First published 12 October 2016.

Ring 2 $250 available for purchase on the Makers store, Page 2. 

The focus show for October 2016 at Makers Gallery was Cathy Keys’ Sea Shells. The works are thoughtful, beautiful and sentimental: the collection inspired by Keys’ love of the complex geometries of worn and broken shell fragments on the sands of South East Queensland.

We caught up with Cathy to talk about her practice.

What do you enjoy most about working as a ceramic artist? 

Being able to pursue an idea and a form in a deep and slow way and using my hands to incrementally craft a beautiful thing from a cool, raw piece of clay.

What separates your work from the work of other ceramic artists? 

I coil.  I have developed a form of hand-building with clay that generates sculptural forms through the incremental layering and weaving of small clay coils. I design my surfaces so that the coils are retained and integral to the finished piece, enhancing and drawing attention to the lines made when these rolls of clay touch.

What are your favourite materials to work with and why? 

I prefer a heavily grogged clay—something with body.  I want a clay with a strong personality that can handle being pushed a little beyond its limits.

I do work with finer clay bodies, but my temperament and hands prefer a clay with some robustness and forgiveness. I also prefer quite simple oxides, utilising one or two raw materials plus water.

Why do you believe ceramics are eco-friendly?

I like the life cycle of ceramics—from the earth—back to the earth.

I’ve heard that you draw inspiration from landscapes where you have had significant experiences. Can you tell me more about this? 

I find great peace in natural and wildish environments and have places that have great personal meaning to me where I walk and return to regularly throughout a calendar year.  This walking is often solitary, and fundamental to my arts practice and well-being.

In terms of my arts practice, I have an informal process where I allow some days to connect with the place, the season and myself. Before long, something ‘speaks’ to me and without consciously meaning to, I sort of hone in on it—this could be a natural form, a quality of light, a type of tree. I then seek out examples of this phenomena and use silence, photography, journaling and drawing to make detailed observations.

I have an intellectual thread in my work and I will often come back from these trips fired up to do some research about the phenomena or an idea that is starting to germinate as a result of my experiences.

Back in my studio, I will also make design drawings.  As I am making with the wet clay, in the slow gentle process of hand-building, I mentally return to the place of inspiration, and when I have pulled it off, I understand my sculptures to be literally holding memory. I love being near my sculptures when I am not in those places because they immediately take me back there—a sort of short-hand time-travel.

How has working with Aboriginal communities influenced your work? 

Perhaps the biggest single influence of working in Aboriginal communities, aside from the privilege of meeting some extraordinary people and seeing some of the most beautiful desert landscapes in the world, was the drive to make time for my artistic expression. Rather than study material culture, I wanted to make it—to be an active creative agent in the recording of my own culture.

While doing research in remote desert communities of Central Australia in the mid to late 1990s, I was lucky enough to work alongside a number of extremely gifted Aboriginal women artists and I was inspired by the way they made time for their arts practice despite, often, extreme physical conditions with minimal resources and space and sometimes quite challenging social pressures on their time. I thought if they can do it, I can. So, I took my arts practice seriously, and here we are.

If you could take your practice anywhere in the world, where would you go?

Here. South East Queensland. Australia.  I am doing my practice in the best place in the world for me.

Why do you like having your work displayed in Makers Gallery?

I’ve had some time off and aside from having my work displayed in amongst some absolutely stunning ceramics by other Australian artists, Stephanie [Director of Makers Gallery] was fundamental to the launching of my ceramics practice. It seems right to be returning with Makers.

What’s the next step in your career?

I am working towards a major solo exhibition at Makers in October next year, so will be working on a large body of ceramics for that—but, I also have more recently been spending time drawing, so I am aiming to complement the sculptural works with some works on paper…..we’ll see!

Featured pieces:

Coiled Clay Wasp Nest Wall Piece $250 available here. 

Hand-pinched and Constructed Bunya Cone $430 available here. 

