Erin Lykos, ceramist

Wanted To Buy...

2011-11-15T22:59:00.002+10:30

Hey everyone! I'm looking to buy a good-working second hand pottery wheel for a primary school. It needs to be located in South Australia. And I'm also looking for a small to medium electric pottery kiln (also in SA). Please let me know if you have one for sale or know of one. Thank you!

The Break Up

2011-11-15T22:39:00.003+10:30

Sad news! Studio Lingo is finishing up on 24th December. Come and grab a locally handmade bargain, just in time for Christmas! Hope you can make it!

The Ultimate Granny Cup and Saucer

2011-10-11T23:22:00.013+10:30

Way back in this blog post I mentioned the granny cup and saucer that a friend asked me to make, as a gift for his boss for becoming a granny!! A bit of a cheeky gift, I think! Well, in that post, way back in September, I promised to post the progress of the piece on here. However that was as far as I got! So here is the rest of the progress of the 'Ultimate Granny Cup and Saucer'...

Freshly trimmed. I actually made three sets, to be on the safe side.

Here is the handle attached and I decided to add some 'older style' roses that are popular on wedding cakes, or on 70th+ birthday cakes!

The cup and saucer with some underglaze slips. I painted the roses pink and red, to go with the decals that I attached afterwards. 'Granny' is written in an old style of handwriting in green.

A close up of the pink rose on the saucer.

The cup and saucer glazed and ready for some decals.

The decals attached.
It's always hard to imagine exactly how the colours will turn out at this point.

The final granny cup and saucer! Ready to be delivered.

Here is the back of the cup.

It was a fun little project to make - something a bit different!
It was delivered on Friday and I got to see the boss's reaction. She really liked it! I'm pretty sure anyway... unless she was just being polite!? :-)

Spring is Here!

2011-09-16T17:41:00.004+09:30

Some of the blossom in my garden

Hello everyone! I'm starting to come out of hibernation with this beautiful warmer weather we're having! A friend asked me to make a 'granny' cup and saucer for his boss, who has just become a grandmother. It's going to be decorated with old style roses and 'granny' written on the front! Very cheeky gift. I made three to play around with. I'll post the progress on here.

I hope you are all enjoying the sunshine!

New gallery in town!

2011-07-31T14:24:00.003+09:30

Check out the newest gallery/ studio in Adelaide, run by the lovely Michelle Lee, Mandi Whitten and Benjamin Liew! This is an artist run space made possible by Renew Adelaide. I went in on Friday and delivered some work. The space was still being set up, but already looked wonderful! They have painting, photography, jewellery, prints and ceramics. Today is the soft launch. You better be quick, it finishes at 4. If you can't make it today, it is opening daily! Check put their website for regular updates! All the best guys!!!

Silent Auction

2011-06-24T22:42:00.003+09:30

Blue printed plate and dip bowl

This is my donation for the Pulteney Grammar School's silent auction, which will be held tomorrow night. Hope they have a good time!

Brooch Swap 2011

2011-06-23T21:07:00.009+09:30

This year I joined the Flower Press Brooch Swap! It was so much fun! Lots of craft people around the world joined in swapping hand crafted brooches. It was kept a secret as to who you would receive a brooch from until it arrived in the mail. The last day for posting was Tuesday 21st June. Here are the brooches I sent off to England:

Orange Printed Heart Brooch and Blue Printed Butterfly Brooch

I couldn't decide on which one, so I sent both!

The brooches wrapped and ready to be sent

My secret brooch swapper sent mine off earlier and it has already arrived! Em (who writes the Mousy brown blog and lives in North Wales) made me a brooch inspired by one of my own teapots!!!

Brooch By Mousy Brown
Inspired by "Green Printed Teapot with Birds"

I was so surprised that she had made a brooch inspired by something I had made! It is so thoughtful and I absolutely love it! Thank you so much Em! And thank you Susie for the wonderful idea and for organising the whole swap!

Cat Bowls

2011-04-21T13:05:00.004+09:30

Cat Bowls

Here are some new cat food bowls I am making for Urban Cow. I can personalise them with your cat's name and the colours of your choice!

I have made them a bit sturdier so they won't easily tip over or break.

The Great Teapot Show official invite

2011-04-12T19:30:00.004+09:30

Ceramics, sculpture, paintings, prints...
everything and anything to do with TEA!

Works from a variety of artists.

Opening at 11.30am
Sunday 17 April 2011

Guest Speaker:
Cath Kerry
Chef & Restaurateur,
Art Gallery Restaurant

The exhibition concludes 5pm Tuesday 10 May 2011.

140 Barton Terrace West North Adelaide, SA 5006
p: 08 8267 2933 | f: 08 8293 0148 | e: greenhill@internode.on.net
Open: Tues - Fri 10am - 5pm Sat & Sun 2pm - 5pm

Rainbow

2011-04-11T17:40:00.002+09:30

The beautiful scene that greeted me as I went out to my studio this evening! This photo doesn't do it justice (and I could't fit it onto one photo...).

Red Printed Teapot

2011-04-11T16:23:00.004+09:30

Red Printed Teapot (2011), by Erin Lykos

This teapot will be exhibited at Greenhill Gallery in The Great Teapot Show from Sunday 17th April, 2011. I have 4 teapots in the show altogether! Hope you can make it!

Dog Bowls

2011-04-11T16:05:00.003+09:30

I've started making these dog food bowls, available at the Urban Cow. I can personalise them with your pet's name, your favourite colour for the base and I can make the dog a similar colour to your dog (remember it's a cartoon though, so it won't be photo perfect)! Cat food bowls will be available soon!

The Great Teapot Show

2011-04-08T15:11:00.004+09:30

Green Printed Teapot with Birds (2011) By Erin Lykos

I've started added extra details to my teapots! I decided on birds because, well... I like them! Plus there are an incredible variety of birds in the Riverland, so it seemed fitting. I tried to make the teapot look a bit like foliage. What do you think?

This is going into an exhibition at Greenhill Galleries.
The details for the exhibition are:

The Great Teapot Show
Greenhill Gallery
140 Barton Tce West, North Adelaide
Ph: 08 8267 2933

Opening: Sunday 17th April, 11:30am
Dates: April 17 - May 10, 2011

Hope to see you there!!

Blue and White Spotty Teapot Set

2011-04-01T19:34:00.004+10:30

Blue Teapot Set (2011) by Erin Lykos
Doily (date unknown) by Great Auntie Hazel

This teapot set will be exhibited in the 2011 Campbelltown Art Show and Sale. I've been experimenting with teapot shapes lately. I know I have a long way to go, but I'm having fun! Someone once told me, 'You need to throw 100 teapots before you make a good one'. So I've got about 80 to go!

The details for the art show are:

Campbelltown Art Show and Sale
Campbelltown Function Centre
172 Montacute Rd, Rostrevor
Saturday 9 - Sunday 17 April, 2011

Sunset at Trinity

2011-03-20T19:23:00.000+10:30

Terrible photo of a beautiful sunset.

Cupcakes!

2011-02-18T17:14:00.004+10:30

A couple of friends are celebrating their engagement tomorrow and I promised to make cupcakes! I've baked over 100 today. They're mini ones, so they are a bit quicker. Yum!

Valentine's Day is Coming

2011-02-07T22:35:00.002+10:30

Heart bowls (Small and Tiny sizes)

These sweet heart bowls are wheel thrown and hand painted by me and available at the Urban Cow (just in time for Valentine's Day). Each bowl has its own unique design!

Sturt Desert Pea Bowl

2011-02-04T13:17:00.004+10:30

Sturt Desert Pea Bowl

My sister is currently in New Zealand and asked me to make her these bowls as a gift for people she is staying with over there! They are a very similar design to the Sturt Pea range I make for The Wild Lime Cafe in Blinman (Finders Rangers).

Where Did January Go?

2011-02-01T00:02:00.013+10:30

Wow! January's gone for 2011. As I get older the months seem to go quicker, but that month just went lightning quick. I guess so much has happened since we celebrated New Years.

