed since my last blog entry and so much has happened since then that I really need to think about where to begin!

The selection process in the Western Cape

Firstly I was privileged to be asked to be the traveling selector for the Ceramics Southern Africa's National Exhibition which was held in the magnificent setting of the Grande Provence in Franschoek.

The magnificent surroundings at Grande Provence

Some incredible work was submitted for selections in all regions and the process went well and resulted in what could only be called an exceptional exhibition.


An general view of the CSA National Exhibition



Part of my entry on the National Exhibition

On my return from the selections I was greeted with news of a parcel in the post. I have been working with soluble salts on bone china for some time now and ever since I first heard of it I have been trying to get hold of a copy of the book 'Water Colour on Porcelain' by Arne Ase, which has been out of print for a number of years, but miraculously thanks to Facebook and a friend to whom I will be forever indebted I have finally got a copy of the book. It is overwhelming and inspiring, with enough information to keep me going for quite a while.
The day after returning home from the selections I was off to England to attend a workshop with renowned ceramist Sasha Wardell in Bradford-on-Avon. I have been a longtime admirer of Sasha's work and through her book 'Slipcasting'  she had unknowingly been a major contributor to the development of my Bone China work. 

One of Sasha Wardell's beautiful pieces

When the opportunity arose to participate in this workshop there was no option for me but to attend. The workshop was absolutely incredible. Information and methods were shared freely, I got to work on a potter's lathe and also to work with real English Bone China and as a result I found myself looking at mouldmaking and slipcasting in a whole new light.

Turning a form on the lathe

It was so inspiring to be a part of this workshop which I am sure will impact my future work.

After the workshop it was off to London for two days. One of these was spent at the new ceramic wing at the Victoria & Albert Museum.

Part of the display at the V & A Ceramic wing

It seems ludicrous to call it a 'wing' as it comprises the entire sixth floor of the museum. This was truly an experience over which I will never get! Seeing works that I had hitherto only seen on the printed page or computer screen was phenomenal! So much work. Far to much to list, but to see Bodil Manz's magnificently proportioned cylinders, Edmund de Waal's incredible installation of over 400 pieces placed way above the viewer (about three floors) and also to see the work of legendary names like Ruth Duckworth, Colin Pearson and Walter Keeler was almost to much to take in. This was an experience that words can never justify and to say I was moved by the occasion seems trite, and yet I cannot ever remember being this effected by ceramic work.

A bird's eye view of Edmund de Waal's incredible installation

I shall be forever grateful for this experience and I can only hope that that which inspired and overwhelmed me will show in some way in the work I am yet to produce.

Blog of the Month - Clementina Ceramics

Congratulations to Clementina for keeping up with her one post per day goal. They are always interesting and often inspiring. Clementina Ceramics is her blog and truly well worth spending some time visiting.

During my recent stay in Cape town I spent some time with Clementina in her beautiful new studio space and it is easy to see how working in this incredible environment gets her creativity flowing. I am so impressed with her output and the diversity in her current work. I am really pleased to call her a friend and am inspired by her work ethic. And regarding the blog, keep on sharing your thoughts with us in your inimitable way.

A selection of small cups of Clementina's

Sofia's Dad's Blog of the Month

Jim Gottuso's blog, Sofia's Dad's Pots is my choice for April's blog of the month. Certainly one of the more active of the ceramic bloggers, Jim keeps us entertained with stories and events of his life as both a father and a potter. he shares his thoughts as well as some of his really interesting inventions, such as glazing posts for bowls and mugs, freely and generously, in his frequent posts. Interspersed with these, are images of Jim's beautifully meticulous work, an example of which is shown here. Jim, all I can say is thank you for sharing your wonderful work, and your enjoyable anecdotes with us as Sofia's Dad. Long may you continue.

Andrew Walford, Book Launch and Exhibition

It is so wonderful to see the work of a true master in his field. Andrew Walford currently has work on show at the Apple i Store in Sandton and it is truly a joy to the viewer. The exhibition features bowls and vases as well as a number of magnificent enormous 'tiles'. This high fired reduction-fired stoneware is enhanced by Andrew's magnificent glazes and his masterful brushwork. Coupled with this show of work is the launch of the book 'A Potter's Tale in Africa' on the life and work of Andrew Walford. I urge you to see the exhibition in this stunning venue off Sandton drive on Alice lane in the Apple i Store. The show will continue until mid April and is not to missed if you have any interest in ceramics at all.