For show updates, like Makers Gallery on Facebook.

First published 12 September 2016.

Mug $50 available for purchase on the Makers store. 

Check out Grant Hodges’ ceramics exhibition ALIVE AND STILL at Makers Gallery in Clayfield. The works in the exhibition—cups, pots and bowls—are gentle, unassuming and undeniably unforgettable.

Grant Hodges loves to work with clay. It’s like therapy for him. The pieces he makes, he makes for himself. Grant considers himself lucky not to have to make a living out of ceramics. Yet, he’d like to work with clay more often. He loves being a part of the clay community.

Grant has a unique approach. He doesn’t strategise…he doesn’t overthink. He dives right in, working spontaneously and intuitively.

What are your favourite materials to work with and why? 

Clay, wood and fire. The alchemy of transforming mud with fire into functional objects is a constant inspiration.

Where do you draw inspiration from? 

From the natural environment mostly, but also the clay itself.

Wood Fire Vase $375 available for purchase on the Makers store. 

Why are you looking forward to having your work displayed in Makers Gallery? 

Steph [ceramic artist and Director of Makers Gallery] has always been a great supporter of my arts practice. Makers Gallery is a beautiful space and having the work so well documented by Tony [in-house photographer] is an added bonus.

Although I make the work for me, it is nice to get feedback and see what other people think.

What’s the next step in your career? Do you have a clear goal in mind? A dream project? 

I’m about to move my studio which involves dismantling and rebuilding large wood kilns. This is really daunting, but so exciting. I have been using the same kilns for over 12 years now. I’m keen to experiment with some new ideas.

Featured pieces:

Wood Fire Stoneware, Ash Glaze, Thrown and Distorted $450 available here. 

Wood Fired vase $195 available here. 

Online store images by Tony Webdale.

ALIVE AND STILL ran until the end of September 2016 at Makers Gallery. Grant also gave a talk and answered questions about his work and practice Sunday 18 September 2016. 

By Makers Gallery.

It’s hard to believe it’s already Christmas time. 2020 certainly threw a spanner in the works, forcing us to operate differently and try things we perhaps wouldn’t have done otherwise. We ran a series of online and onsite small-scale solo exhibitions as part of Interim Conversations, unfortunately without our beloved opening event nights, but we have our fingers crossed for them to return in the coming years. We’ve housed a huge collection of incredible work, all with different stories and personalities, most recently from Moraig McKenna, Ever Ceramics (Jules C), Daniel Garretson, John James, Avi Amesbury, Yoshi Takahashi, Cathy Keys, Joanne Braddy, Russell French, Megan Puls, Julian King Salter and Roshni Senapati. With times being tough and as we’ve had to limit visiting capacity, we still have many works from these artists sitting in the gallery waiting for new homes this Christmas. We’d really appreciate it if you could take a moment to have a look at our online store.

You may have noticed that this year we shifted our focus to operating online. We hope you love the look of our website and the gallery’s professional photography by Tony Webdale. Did you know Tony is also the man behind our website?

Recently, we also ran a few of our postponed workshops when it was finally safe to do so and organised an exciting 2021 workshop schedule at Black Sheep Coffee for between February and June. For that person in your life who loves the gift of an experience, we can pre-arrange a spot. Message our social media or contact Stephanie 0417 886 185 to find the perfect workshop experience to gift this Christmas.

We also have gift cards which can be used across the entire range of work on our store.

As for the friends, colleagues, clients, neighbours, Secret Santas and family who like special things, please read on for our 2020 Christmas gift guide.

John James Treat Box

A sweet gift for under the tree paired with a selection of their favourite treats… or put it straight onto the Christmas table full of rum balls and chocolate biscuits.

Price: $40.

Where from? Makers Gallery, Clayfield. Open as a one-stop-shop for Christmas gifts and stocking stuffers every Wednesday in December leading up to Christmas between 10am and 3pm. Works from John James have been loaded onto the online store, so you can also buy the Treat Box here.