We've had the devastating Queensland flood, where more than two dozen towns were flooded. 18 people died and 14 are still unaccounted for (at the time of writing this). 75% of Queensland is declared a natural disaster zone and now there are two cyclones headed towards Northern Queensland.

Photo Credit: Rob Maccol

There are currently riots in Egypt. It looks like a scary place to be right now. I hope they can come to a peaceful resolution soon.

Whats been happening with me this month? Well, I celebrated New Years in Sydney. And spent a relaxing start to the year camping at Killcare - swimming, playing 500, meeting new people and catching up with family and friends I haven't seen in ages. It was really nice. I also went for a couple of day trips. We took a train down to Berry (which is south of Woollongong). Such a beautiful place. I was looking for places that might be interested in stocking my work and was very surprised to only find one hand-made designer shop in the whole area! A local told us the art gallery had closed down at the end of December! We also took a trip around the Southern Highlands. Also a very beautiful place. There were lots of potteries and design/art/craft places. It was great! I visited the famous Sturt Pottery and the Milk Factory (I think that must be NSW's version of the JamFactory). It was all very interesting. I got lots of business cards (which I need to chase up)!

Since I've been back in South Australia, I've been back to the studio. I first had to complete my Sketchbook project and send it off to America. I've had lots of orders for the Urban Cow and also I've been designing some new production work! Very exciting!

I had my nieces come to stay, as well as my sister (their other auntie). This time we had 3 of them. They were so well behaved! We kept them very busy though. We were so exhausted by the end of each day!

Here is my sister with our nieces and my next door neighbour.

Emily on my pottery wheel

I bought this kid's pottery wheel for Joanna for Christmas. So while she was with me, I taught her how to use it.

Here are some pinch pot jewellery boxes I taught the girls to make!

I also had some friends children come over and do some pottery (because it's school holidays). Most of the pieces they made are currently in the kiln.

One of the children made me this beautiful card:

How sweet and thoughtful!

I did some volunteer work at Berri Barmera Care. They help people who are homeless and/or struggling in the Riverland. Volunteer work is very rewarding.

There has also been a few celebrations. Lots of family birthdays and a couple of friends got engaged! One of my aunties was born on Australia Day. I made her this Jaffa flavoured cake (her favourite and mine too)!

Jaffa Cake

It was also my cousin Ashley's 21st. He's been into computer's since forever and has now started a career in the field. So I made him this bowl (with his first family computer):

Ashley's 21st birthday bowl

Phew! What a month! And january's usually quite - right!? I have a feeling this is going to be a busy, but fantastic year. What do you think?

18. Bath Sketch, England

2011-01-23T23:34:00.004+10:30

Roman Baths, Bath, England

This my eighteenth and final sketch for The Sketchbook Project and the final destination for me and my husband's big Europe trip! Our last stop, as you have probably already guessed, was back in England: Bath! Once again, very beautiful. We spent about four days here -resting and sightseeing. We did the hop-on hop-off bus tour once again. I was interested in all the Jane Austin destinations and information. I could see one of her stories easily coming to life there! Beautiful and quite romantic. I've sketched the fascinating Roman Baths. We were able to taste the water too. Urgh! The markets in the main shopping area were incredible. The amount of customers crowding to buy from the stalls was amazing to see. I would love to set up a stall there one day!!

Well, this project has been a lot of fun. I had wanted to sketch while I was on the trip, but I was too busy sight-seeing and too exhausted by the evenings. So I'm really glad that I got to take a trip down memory lane and sketch them all now for this project. I hope you have enjoyed reading all the stories and seeing my sketches!

Now, back to pottery...

17. Scotland Sketch

2011-01-23T23:26:00.004+10:30

Scotland

We both loved Scotland. This was in Edinburgh. I think it was Edinburgh Castle. Everything there was beautiful, fascinating and so rich with history. I think it was probably my favourite city of the trip! It was very cold while we were there though. We also visited Glasgow and Inverness. From one of our hotel rooms we had a view of Loch Ness.
This is a funny sketch. I think I'll stick to architecture!!! :)

16. Ireland Sketch

2011-01-23T23:09:00.004+10:30

Blarney Castle, near Cork

Our next country was Ireland. We started in a southern town, Cork. In the morning we tried a Full Irish Breakfast. Interestingly it looked and tasted exactly like the Full English Breakfast! ;)
This sketch is of me standing next to some of the biggest leaves I have ever seen in my life. They were in the garden surrounding Blarney Castle. They looked like giant marshmellow weeds (a weed in Australia anyway) and they were bigger than me! The scenery in that area of Ireland was very beautiful!

We also visited Dublin for a few days. We then travelled by bus up to Northern Ireland and stayed in Belfast. I didn't have room to put every destination in, but they were both very interesting places. We had one scary encounter in Belfast, which spoiled the experience. So we might not visit there again. But I'm glad we went there for at least few days!

15. Stonehenge Sketch

2011-01-23T23:01:00.003+10:30

We visited Stonehenge too! We were told by a few people (even our Lonely Planet guide) that it is quite disappointing. So we weren't expecting too much. However, perhaps that was a good thing. I think our expectations were so low, that we loved it! We both found it very interesting. Even the bus driver taking us there from Bournemouth said he didn't know why people wanted to see it so much. He drives passed it on his way home everyday and he had never wanted to stop and take a closer look. Oh well - each to their own!

14. Bournemouth, England Sketch

2011-01-23T22:57:00.003+10:30

Here's a quick sketch of Bournemouth! It's actually in a suburb next to Bournemouth. We stayed with some extended family there. We went for a nice (but very windy) walk along the beach. Very relaxing!

13. London Sketch

2011-01-23T22:44:00.008+10:30

Big Ben

We absolutely loved London! We were only there for 4 day, but wish we could have spent 2 weeks there (at least). We did the tourist hop-on hop-off bus tour, which I would recommend. Especially the one with a live guide, not just the recording. The whole of London was stunning. The buildings were beautiful. We saw big Ben from the tour bus and then again at sunset on the London Eye. On our first night in London we saw the Queen!

Switzerland Sketch

2011-01-23T22:35:00.002+10:30

This is my next sketch for the Sketchbook Project (which you can read about here). I did send it away on time, but I haven't finished posting all the images!

This is of our next destination on the big Europe trip: Switzerland! We spent 3 days travelling around Switzerland by train, bus and ferry with a friend (Lukas) who I met in China. This is one of the beautiful lakes.

11. My First Snow Ball... Ever!

2011-01-14T18:21:00.004+10:30

Our First snow ball... ever!

Our German relatives were determined to show us snow. So they drove us close to the Austrian border. We took a sky lift up to a very high mountain and touched snow for the first time in our lives!! Very exciting. My husband decided to take our GPS, so we could see how high we were above sea level. Then he gave it to me to put in my pocket. As I was throwing my first snow ball over the edge of a very high cliff, I felt something fall out of my pocket. We, along with all the other tourists, watched the GPS slowly bounce down the snow and over the edge of the cliff. I think our cousin thought I was going to go after it, because she grabbed my arm and said "It's gone!"
Yep, my husband wasn't very happy with me that day! This is the happy sketch before I threw the snow ball! :)

10. Neuschwanstein

2011-01-14T18:13:00.004+10:30

Neuschwanstein

Neuschwanstein is a castle in southern Germany. Close to the Austrian border. When we visited it, we actually slept in Austria! This castle looks a bit like something out of Disneyland. It's very touristy and there are horse and cart rides constantly going up to it. They have different tours throughout the day in different languages. I found it hard to pronounce. Our German cousins found that funny, because I could pronounce Schützenfest perfectly.

9: German Canoe Ride

2011-01-14T18:06:00.003+10:30

German Canoes on River

We took a canoe ride in Germany, once again near Stuttgart. The river was really pretty. I took so many photos. I loved the canoes all lined up on the bank. This is probably my favourite of my sketches for this project!