Wonderful Musing.........

This month I have chosen Carole Epp's 'musing about mud' as the blog of the month. This blog offers invaluable information to all ceramists on a continual basis. Want to know what is happening at any time in the world of ceramics, or what competitions or exhibitions are coming up, musing about mud is the place to find all this and  much more. Thank you so much Carole for this truly incredible service. It is one of the blogs I have to visit every time I am online.
Also check out Carole's own beautiful work on her personal website

Blog of the Month

A new item I am introducing this year is a 'Blog of the Month' feature. At the beginning of each month I plan to showcase a blog that I consider to be of special interest to the ceramic community. 

The first of these I am featuring is that of my friend and colleague Eugene Hon. This blog not only illuminates  details of his process but also its archival and exploratory value for the research of his many projects. Those things that inspire or interest him are shared in a wonderfully informative way. His blog is crammed with items of value and examples of his exceptional drawings which direct his ceramic projects, as well as images of finished works and what it is that informs them. I feel that he has truly created a blog both brave and inspirational in concept, and well worth a visit to anyone wanting to get an insight into what Eugene's creative process encompasses.    

Ceramics S A Regional Exhibition

The C S A regional exhibition opened on Monday evening, at the Edoardo Villa Museum on the University of Pretoria Campus. I was asked to be one of the selectors for the work, together with Jerice Doeg and Harrie Siertesema and Wilma Cruise was the awards judge. The standard, for a regional exhibition was high and a number of awards were presented to amongst others, my colleague Eugene Hon, Hazel Sherman, and Karen Murray. The premier award was presented to Dale Lambert, whose work is pictured above - delicately thrown and 'etched' porcelain pieces.

 Congratulations to everyone who participated in this show, contributing to the overall success of the exhibition.

A Convergence, an Exhibit and a Display

What a week this promises to be! Firstly I am part of the exhibition 'Ceramic Convergence' together with friend and colleague Eugene Hon as well as Lesley Anne Hoets and Gemma Orkin. The exhibition opens on Thursday 6.00pm at Objekt in Parktown North, Johannesburg, South Africa. If you are in the vicinity come and take a look at this most exciting show.

Secondly on the same date, I am honoured to have been asked to be a part of the 'South African Craft Icons' show at Decorex. And finally also at Decorex on the 6th my work will be on show at the Ceramics S A display.

Clementina van der Walt & Lisa Firer

I have been out of sorts lately so no new posts of my work right now. I am getting back into the work though so shortly I will be showing some new images, but for now I want to mention two events that took place on the last two weekends.

On the 20th of June I went to the opening of Clementina van der Walt's new exhibition at the Kim Sacks Gallery in Parkwood, Johannesburg.

The work in the main part of the gallery pulsates with colour and energy which could only be borne of Africa, and this work is juxtaposed with a beautifully elegant display of monochromatic pieces on the other end of the exhibition space. Clementina's work is always a joy to see and if you are in the area I urge you to visit the exhibition before the end of its run on the 12th of July

This past weekend I had the pleasure and privilege of attending a workshop by Cape Town ceramic artist Lisa Firer. I have loved her work for years, and her workshop revealed someone of immense generosity and professionalism. How wonderful it is to see other ceramists sharing their stories and working methods. Her work is dependant on the interplay of light and the extreme delicacy is breathtaking. Visit her website to see examples of her truly beautiful porcelain pieces. 

Blog Of The Month

Carole Epps' great blog Musing About Mud is one of my favourites. Hats of to her for her artist of the day feature that she ran all through April. I came across some fascinating work through that and am appreciative of being one of the artists showcased. I would like to acknowledge the great contribution Carole's blog makes to serving the ceramic community, and also, her own exceptional work which you can see on her blog and at her Etsy store. 

Julie Lovelace

This is the work of Julie Lovelace. She has recently completed her B Tech in Ceramic Design at the University of Johannesburg. Her work, which initially appears whimsical has a darker side to it and is concerned with, among other things, the loss of innocence. Julie uses a variety of surface treatments on her work including underglaze, glaze, acrylics and lustres. Look out for Julie's one-person exhibition early 2010.