For the Nature-lover

Unique pieces inspired by nature made by Lyn Bates and Shannon Garson.

Price: Baskets by Lyn Bates (pictured above, left column) $120, bowls $50. Wheel-thrown porcelain bowls by Shannon Garson (right column) $70 – $90, piece with pouring lip $180.

Where from? On-site at Makers Gallery and online — we have made separate pages for Shannon and Lyn.

Laura Pascoe Shots

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One for you and one for your friend so you can enjoy a drink together. Could this be the grown-up version of a friendship bracelet?

Price: $75 for the pair.

Where from? Makers Gallery on-site and online.

Stocking Stuffers

There’s a big drawer of wearable gifts for you to dive into at Makers Gallery.

Prices vary.

Where? These gifts are best visited in-house at Makers Gallery or you can contact Stephanie on 0417 886 185 or info@makersgalleryaustralia.com to discuss your options.

Daniel Garretson Amber Jug

We envision this jug full of Mango Daiquiri on a summer evening (who wants Stephanie’s recipe?) or bearing a generous serve of brandy custard for Christmas pudding.

Price: $80.

Where? Makers Gallery and online. Daniel Garretson’s striking pieces start from $30.

For the Teacher or Nurse

A mug by John James. A vessel for strong coffee that will get them through to midnight and beyond.

Price: $80.

Where from? Makers Gallery on-site and online.

Suvira McDonald Wood fired Bowl

It’s like staring into the universe with dinner.

Price: $75.

Where? On-site at Makers Gallery and online here.

Porcelain Tableware by Avi Amesbury

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Saucers with black and white slip and sgraffito decoration. Who wouldn’t love to get these for Christmas?

If you’re overseas buying for an Australian friend and you’ve missed your mail date, let us know. We can arrange for gifts to be delivered in time for Christmas and we’re more than happy to add tea and a personal note. Just say the word.

Price: $70.

Where from? Makers Gallery on-site and online. There are many lovely pieces in Avi Amesbury’s collection to choose from.

Very Special Gift Sets by Sandy Lockwood

For the whiskey, green tea or sake-drinkers in your life.

Price: Whiskey cups in a box $140 available here. Woodfired and saltglazed green tea set with black stoneware stand $580 here. Sake set $260 here.

Holiday Reading

We stock The Journal of Australian Ceramics. It’s great slipped into a stocking or under the tree paired with a handmade mug (made by a real person!) and a box of your loved one’s favourite tea.

We hope you like our gift ideas. If you’re shopping on our online store, you’re welcome to contact us about adding special gift wrap or a personal note to your order. We’ll also be open every Wednesday in December leading up to Christmas between 10am and 3pm if you’d like to drop in. The address is 53 Jackson Street, Clayfield in Brisbane. It’s quiet, there’s no shopping centre crowds and street parking is free. Please just let us know you’re coming 0417 886 185.

Happy holidays from the Makers team!

Blog post not sponsored.

John James first featured on the Makers Gallery blog in April 2017 as part of Beautiful Table and again in December 2017 for SALON. I have now moved the interviews out of the archive and onto the new blog space. They can be found under From The Archive: John James in SALON and From The Archive: John James, Beautiful Table.  

With all that has happened this year, it was necessary for us to scale back our typical programming and move towards smaller-scale solos. We’ve named this interim period Interim Conversation. John James’ new body of work has arrived and is being shown as a part of this series at Makers Gallery, 53 Jackson Street, Clayfield, Brisbane. COVID-safe measures have been put in place in the gallery and you’re invited to schedule a time with Stephanie to view John James’ work in-person. Alternatively, you can view the body of work online and if you fall in love with something, you can pick it up contact-free from our dedicated pick-up zone. Makers Gallery also delivers both Australia-wide and internationally, and we have a special gift lined up for whoever is our next international customer (from a country we haven’t yet shipped to). 