8: Sketch of German houses

2011-01-14T17:58:00.003+10:30

We caught a train from France to Germany and stayed with family near Stuttgart. This is a sketch of a pretty town near where we stayed. I absolutely loved the architecture in Germany. For me, living my whole life in Australia, I found it really interesting how the buildings in Europe change so much within a short distance: from country to country, and even inside the countries.

Seventh Sketch: Paris

2011-01-14T17:47:00.004+10:30

The Eiffel Tower

Here is my quick sketch of the Eiffel Tower. I remember we visited the Eiffel Tower first thing in the morning to try and beat the crowds. We got there just as it was supposed to open and the crowds weren't bad at all. Then we found out it was the end of Daylight Saving and we were actually over an hour early! But that was a good thing, because by the time it actually did open the lines were unbelievably long! There is an amazing view of Paris from the top!

Amsterdam Sketch

2011-01-12T10:10:00.006+10:30

Our next stop was Amsterdam. Once again, I loved the architecture (I seem to have a theme going here). All the tall building lined up against the canals was stunning.

We visited the house of Ann Frank. I have never read her diary, but I knew the story from the film. It was so moving to be there and read her thoughts and feelings about what was happening during the war. Very sad. It was also interesting to see how people lived during the war.

My Sketch

Amsterdam

Barcelona sketch

2011-01-11T23:08:00.005+10:30

My fifth sketch is of Antoni Gaudi's 'Sagrada Familia' in Barcelona, Spain. It is such an impressive piece of architecture and fascinating that when he designed it, he knew it would never be completed in his lifetime. I can't really imagine what it would be like to design something so incredibly detailed and sophisticated, and know that it couldn't be completed in your life time. Like many designers he was a perfectionist. He left thousands of instructions and drawings on how to complete the whole cathedral. However most of the plans were destroyed in a fire.

They are aiming to complete the building in 2026 (100 years after Gaudi died). It is incredible to stand inside. Gaudi designed the ceiling to look like a a forest canopy - as though you are looking at the sky beneath trees in a forest. Beautiful!

My sketch of Gaudi's 'Sagrada Familia'

Below is the photo I took:

My sketch doesn't do it justice. But it is just a sketch! :)

Sketch of Venice

2011-01-05T18:44:00.002+10:30

My fourth sketch is of Venice. I really loved Venice and once again couldn't put my camera down. The place we stayed had a lot of character. The first room we slept in was quite funny. When we were shown the room we couldn't stop laughing, because we couldn't actually stand up in the room and the bed could barely fit! It was up in the attic. But we didn't spend much time at the hotel anyway - we had too much exploring to do!

Second and Third Sketch

2011-01-05T12:01:00.009+10:30

My second and third sketches are of a couple of landmarks in Italy. I loved the architecture and history of Italy. In each city I couldn't put my camera down. We visited Rome, Florence, Pisa, Venice and Verona.

While in Rome, we stayed within walking distance of the Colosseum. We did a guided tour, which was very interesting and we also did a guided tour of Vatican City. Our guides were great - trained in history and art, they were full of knowledge and interesting facts.

We visited The Leaning Tower of Pisa on a cold and very wet day. So it was just a quick visit!

These sketches are taking longer than expected!

I thought I'd share my technique, in case you're interested. I first sketch in pencil from a photo I took on the trip. I then colour using Derwent watercolour pencils. I was going to use watercolour paint, but the pencils are so much easier and less messy while you're travelling. There's a few different ways of using them to get different results. So it's good to experiment before applying it to your final picture. After the water has dried, I use a Papermate fineliner (fine 0.4) to outline and put in all the detail.

I'm happy with the results. I'm not looking for a photo perfect finish - I like the graphic quality and my own hand drawn touch!

First Sketch

2011-01-03T20:05:00.004+10:30

First Sketch

I finally started my sketchbook (that I mentioned in this post)! This sketch is of our first destination Greece! We are sitting on our favourite beach Trugonu on the island Rhodes. It is a stunning pebble beach (very different to the beaches in Australia). Many cruise boats visit there throughout summer, for tourists to swim in the beautiful water. It is so crystal clear that you have no idea how deep it is.

This was so much fun to sketch. I can't wait to keep going tomorrow.

A Nice Way to Start the Year

2011-01-03T19:44:00.004+10:30

Our accommodation

This year on new years day we took a train ride up to Killcare to camp with family and friends. It's a beautiful spot on the Central Coast in New South Wales.

Beautiful beach at Terrigal

I also had a chance to visit a few nearby towns and check out some of the local galleries. I may have found a few more outlets for my work! I'll keep you posted!

I hope you have all had a fantastic and relaxing start to 2011!

Belated...

2011-01-03T19:17:00.006+10:30

HAPPY NEW YEAR everyone!!!

I hope you all had a fantastic year and enjoyed your new years eve celebrations! I spent it with some lovely people in Sydney. We had a view of the Harbour Bridge and watched the fireworks!

I loved 2010 and am really looking forward to 2011 - I have a feeling it's going to be a great year!!!

The Sketchbook Project

2010-12-31T16:38:00.005+10:30

The Package I received in the post.

Here's an interesting exhibition I'm involved in later this year. The Sketchbook project is open to everyone (although the due date is over for 2011). Every artist who enters gets a sketchbook to fill in, with a selected topic. I chose 'In Flight' for this year. And I'm filling it with sketches of a recent trip to Europe. I meant to sketch while I was over there (but like most trips), by the end of a busy day touring I was too tired to sketch anything. So I'm sketching from some of the 1000's of photos I took. The exhibition will be touring America.

PS. It's due on the 15th January and I only just started sketching today... well at least I'm on holidays! :)

Mugs

2010-11-12T23:07:00.008+10:30

Oops, I've been neglecting my blog! But I have been getting creative and very productive since my last blog, I promise! See, here's a few mugs I threw:

And some handles I pulled, waiting to be attached:

And this was my first attempt in many years of pulling the handle on the mug:

^ Not bad, hey? Might need a bit more practice. Pulling handles isn't my favourite thing in world!

Below is my trusty kiln. It's seen better days, but still works fine. I really need a bigger kiln though.

Well, that's it for now. Sorry, I know it's not much of an update.

I guess I should add, I really love living in the Riverland. I've only been here for a couple of months, but already feel quite at home. I love the people, the scenery, the bird life, the peacefulness, the food, the festivals, the markets and the people! The people get a double mention, because they're so lovely! So many beautiful people have come into my life since moving up here. I feel very blessed! I'm going to be introducing children to clay in 4 schools in the coming weeks. I'm helping set up the Loxton lights for Christmas. I can't wait to see the display once it's up! It is definitely a great time to visit and I'd love to see you! :)
I'll try and update this more regularly.

For anyone in the know - I've just started the Christmas biscuit cook-off! ;)

The Potter's Marathon

2010-10-19T00:13:00.013+10:30

Every year around this time production in the studio takes a step up in preparation for the Christmas rush. Most years I've had a space in the JamFactory ceramic studio, where there is a buzz of activity going on. There's a atmosphere of motivation and excitement!

However this year I'm working from my own studio in a small rural town, where the closest potter that I know is about 220km away! I love having my own space, but it's also really nice to know that you're not alone and that others are gearing up for the busiest time of year too.

So on Friday a few of us potters from South Australia had a Bowlathon. We threw bowls (or anything really) in our own studios for 8 hours and kept a tally of what we had made. We communicated throughout the day on Facebook. Others also commented and cheered us on a bit. It was a lot of fun! I'd definitely like to do it again and I hope more potters will get involved!

It wasn't a competition (we were going for PB's). Here's some photos from the day from different studios:

Angela Walford
Threw: 32 pieces
(Platters and large bowls)

Alison Arnold
Threw: 70 pieces
(small bowls, noodle bowls, oil burners and lids)

Me
Threw: 146 pieces
(laksa bowls, breakfast bowls, medium bowls, small bowls and tiny bowls)

This was the half way mark. I had thrown 74, so that was quite consistent!

I started running out of ware boards and space, so I used Jane Burbidge's trick of stacking the pieces once they were firm enough to keep their shape.