This year, we’ve continued our mission to grow value and appreciation for contemporary ceramics through showing unique combinations of materials, skills, techniques and knowledge. John James’ work completely embodies all four of these things, so it’s a joy to have his work in the gallery. We’re long-time admirers of John, his incredible wood fired works, his commitment and his passion, and we also greatly appreciate his unwavering support of Makers Gallery.

Makers Gallery is currently home to 71 beautiful pieces by John.

John’s interest lies in creating wood fired tableware made from material local to his home near Warwick in South East Queensland. John James says of wood firing, “it’s exciting, it’s unpredictable and it’s capable of taking the fired pots to another level of beauty and complexity. It can be the heavy ash deposits from anagama-type firings or it can be the more subtle changes from the atmosphere inside a kiln being fired with wood.

When wood is burned there are many volatile materials released in addition to the ash and these act in a similar way to the volatile salts in a salt or soda firing, reacting with the surfaces of the glazes and exposed unglazed parts of the pot.

The design of my kiln means I don’t get a lot of direct ash onto my pots but the wood firing still leaves its mark. Unglazed parts of the pots are toasted in various shades of reds and browns though to almost black depending on the clay body or the slips that have been applied to it. The use of different slips based on various local clays and rock dusts are an important part of my work and I am always testing newfound materials for this. These slips also dramatically alter the ash glazes that are applied over them. The glazes are softened and fluxed by these volatile chemicals being released from the wood, while the constant cycling from oxidizing to reducing atmosphere impacts the colour of the glazes. Stoking the kiln when it is coming up to temperature, the crackle of the wood igniting, the smell of the fire, and the anticipation of what the fire has done to the pots inside, it is a time when you have committed months of work to the final step in its making. It’s a special time.”

We asked John for some further insight into his practice.

What notable sensory experiences have you had while making?

When I am making pots, I enjoy the solitude and rhythm of working on the kick wheel. Quiet and no buzz of motors. Having to glaze my pots at leather hard means I am thinking the pot through from making to glazing without interruption. This helps me focus on what I am trying to achieve with the pots. The wood firing is special for me and I like to do it on my own so I can concentrate. It is the culmination of all that work so there is tension but also great expectation. Sitting listening to the fire and judging when to restoke the fireboxes and watching the kiln slowly gain temperature with the ever-present thoughts of what this firing will deliver. This is always special.

What is surprising or interesting about your use of Diatomaceous earth? 

Diatomaceous rock or earth is a sedimentary rock that formed back in geological time from the skeletons of plankton-like animals called Diatoms. The word dynamite is because Diatomaceous rock is used to stabilise the explosive.

It is almost pure silica and therefore can potentially replace other forms of silica in glazes and clay bodies. Two properties of interest to potters are one, it is amorphous silica (as is opal) as opposed to crystalline silica in quartz. This should mean it will react with other glaze materials more readily without the need for super fine milling for glazes such as the Japanese Nuka glaze.

Two, it absorbs water then shrinks as it dries much like clay. It is used in cat litter for its absorbent properties. This is exciting for me as all my glazes must be formulated to shrink, as they are applied at leather hard and shrink with the pot as it dries.

I have been experimenting with this, trying to get a Nuka glaze which has alluded me so far but with a bit more testing I hope to get there. In the meantime, I have found some other good glazes as I go.

Line blend with increasing Diatomaceous rock form right to left. With careful observation it can be seen that the righthand glaze is more crystalline and more matte, and the glaze becomes progressively more shiny and fluid as you move to the left.

What in your latest work or process was learned from your time as a Biologist? 

I have a love of the natural environment which started in childhood. It is reflected in my pots as they are totally made from local materials. The thought that I can collect local clays, rocks and wood ashes and from these make useful and hopefully beautiful pots, I find amazing and compelling. Potting in this way, I hope produces work that is truly of place and it is up to me to do this justice. My scientific background helps me with understanding the materials I am using and how to systematically test them.