There's me, with all the work at the end of a very long, but fun day!

I think we were all running out of space and Alison ran out of clay! As I was wrapping up all the bowls it dawned on me that now I have to trim them all! So far I'm half way through, but I should finish them tomorrow!

Thank you Alison and Angela for joining in and everyone else for your comments and encouragement! Looking forward to the next time!

Bowl-A-Thon Confirmed

2010-10-06T15:44:00.004+10:30

Ok, this is it! The pottery event of the year (for many)! And it's happening in YOUR studio!

The official Bowl-A-Thon 2010
Friday 15th October
Motors start running at 9am (Pottery wheel motors)
An hour for lunch
Finish at 6pm

You need to take a photo at the end and count the final tally, then send it to me.
I'll post the results on here, and the Facebook Bowl-A-Thon page.

If you have Facebook you can join here.
Otherwise, just message me.

Bowl-A-Thon

2010-10-05T12:53:00.003+10:30

Hello all you potters out there! I've decided we need to do a bowl-a-thon in preparation for the Christmas rush! How many bowls can you thrown (or coil, slab build, pinch - whatever your chosen method is) in a day (8 hours)? Just for a bit of fun and also to get some stock ready! It would be nice if there were a few of us doing it on the same day and we could post up our results and photos - wherever you are in the world! If you want to join in: comment here or message me. We need to decide a date soon! Happy potting everyone!

Mexican Bean Chicken recipe

2010-09-14T23:09:00.005+09:30

Another recipe! If I'm not careful, I'll have to change the theme of this blog. This is another really tasty meal and so easy! Just combine all the ingredients and put it in the oven! I found it in a MasterChef mini magazine that was in the Sunday Mail a while ago. I've changed it a bit - the original recipe has coriander and lime.

Mexican Bean Chicken
(serves 4)

Ingredients:
600g Chicken breast fillets (sliced into cubes)
400g can four-bean mix, drained
1 Onion (thinly sliced)
250g cherry tomatoes, halved
1 red capsicum, sliced
35g packet taco seasoning
2 tbs tomato paste
2 cloves garlic, crushed

Method:
1. Preheat oven to 180c. cut 2 x 70cm sheets of alfoil.
2. Combine all ingredients in a large bowl.
3. Spoon mixture down the middle of one of the foil sheets, leaving 10cm at either end. Place the second sheet of foil on top and gently mould around the mixture. Fold in the sides to create a sealed parcel. Place on an oven tray and bake for between 45 mins to 1 hour until chicken is cooked through.
4. Stand parcel for 5 minutes, then carefully open to allow steam to escape.

* I serve this with rice and corn on the cob! Yum!

Chicken and Chorizo Hotpot recipe!

2010-09-08T21:34:00.004+09:30

This is a little bit off topic, but I really love cooking. Pottery and cooking seems to go hand-in-hand and it seems that most potters also share this love. So I thought I would start posting some nice recipes when I come across them.

A couple of weeks ago a friend invited us over for dinner. She had cooked a pasta bake using an Italian Sausages called a Chorizo. I’ve often seen them in the deli section of the supermarket, but had never tried them before and had no idea how tasty they are! So the next time I saw them, I bought a couple. They’ve just sat in my fridge ever since. Tonight I was trying to think what to make and saw them there. So I Googled a recipe, which turned out really nice and was SO easy! I thought I would share it with you (I’ve changed it a bit from the original):

Chicken and Chorizo Hotpot

(Serves 4)

Ingredients:

1 Chicken Breast Fillet (cut into cubes)

2 Chorizo (cut into 1 cm slices)

3 cloves garlic (crushed)

1 medium onion (sliced thinly)

1 red capsicum (sliced)

410g can crushed tomatoes

¼ cup white wine

2 Tbs tomato paste

Salt and pepper

3 tbs Olive Oil

All Purpose Seasoning (to taste)

Method:

Pre-heat oven to 200C.

Use a baking dish that will comfortably hold all the ingredients. Add chicken pieces, sausage, garlic, onion, capsicum, tomato and white wine, tomato paste, season with salt, pepper and All Purpose Seasoning, toss to mix. Drizzle over the olive oil. Cook in the oven for 1 1/2 hours.

* I mixed it half way through cooking, because it was getting quite brown on top.

* I served it with pasta (cooked separately).

I love recipes where you just combine all the ingredients and then let it cook! So quick and easy. Hope you enjoy it too!

Bad Weather and Landfill Dilemma

2010-09-04T22:10:00.014+09:30

A windy day!

Well, now that we're into Spring, winter has finally hit! Might have something to do with the Adelaide show starting yesterday (it rains every year without fail). The thunderstorm yesterday was awesome. Today the wind has been so strong that Lake Bonnie actually had waves. Ok, not big enough to surf or anything, but still!

Hmm, I wonder what would have happened if I had turned our porch light on?

With all this bad weather, I really haven't felt like working in the studio much, so I've spent most of the time unpacking boxes. I've been rather overwhelmed discovering how much ceramics I've accumulated over 9 years! I'm sure I can't be the only potter in this situation... I seem to have a habit of boxing things up, thinking I'll deal with them later. I don't think a lot of the work has seen the light of day in maybe 5 or 6 years. While most of them are 'usable', they are quite hideous! I've been left with a bit of a dilemma as to what to do with everything.

Some of the pieces are fine, but have a small fault - making them unsaleable. Some have sentimental value, because they are the first pieces I made. Some are exhibition pieces that didn't sell. Some are just really, really bad, but were experiments/tests. Others I thought were good at the time, but now that I've had more training and experience I realise 'no, they're bad'...

This is just one box I unpacked the other day! Most of this stuff was from 2002/3. All made at TAFE while I was learning to wheel throw. Most of my pieces back then were in stoneware. It was more about practicing the technique of throwing and also glazing.

This piece was made while studying in Cairns in 2004. My husband just asked 'What would you use that for?' - Every potter's favourite question! But no, seriously - what would you use that for???

And this set of four bowl. Made in Sydney in 2002. My very first set! I remember it was so daunting when the lecturer set this project. I was the first in the class to make four that looked slightly similar and was rather proud of these things! And now... ?

And then we come to this jug. Also made while studying in Sydney in 2002. My very first jug. Hmmm...

What to do?
This is the dilemma I've been having:
- I was contemplating having a big smashing session! Greek style. I'm sure my husband would be quite happy to get involved in that! But I'm concerned about just adding to landfill.

- I could give some to friends and family. And I'm sure I will. But not the hideous pieces. I already cringe too often when I notice an old piece that I gave someone years back. I sometimes ask if I could replace it for them, only to discover that it is now their favourite mug/ plate/ vase.

- I could donate most of it to the Goodwill (second-hand shop). But that's not a good career move, to donate hideous pieces that are going to be out there - somewhere, lurking. Plus, if you are selling pieces in designer shops and then customers also see your work in the second hand shop, that's not a good look either.

- I could box them up and deal with them later. No! That's not an option this time. I've decided I'm going to deal with things and not put them off.

- I kind of ran out of ideas. However, my friend Angela gave a great suggestion - make a sulpture out of all the sentimental pieces and save a couple for the cat (hmm, don't have one) and the rest bin. I like that idea! While I was in China I saw a really cool wall made out of hundreds of different pottery pieces. If I had my own property, I could build an interesting garden wall, or something!?

Pottery wall at Son Bao, Jingdezhen

But I'm renting!
So... where does that leave me and all these pots? I so wish I could finish this blog entry with a solution, but I'm just going to have to leave it hanging there!

Tree Change

2010-08-30T00:35:00.005+09:30

Lake Bonnie, Barmera

After a Sea Change last year, to a small town on South Australia's Yorke Peninsula, and then a short stint back in the city of Adelaide, we have moved again! This time to a small, peaceful and rather pretty town called Barmera, in South Australia's Riverland. I've been here for two weeks so far and I absolutely love it!

I finally have my very own pottery studio! It's completely separate from the house - made of brick and has two windows (with a nice view of the garden). The power supply to the shed was perfect and it took the electrician 10 minutes to have it ready for me to plug my kiln in. Everything has just been too easy. I'm so happy with my new space. It certainly beats working from the Verandah and taking over the house!

My new studio!

After a huge weekend of cleaning and sorting, it's almost ready. I'll post some photos once it's done!

Elements Opening

2010-08-14T09:44:00.027+09:30

Oh dear! It's already been a week since the opening of Elements and I haven't posted anything yet! Sorry, life's been really crazy lately!

The three artists

Elements is an exhibition by three artists; Humna Mustafa, Nick Graalman and myself. Humna came up with the concept and approached Nick and myself to get involved. We have been working on the show for about 5 months. Humna painted her closest friends with henna (body art) and capture it on camera, Nick has been filming constantly and I've been making ceramic pieces as a collaboration with Humna. The whole process has been about intertwining our crafts and making pieces that could never have been made on our own - with each artist bringing their own unique skills.

Diya Studios on opening night

The opening was last Saturday in Diya Studios as part of the SALA festival (South Australian Living Artist). Humna and her husband Mustafa transformed more than half of their home into a gallery space and shop! I have to start by saying a big thank you to both of them, especially Mustafa who has been so supportive of this show. The house has been set up with a ceramics exhibition space in the first room (work by Humna and me)...

The main room has Humna's photographs and also a screen where Nick shows his time lapse video. The video was shown a few times on the opening night and will be shown throughout the open days and the closing night.

The opening was such a great night! We had so much fun celebrating all the hard work we put into the show. It was wonderful that so many people turned up. Here's some photos from the night:

Opening speech from Annette Tripodi (Operations and Program Manager, WOMADelaide)

During the opening speech

Bollywood Dancers

Everyone got up and danced

After the speeches

Thank you everyone who made it on the night and to the helpers - you guys are wonderful!

Some of the helpers doing a great job!

The gorgeous girls taking sales.

The retail shop (some of Humna's and my work)

Retail shop.

We set up a retail shop in one of the side rooms. You can purchase all sorts of pieces by Humna, ceramics by me and even a DVD of Nick's video that is in the show.

All the photos used in this blog were provided by Tanti Lovell. Thanks Tanti for capturing the night on camera for us!!

Clay Day

2010-07-30T21:52:00.010+09:30

My demo

A few weekends ago I had a really nice afternoon hanging out with Humna and some of her closest friends. We had a beautiful lunch, followed by some fun with clay. I gave a quick demo and then everyone had a go. Mandi Whitten captured the day on camera. I thought I would share some of her photos with you...

Guiding Sarah

Love that smile (the joy of pottery)!

Guiding

We've all made one of these at some stage!

Humna's creation.

Nick

Pinch pot

Lots of pinch pots!

The other task for the day was to make as many of these pinch pots as possible for the opening night of Elements. You will have to come along to find out their significance!

Elements Promo Video

2010-07-19T14:25:00.006+09:30

It's not long now till the launch of our SALA exhibition 'Elements'! Nick Graalman has put together a promo video to give you a taste of what's been happening and what's to come! You can view the video here on youtube.

The excitement is definitely rising. The exhibition will be in Humna Mustafa's home studio. On the opening night you can expect to see great art (ceramic and video), try some delicious food and wine, watch Humna painting her henna body art, I will be doing some wheel throwing and there will be many surprises too! I so hope you can make it! The details are:

Elements

Dates:
Opening night: 7 August 5-8pm
Open studio days: 13-15 August, 5-9pm
Closing night + artist talks: 21 August, 5-9pm

Venue:
Diya Studio
91 Sydenham Road, Norwood, SA 5067

Artists:
Humna Mustafa, Nick Graalman & Erin Lykos

Opening Speaker:
Annette Tripodi
(Operations and Program Manager, WOMADelaide)

kiln Packed and Ready To Go!

2010-07-13T20:10:00.005+09:30

We loaded a combined bisque kiln today in the studio. The bottom was packed tight and the higher we got, the looser it got. I used to love watching Lincoln Kirby-Bell pack a kiln when he was in the studio - it was a work of art.

This is the size kiln I need at home. If you know of any for sale, please let me know!

Shhhh....

2010-07-10T21:35:00.006+09:30

Have you ever wondered what's going on in the room next door? Well, I hope none of the staff from the (undisclosed) motel reads this... but this is what I've been doing over the last couple of days...

Father's Day Mug

2010-07-10T20:18:00.004+09:30

Wishing he was fishing mug

Father's Day is still a little way off, but I thought I'd get in early (so that people can place personalised orders if they like!). This is a mug I was recently commissioned to do for someone's birthday. If you would like one, contact me directly. I'm planning to make some standard mugs (with no name). I'll let you know once I have them in the shops.

Other side of mug

Fish detail

I can also make other designs, such as with other sports and hobbies - the sky is the limit. Contact me with your ideas!

Photomedia Exhibition

2010-07-09T18:09:00.007+09:30

Light Square Gallery's latest exhibition, simply titled 'New Work', features three photographers: Danielle Walpole, Edward James and Jen Brazier. I don't see many photography exhibitions, so it was great to see something new.

Jen Brazier, Menace

Edward James, Black Sky Blue

Danielle Walpole, Reminiscence

My favourite was Danielle's series Reminiscence. I love the way she has captured a moment in time. As I was viewing the images I could almost feel the sun shining on my arm (even in the middle of winter). Beautiful.

I'd love to invest in a good camera and get some lessons!

If you want to catch the show, the details are:

Light Square Gallery
Adelaide College of the Arts, TAFESA
39 Light Square, Adelaide

It runs until 22 July 2010

There's even some comfy seats in the center of the gallery for you to sit!

Farewell Ferro

2010-07-05T19:35:00.003+09:30

Ok, no pictures with this one (it would be a sad face). Just a little announcement to any potter/ceramist who hasn't heard yet... Our beloved Ferro has closed down. No more Ferro Frits and no more 271d glaze! What am I going to do??? I called Max at Clayworks today and they are working on a new glaze. I see lots of glaze testing in my future! If anyone has any suggestions for a good, reliable glaze that fits MFQ, please let me know!

And the Winner is...

2010-07-04T22:46:00.010+09:30

Friday night was the opening of the 2010 South Australian Ceramics Award, which was judged by Gerry Wedd this year. The Award started back in 1986 and this is the ninth award since it began. The winning artist receives a prize of $2000 and the South Australian state gallery also chooses a piece for its collection.

Prue Gramp, Jeff Mincham and Gerry Wedd during the speeches
(ok not a great shot - but I was near the back!)

The show was opened with an interesting speech by Jeff Mincham about the history of the award and where ceramics is today. Then Gerry followed with the announcement of the prize winners. The Award this year went to Helen Fuller for her piece 3 Pot(s).

The winning piece '3 Pot(s)' by Helen Fuller

The state gallery chose a piece by Stephanie James-Manttan (Impressed Vessel) and a group of pieces by Maria Parmenter (Telling Tales). I went through the JamFactory design associateship with both of these talented women, so that was very exciting!

Steph James-Manttan and Maria Parmenter

There was a great turnout and it was a very enjoyable night with beautiful work and a chance to catch up with wonderful potters and artists!
Some of the other ceramists in the show include: Philip Hart, Silvia Stansfield, Leo Neuhofer, Angela Walford, John Ferguson, Jane Sabey, Merrilyn Stock, Jane Robertson, Kirsten Coelho, Gus Clutterbuck, Alison Arnold, Jane Burbidge and me!

Angela Walford with her wall pieces 'Journey'

Oh, I guess I should give you the details (in case you couldn't make it on the opening night):

South Australian Ceramic Award
2-24 July 2010

Adelaide Central Gallery
45 Osmond Terrace, Norwood
Ph: 08) 8364 2809
Open: M-F 9am - 5pm, Sat 11am - 4pm

'A Parliament of Owls' by Merrilyn Stock.