On our property we are trying to regenerate some areas of the local dry vine scrub to bring back some more of the native birds. The “bush vine pattern” that I use on some pots is inspired by this vine scrub.

Do you have hopes for how, where and for what purpose your works will be used? 

As long as they are used and enjoyed. Functional means the pots are handled and this is where the conversation with a pot really happens. I think that it is nice that over time a particular pot becomes linked to a dish and that you go looking for it when you cook this dish. It adds another level of enjoyment to it. Likewise with your favourite coffee mug and breakfast bowl.

I got the sense from our previous interview that cooking is a passion of yours? Do you have a signature or meaningful dish you cook that you can tell us about? 

Yes I like cooking – all sorts of food.

I built a wood fired pizza oven which is great when we cook for a crowd. Christmas is usually 20-plus and we can do a full roast with roast veggies comfortably with the oven, and it does it so well.

What special works do you have in your home?

We use pots from Ian Currie, Gwyn Piggot, Ian McKay, Richard Batterham, Mike Dodd and many more and we love using these. I think it helps inform you as to what makes a functional pot a good pot. I delivered pots to Stephanie the other day and she and friends were having morning tea. The table was covered with handmade pots and was great to see.

What outcomes have arisen from your experiences in 2020? Where do you hope these will take you moving forward? 

More making, more testing, more firing. More of the same but different – it is always evolving and there is always more to explore and learn.

John James’ work as part of Interim Conversation is onsite now at Makers Gallery with responsible viewing measures in place. We have a ‘Conversation Couch’ set up for your comfort.

Viewings are available Monday to Saturday 8am to 6pm by appointment. Call 0417 886 185 or message Stephanie on Makers Gallery’s socials.

Featured pieces:

For a unique gift, a JAJOS1905 Woodfired Juicer.

For morning tea, the JAJOS1910 Woodfired Teapot and JAJOS1917 Lidded Jar.

For Christmas lunch, the JAJOS1915 Serving Dish.

Also available, cups and mugs from $30 and bowls from $50.

Online store images by Tony Webdale.

Other images supplied by John James.

Originally posted December 2017.

John James has works in MAKERS GALLERY as part of SALON, an exhibition running in conjunction with GIVING (10% of sales going to World Vision).

When we last spoke to you, you were based in Warwick. Are you still working from there?

Yes. It is a great place to live and work and for me there is a range of different geologies nearby from which to collect interesting rock dusts, clays and plant ashes to use in my pots.

What is special about Christmas for you?

It’s having the family and friends together to share good food from good pots with nice wine. Grandchildren all excited about Christmas is special too.

We cook Christmas lunch in the pizza oven for about 25 to 30 people with roast pork, roast turkey and trays of beautiful roast veggies. Yum.

Tell us about your works in SALON at MAKERS GALLERY.

I have some teapots, cups and tea bowls in the show. These are all glazed with local rock and ash glazes, and some are made from local clay bodies that I have been developing. Using clay bodies developed from 100 percent local clay and rock is so rewarding and I am trying to create a range of different clay body types at present, from white stoneware, iron speckled stoneware, to very dark high iron stoneware. And they all react with the glazes differently.

What special activities will you do for Christmas?

Cooking. We will make some special cakes and sweets for Christmas. Maybe a panaforte and some Italian zalete biscuits which are made with polenta and flavoured with dried sour cherries soaked in grappa and our finger lime pulp, as the fruit are now ripe.

And there will be backyard cricket and soccer too for the young ones.

Anything else you’d like to say?

Cheers and a very merry, safe Christmas to all at MAKERS and their customers that support this great gallery.

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Looking for last-minute gifts? MAKERS GALLERY has handmade earrings, necklaces, brooches, mugs, ceramic spoons, decorations and gift vouchers*! 

*Gift vouchers can be used to purchase artwork or attend in-house workshops.