The Parks

2010-07-01T23:16:00.007+09:30

Today I had the pleasure of visiting The Parks Community Center's pottery studio. My friend Sunshine GB March is the potter in residence there at the moment. I went in to have a look and to share some decoration tips!

People at the Parks ceramic studio (Sunshine's on the right).

It was my first time at the Parks Centre. It felt like I was walking into a secret little community, which is so close to home, but somehow I never knew about it! How could that be - in little Adelaide? How great is it to have such a facility open to the community! For $6.70 the public can use the studio for 3 hours, which includes firing their work and some guidance by the lovely Sunshine.

If you're interested, check out their website and call the office for more info.

The Pottery Wheels.

Don't forget the South Australian Ceramic Award is opening tomorrow night. (Adelaide Central Gallery, 45 Osmond Terrace, Norwood, 6-8pm). It only happens every 2-3 years. Should be a great night. Everyone is welcome!

More pieces

2010-06-29T22:29:00.007+09:30

Here are a couple of the pieces I finished trimming ready for Humna to decorate.

Below is the latest piece for our SALA exhibition, Elements. With this freezing weather, everything is taking so long to dry. This piece was left uncovered for 3 days to be firm enough to trim.

Teawares

2010-06-29T21:44:00.006+09:30

Prue Venables, White Cup and Saucer with tea infuser, 2010

The latest JamFactory exhibition Teawares is just beautiful! There are many artist/designers showing work from around Australia in the areas of furniture, ceramics and metal. Some of the artists include Prue Venables, Stephanie James-Manttan, Bruce Nuske, Jane Robertson, Sarah O'Sullivan, Sandra Black and Christian Hall. It was a great opening on Friday night. If you're in the area, I would definitely recommend having a look.

Steph James-Manttan with her work on the opening night.

There's also a couple of really good jewellery exhibitions on at the Jam.
In Gallery 2 : Dreams of Arcadia, new jewellery by Stephen Gallagher.
In the Atrium: Gray Street Workshop tenants.

The exhibitions run till 25th July.

Check out my friend Angela's blog for lots more photos.

The Frauleins at Urban Cow

2010-06-23T19:41:00.006+09:30

Frauleins Orchard is an exhibition currently showing in the Urban Cow Studio upstairs gallery. I went on the opening night, but it was so crowded I couldn't see the work - so I went back in today. What a sweet show! There is a variety of jewellery, painting and illustration from some very talented South Australian artists. It's definitely worth a look, but you better be quick - it concludes on the 28th June.

The artists include: Georgia Gabrielle, Naomi Murrell, Elisa Mazzone, Katrina Weber, Anna Creasy, Ruby Chew, Peta Alannah Chigwidden and Joelie Croser.

Still on the Wheel

2010-06-21T23:48:00.012+09:30

Elements exhibition piece, still wet on the wheel.

SALA is fast approaching and the excitement is rising for our exhibition 'Elements' . Humna, Nick and I met on Thursday to work on the show. Nick is a video artist and filmed Humna painting my hands with henna. I then threw some tiny bowls with my hands painted. It was all captured on film! I haven't seen the results yet, but I can't wait. We are going to use the tiny bowls for a very special Pakistani treat on the opening night. You will have to come along to try it! We had a very entertaining day, which ended with Nick having a go on the pottery wheel (image below). And yes - we did do the wheel throwing in Humna's living room!!! And no - we didn't cover her house with terracotta (which was a surprise)!

Nick having a go at throwing.

Today I've been working on some very special pieces for Humna to paint. They are all made out of Bennett's Terracotta, which is dug from the Adelaide Hills. It is such a nice clay to throw with. After using MFQ for so long, it felt so easy! I really love Humna's idea behind the work. Each piece will represent a person in her family. The shapes are based on traditional pottery from the Pakistani culture. Most of the shapes are quite new to me and I am really enjoying the challenge.

Elements, the first piece.

This second piece is married to the first and is smaller.

Tomorrow I will trim these pieces and finish them off (hopefully they'll dry enough in this weather). I can't wait to see how they look once Humna's decorated them!

Big Things

2010-06-16T22:57:00.006+09:30

Guy Ringwood has joined the JamFactory ceramic studio as an access tenant. He loves throwing big stuff! My specialty is small things, so it will be nice to watch him work. Today he helped James with this piece - 30kg of clay. Considering the most I've thrown is 3.5kg, I think that's pretty impressive!!!

Adelaide - Why Would You Live Anywhere Else?

2010-06-15T22:21:00.003+09:30

Ok, there are many reason's to live elsewhere... but there are also many reason's to live here! And this is just one:

My view after work today.

A Little Ray of Sunshine

2010-06-15T21:16:00.013+09:30

Trinity Beach

It was so nice to escape the freezing winter weather in Adelaide and spend 10 days in gorgeous Cairns (one of my favourite places in Australia). Every day was like a perfect summer day. I think it will have to become a regular winter destination! I had a great time with family and friends, shopping, walking along the stunning beaches, exploring the rainforest around Mossman Gorge, fishing, Go-Kart racing and looking at galleries. I even found a gallery to sell my work while I was there. Does that mean the trip is tax deductible?? You can now find my work in the Cairns Regional Gallery gift shop (the main gallery in Cairns).

Below are some pictures from the trip:

The Cairns Regional Gallery

Port Douglas

The cutest little church - St Mary's By the Sea, Port Douglas.

Mossman Gorge

Mossman Rainforest

The Week Just Been

2010-06-05T12:16:00.009+09:30

What a great week! I feel like I haven't done a lot, but achieved heaps somehow. I received my acceptance letter for the 2010 South Australian Ceramic Award! Gerry Wedd is the judge this year. What an honour, to be showing my work along side some of South Australia's most prominent ceramists.

I also met Susie Chapmann from the Murray Bridge Regional Gallery and they have taken on two of my production ranges to sell through their gift shop! It is a newly renovated gallery and shop and I've been told by quite a few people how impressive it is. Susie gave me a copy of their latest exhibition catalogue for 'Blokes and their BBQ's' - and I have to say it was one of the best and most creative catalogues I've seen. The state gallery even kept a copy to archive. There is also an exhibition of work from some of the JamFactory associates. Many of my friends have been included. It seems like a great time to take a trip to Murray Bridge!

I attended the Frauleins Orchard exhibition opening at Urban Cow on Wednesday night. It was so crowded that I didn't actually get to see any of the art work! But next time I'm in, I'll have a better look and hopefully post some images. There are some very talented artists showing in this exhibition, which runs for the month of June.

SALA (South Australian Living Artist) month is almost here! I'm in an exhibition with the very talented artist and wonderful friend Humna Mustafa and video artist Nick Graalman. The show is called 'Elements' and it will be presented in Humna's studio and home. Humna and I are collaborating on some ceramic pieces, which I will share with you over the next few weeks leading up to big fortnight!! She is also experimenting with body art, photogaphy, video and performance. This is going to be huge and looks like it will be a really beautiful and unique exhibition! Will tell you more details soon...

Above is an image of the first terracotta bowls I made this week. Humna will be decorating them with her beautiful henna patterns. I've used Bennett's terracotta, which is dug from the Adelaide Hills.

Footy Season

2010-06-01T00:07:00.005+09:30

For all the football nuts -

Exclusively available at the Urban Cow. They have the Crows and Port Power in stock. Other teams can be ordered!

Urban Cow Studio

2010-05-25T18:15:00.010+09:30

One of my favourite shops in Adelaide would have to be Urban Cow Studio. They have such a great variety of quality handmade gifts, that it's easy to find something for anyone's taste. I love the fact that everything is locally made in South Australia. They also have a great little gallery space, which I had the pleasure of exhibiting in last year.

Urban Cow has been nominated by Tourism SA as the best retail tourist destination in South Australia. Which I think is well deserved. Below is a little blurb about the shop. I'd definitely recommend going and having a look!

Urban Cow Studio has been a mecca for artists and art lovers for the past 17 years. Currently displaying artwork from over 150 South Australian artists and designers it is a visual feast for the senses with a new surprise around every corner.

The 3 downstairs rooms are filled to the brim with designer jewellery, handmade ceramics and glassware, paintings, illustration, sculpture, textiles, tshirts and hoodies (home of the infamous South Australian "Heaps Good", "Magic Mountain" & "Adelaide's Got Balls" tshirts).

Take time to wander upstairs to the gallery which showcases a new exhibition each month (opening evening the 1st Wednesday of each month). Some people describe Urban Cow as the best giftshop in Australia.... but it is much, much, more.

These spotty mugs are just one of the products I sell through Urban Cow.

I have been making the official Urban Cow ceramic range for 3 1/2 years now. Check out the huge range of bowls and platters in store. Each piece is handmade and decorated - meaning customers can order their own unique gift - with names, dates, special colours and unique details. Because they are made from scratch, you need to allow 4-6 weeks in the busy times. So order well ahead of time!!

Here are some recent customer orders:

Urban Cow Studio
11 Frome St
Adelaide SA 5000
PH: (08) 8232 6126
www.urbancow.com.au (join our cool mailing list) or find us on Facebook.

The best gift shop & gallery for all things handmade in Adelaide.

OPENING HOURS:
Mon-Thurs: 10-6pm
Fri: 10-9pm
Sat: 10-5pm
Sun 12-5pm

MIFSA Art Exhibition Opening Night

2010-05-18T21:58:00.010+09:30

My sister Kylie and I attended the opening of the MIFSA art exhibition tonight as part of Schizophrenia Awareness Week. It was a really good show, with 260 pieces on display! Lots of variety and talent to see. I wish I could have bought something. Some of the paintings were hung in an interesting way, which I have never seen done before. They were hung from rafters and the display itself looked like a piece of art work.

Jane Doyle (patron of MIFSA) officially opened the show with a very encouraging speech. Congratulations to all the prize winners. Kylie and I had so much fun doing this collaborative piece - we look forward to working together in the future!

China Artist Residency

2010-05-13T22:51:00.024+09:30

Well, the Helpmann Academy China artist residency is happening again! A couple of my good friends have been selected for the trip this year - Georgia Gabrielle and Wayne Mcara. I am so excited for them, because I know how awesome the experience will be. I wish i was going too... (it could happen)!?

Anyway, all the excitement has brought back many fond memories. So I thought I would post the article I wrote for the Helpmann magazine and some photos from my trip in 2008:

Jingdezhen Pottery Workshop Residency

Ancient Kiln Site. L-R: Sarah Rothe, Prue Gramp, Erin Lykos, Peter Johnson

In September and October 2008 Peter Johnson, Prue Gramp, Sarah Rothe and I travelled to Jingdezhen (China’s Porcelain Capital) to take part in the Helpmann Academy’s six-week residency program. This opportunity is offered biannually and is open to recent visual art graduates and lecturers from the Helpmann Academy partner schools. As an emerging ceramic artist nearing the end of my two year career development associateship in JamFactory’s ceramic studio, I felt this was a fantastic opportunity to further my skills and gain knowledge and inspiration for my future art practice. I was also fortunate in receiving financial assistance from Arts SA towards airfares and expenses.

Jingdezhen is an amazing place to visit for anyone, but for a potter it is a dream. It is considered a small town, with a population of 1.5 million, and has been devoted to pottery for about 1700 years!

The Pottery Workshop grounds

The Jingdezhen Pottery Workshop was established in 2005 by Caroline Cheng on the site of an old National Porcelain Company, The Sculpture Factory. Internationally respected potter Takeshi Yasuda is the Workshop Director and has over 30 years experience in ceramics.

The Experimental Workshop is surrounded by hundreds of independent artists and craftsmen with every kind of ceramic skill; clay producers, throwers, sculptors, mould makers, jigger jolly workers, stamp makers, blue and white decorators, overglaze decorators, glaze and colour shops, decal makers, underglaze transfer makers, kiln firing workshops and brush makers. I could never have imagined such a place existed.

Women printing in an underglaze transfer factory. (OH&S was not a huge concern.)

When I first arrived I was stunned by the amount of ceramic practice. Pottery is a way of life in Jingdezhen. The first week was spent visiting many ceramic supply shops, factories and tool shops. We collected many materials and products not available in Australia. At first it was hard to know where to start, because the possibilities seemed to be endless. I realised Jingdezhen is a place you could easily visit more than once.

The local ceramists work differently to the way we create in Australia. In Jingdezhen each person does only one part of the ceramic process. Due to this intense practice and generations of passed down knowledge, the local artisans have become exceptional at what they do. The Sculpture Factory is a big community with each studio doing a part of the process. Many international artists work with the ceramists in Jingdezhen to produce pieces that could not be made anywhere else.

Our group participated in over-glaze enamel workshops and under-glaze blue and white workshops. Jingdezhen is famous for blue and white decoration. The decorator’s skill and mastery of the brush is something to aspire to. Prue, Sarah and I arranged ongoing calligraphy classes with a local master. These classes were fantastic in teaching us how to use the brush, some basic Mandarin and history about their written language.

Big Pot Factory, Jingdezhen

We were kept very busy visiting fascinating places such as the Large Pot Factory where the craftsmen produce hand thrown pots measuring up to 8 metres in height. There are many historic sites to visit such as the ancient dragon kiln, where craftsmen still use ancient techniques. For example, the wheel throwers still use a stick to spin the pottery wheel. We also climbed Yellow Mountain and watched a traditional Chinese opera.

Wheel thrower using ancient techniques

Before arriving at the residency I was looking forward to meeting local artists and masters, not realising the fantastic opportunity I would have to also meet other international ceramists. We met ceramists from England, Austria, Germany, Switzerland, Denmark, Norway, England, India, Canada, America, Israel and fellow Australians. It was a great opportunity to discuss ideas, swap techniques and talk about ceramics.

Every Friday night, the Pottery Workshop invites a resident artist to present a lecture. These free lectures are very well attending by local students who are eager to learn and gain insight into ceramic practise outside of China. Sarah Rothe and I delivered a combined lecture about the JamFactory and our own art practices. At the end of the lecture there was a time for questions. The students were very enthusiastic and many of the questions were interesting and surprising.

Students painting in the town of Yaoli

We were fortunate to be in Jingdezhen for their International Ceramic Fair. Our group from Adelaide was invited to present work in a Porcelain Jewellery exhibition. It was exciting to be included in the event. A four day ceramic market was held in the court yard of the Pottery Workshop. There were fun activities such as a wheel throwing competition and live music.

My six weeks in Jingdezhen was a truly fantastic experience. I learnt so much about ceramic production and Chinese culture. I took with me an abundance of information, techniques, materials and inspiration which I will use throughout my ceramic career. The people I met were fantastic. I would thoroughly recommend this experience for any artist, especially ceramists. I would like to thank the Helpmann Academy and Arts SA for this fantastic opportunity!

Yellow Mountain - such a beautiful place. We climbed 7km of steep stairs.

Mothers Day Gift Ideas

2010-05-06T22:14:00.012+09:30

Well, Mothers Day is just around the corner and, while you can give your mum a gift any day of the year to show your appreciation of all that she does, I'm pretty sure she'll be expecting something on Sunday! Why not get her something uniquely hand crafted and locally made!?

Here's some ideas that I've been working on:

Colourful mugs
- available at the Urban Cow

Printed heart brooches (contact me)

Printed Tea Bowl (also available in other styles)
-available Urban Cow (SA), Hahndorf Academy (SA),
Old Bakery Gallery (NSW), Form (WA)

Printed oil pourer (also available in Spotty and Colourful ranges)
-available at Urban Cow and Pepper Street Art Centre (SA)

Spotty Mugs (range of colours)
- available at Urban Cow, Pepper Street Art Centre and Old Bakery Gallery

Spotty tea bowls
- available at Urban Cow, Pepper Street, Hahndorf Academy and Old Bakery Gallery

Urban Cow range bowls.
Why not get your mum something that's uniquely her!?
There are so many bowls to choose from.

Here are some (just to name a few):

- My mum is bewdiful (or beautiful)
-The kitchen was her heaven
- She was one hot disco mama (??? some mums are!?)
- Me, My mum
- She couldn't resist a bargain
- She shopped till she dropped

I can also do personalised pieces. Ok, it's a bit late for this year, but maybe for her birthday? Order something personal through the Urban Cow or contact me directly.

Hope your mum has a wonderful day - she deserves it!

Something a Bit Different

2010-04-27T23:55:00.004+09:30

My sister Kylie is a very talented creative writer, specialising in poetry. She recently asked me to collaborate with her on a creative piece to be included in an exhibition for Schizophrenia Awareness Week 2010 (16th-22nd May). Her idea was that we would combine poetry and painting on a canvas. Here is what we came up with:

Captivating Butterfly

How pleasurable life would be,
to sail graceful and free.
Descending only where is safe to lie;
alluring as a beautiful butterfly.

~ Kylie Harrison (March 2010)

Fresh from the Kiln

2010-04-22T21:06:00.010+09:30

One of my favourite moments of being a potter is opening the kiln, especially when I have created brand new work that's never been seen before. I stayed up half the night on Tuesday monitoring a kiln (which seems to be a regular occurrence these days), but it was all worth it yesterday when I opened the kiln to a perfect firing! It was filled with a mixture of work, including brand new exhibition pieces, wedding platter orders for the Urban Cow, general production work and some very sweet pieces that my 7-year-old niece Emily made while she stayed with us.

340 Grams Exhibition

340 Grams is an exhibition for members of the Australian Ceramic Association and will be presented during Clay Energy, Gulgong (28th April - 2 May, 2010). The brief was to take 340g of wet clay (the weight of a normal issue of The Journal of Australian Ceramics) and make it into a bowl or sculpture.

I decided to represent South Australia with our state's floral emblem (very patriotic) - Sturt's Desert Pea. It is such an unusual plant and, unless you're into flora, many people interstate have never heard of it before.

I also made this stack of tiny bottles (just for fun):

Each bottle was wheel thrown and joined together while still wet. I decorated it using underglaze stains, decals and gold luster.

Going back to the topic of South Australia - here is wedding platter (detail) I just finished with another unique SA icon - the Balfours' Frog Cake. They use to be a childhood favourite of mine, but they're a bit sweet these days! I really enjoyed painting this one.

Last, but not least, I gave my niece Emily a handful of clay and told her to make whatever she liked. This is what she came up with (a portrait of her auntie):

Love it!

The New Website

2010-04-21T12:08:00.005+09:30

Finally, after two years in the making (or as least on my ‘to-do' list), I can announce my website is up and running!

You can now visit:
www.erin.lykos.com.au

I want to say a huge THANK YOU to Jonathan Lykos (web programmer) for the many hours he put in and his friend Soot who designed the site. They are great to work with and I would highly recommend them.

Any feedback or suggestions you have about the website will be much appreciated.
Thanks for looking!

All in a Days Work

2010-04-19T17:30:00.007+09:30

Well it's official – I’m back at the JamFactory! I have a small studio space in the centre of the workshop. No more frostbite on the back verandah for me this winter! It feels a bit strange (after working on my own for 16 months), but it’s great to see the old gang again and be part of such a creative environment. Here’s my new home away from home:

Today I had a good view of the studio's Terra Australis production range mugs to inspire me. As always I've got so many ideas (too many), as well as a few commissions on the go and I'm starting to make a group of pieces to sell in a new outlet in Sydney! So with no time to waste, I got stuck into it. Here is today's effort drying in the sun:

Now that I'm a bit more centrally located, it will be easier for you to find me. I'm in the ceramic studio on the second floor. Feel free to visit if you're in the neighbourhood!

Art For Buyers Website

2010-04-14T13:11:00.008+09:30

Today I was invited to be included on the Art for Buyers website.

It is a website specifically for retail outlets and galleries around the world to find artists. So I thought I'd give it a go!

You can view my page here.

Madeit Store

2010-04-12T22:08:00.006+09:30

I've finally done it! I've put some work online. My store isn't quite finished yet, but I've put 2 pieces for sale on www.madeit.com.au. Madeit is an online store for Australian handmade products. My store name is ErinLykosCeramics. Please take a look and pass on the invite to anyone you think would be interested! I will keep working on my store over the next week.

You can visit my store here.

Old Bakery Gallery, Lane Cove

2010-04-08T23:22:00.003+09:30

Today I visited an outlet I supply in Sydney, Old Bakery Gallery, for the first time. It was a really nice little shop and it was great to chat with the owner, John, who I met at the ceramic conference last July. Here's a photo of my work on display:

Adelaide Fringe Awards Night 2010

2010-03-15T00:27:00.004+10:30

Invisible Red Threads was nominated for a Fringe Award!! Me and my sister attended the awards ceremony tonight at HQ and it was very entertaining.

There's us up on the big screen!

Congratulations to Format Festival who won our section.

I'd like to say a huge thank you to Christie Anthony and the Fringe staff for all the work they put into Fringe 2010. Congratulations!

Markets at Hahndorf

2010-03-13T22:35:00.004+10:30

We had a really nice night at hahndorf and I sold some pottery. Humna was next to me doing henna, which was very popular! Got to see some friends I haven't seen in a while and got a few commissions too! Thanks to everyone who could make it! Here are some photos from the night...

Hahndorf Markets

2010-03-03T15:11:00.004+10:30

I've been babysitting, organising birthday celebrations and tour guiding this week, and every other available minute trying to get some stock together for this market in the Hahndorf Academy gardens. It's one night only - Friday 12th March from 6-9pm. Sounds like it's going to be a fun night. I'll be selling some brand new work at wholesale prices! Please come and also forward the invite to friends, family and anyone who you think would be interested! Would love to see you there...

Invisible Red Threads opening night!

2010-02-20T23:05:00.004+10:30

The much anticipated 'Invisible Red Threads' exhibition opened on Wednesday night (18 months in the making) as part of the Adelaide Fringe Festival 2010! I had such a great night with friends and family.

In September and October 2008, Sarah Rothe, Prue Gramp, Peter Johnson and I were selected by the Helpmann Academy to attend an artist residency in Jingdezhen, China for 6 weeks. This exhibition is a reflection of that incredible experience. We also invited 4 artists from Jingdezhen to sent work over to be included in the show - Lingling Yu, Chenchen Shen, Derek Au and Wang Hao.

Thanks for everyone who made it.

If you couldn't make it on the opening night, you can still catch the show till 11th March.
Here are the details:

Event: Invisible Red Threads
Open from 17th February - 11th March
Gallery: Light Square Gallery
Address: 39 Light Square, Adelaide
Opening hours: Monday to Friday 9am - 5pm.

Some articles about Invisible Red Threads

2010-02-17T15:21:00.005+10:30

Well, tonight's the night!
Here are some articles about the exhibition. Take a look:

Glam Adelaide

Arts SA bulletin

Hope to see you there!

And so it begins...

2010-02-16T17:12:00.003+10:30

Hmm, where do I start. All the way back in 2001! That's the year I was accepted at AC Arts, the brand new Arts TAFE in Adelaide. I enrolled thinking I'd be a painter. But as soon as I touched clay I was addicted! With clay, the possibilities are endless. You can combine it with painting, drawing, photography, mixed media, printing, jewellery, pretty much anything. You can use it for functional pieces or sculpture.

My preferred technique is wheel throwing. It becomes quite meditative. At the moment I make three main production ranges which sell in shops around South Australia and one in New South Wales. And I aim to keep building my business to have an outlet in each state of Australia (one day). I have a small kiln (which isn't big enough) and an even tinier test kiln (both electic) and 2 pottery wheels.

I exhibit mainly in South Australia, but have also been part of group exhibitions in New South Wales. I have an exhibition opening tomorrow night as part of the Adelaide Fringe Festival 2010:

Invisible Red Threads
Light Square Gallery
from 6-8pm

Will tell you more about it later...

Ok, I think that's enough for my first post!