Marian Williams, Author at Marian Williams Pottery

2013 – A Great Year For Pottery! A Visual Review!!

I try to remember this…!!!

The head to my totem…I kind of like her better like this…before the firing!

The finished She-Totem, my self portrait!

A visit from Adriana Christianson!!! Top of my list!

Mud Colony Trip to Victoria!!! It was fantabulous!

Good firing results! Good reds!

I always enjoy the view from my studio and my trusty companion, Samantha Scout!

Ronnie graffiti’d my barn! I love that…but, it’s torn down now!

The Helen Charles’ Big Pot Workshop was life-changing!

Rakuing was fun!

Love this glaze- I’m getting there!

The Australian Ceramics Association’s Open Studio Weekend was fantastic! The North Coast Mud Trail allowed me to visit 6 studios!

Ann Lee and the Murwillumbah Pottery Group continue to be awesome. The pit firing was quite successful!

I spent over a month cooking and feeding the crew that repaired the barn – it felt very “Under the Tuscan Sun”!!!

Heidi Ledwell and the gals at the Sheoak Gallery!

Woodfiring! If at first you don’t succeed – try, try again!

Tasting Goanna was a BIG First for me!

Another defining moment in my pottery career! The Malcolm Greenwood Workshop! He is amazing and so generous!

The year in review in pics!

It’s been a great year! Can’t wait to see what 2014 holds in store for me!

Peace out!
Marian

The State Of The Wounded Address

Musings

Seriously! I’m not much of a complainer, but lately I find myself moaning and groaning over pretty much anything and everything! A true real pity party. So, ok, I’m done! Nuf about me!!!

Today is the 50 Year Anniversary of JFKs assassination – what a historic and tumultuous time in which to grow up. But what strides,

Without even being here his influence lives on today!

My accident and resultant lung problems have made me retrospective and introspective and the thought occurred to me- “what if I had died, what good work would I leave behind?”

I think it would have to be my teaching- infusing in others a passion for – well, you can fill in the blank. Teaching is really all about igniting a fire- to know more!

As for me, teaching has been my salvation and my education. My first year of teaching school was in Waco, Texas- a very racially segregated part of the world – and it was the first year they started ‘busing‘. Half the school population would get on a bus everyday and were ‘bused’ to a school that was racially different. So my school was all white- at noon we did the swap and I’d have half black kids, half white kids in my afternoon classes. The worst part about busing was that it gave the kids ample opportunity to get high during that hour transfer- sucked for teaching.

But the amazing thing was how much I learned from these “new kids” – they were awesome! And it broke down a lot of racial barriers in my head – thank goodness that learning hasn’t stopped. I’m a much better person now than I was then- not that I’m 100% all the time, but many of my biases are gone. I feel so fortunate to know and love so many people from so many different cultures, races, ethnicity, religions, sexual orientation – and I have to work hard to NOT be judgmental of those who have not been afforded the opportunity to learn those lessons or are too close-minded to even hear the lesson.

Sometimes I think I’m done- with teaching- but I’m still here! Perhaps there are more fires to ignite. I don’t have to chose who to teach or even what to teach – like in Field of Dreams- they will come.

Peace out, little earthlings!

Luv

Marian

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Peter Sparrey

Amazing Potters

Copper reds make me swoon! This yumomi by Peter Sparrey is exceptional.

He is a UK potter and I LOVE his glazes!

Check them out at click here!

Contemplation Time

Musings

Sometimes downtime is a good thing.

It allows you time to think, read and think again.

I’ve read Austin Kleon’s book, Steal Like An Artist before, but it’s good to read it again. He just gives such amazing, practical advice !!

And you know what? Those pots that I was in such a rush to fire when I fell and broke my ribs are still in the kiln waiting to be fired. The world has not come to an end!

So chill a bit. Stop. Think. Breathe. Enjoy your life.

Peace out!

Marian

Nautical Phrases???!!! I’m Not A Sailor!

Musings

“Took the wind out of my sails”

“Dead in the water”

Although these are nautical phrases and I’m not a sailor, this pretty well describes my predicament!

All set to sail – studio is redone, kilns rejigged, new pyro, kiln loaded, clay bought, classes taken, markets committed to- and I break two ribs- on my back- and so am stuck doing nothing!

It’s been a week and I’m moving better, but I can see that heavy work won’t be happening- damn!

Our health is so key to EVERYTHING!!!- isn’t it ?

Peace out!
I’ll daydream about pots!
Luv,
Marian

Cone 10 Reduction Gas Firing Results

Application Cone 10 Firings Copper Reds Firing Gas - Reduction Glazes Glazes and Glazing Results Spraying Glazes Studio and Equipment

My last glaze firing finally worked! I got to Cone 10 and 1280! Seems a miracle after the last few firings!

Perhaps one of the key things was my new pyrometer that my daughter, Liz, sent to me from the USA (along with some other much appreciated goodies!) – SO much cheaper!

Pyrometer Sent By Liz Williams From The USA!!

I am spraying glazes and as a result of the redo of the barn, Ronnie has rebuilt my spray booth!

Ronnie working on my new spray booth exhaust fan.

Got it at Reject Shop (dollar store) for $15!

As part of the moving process, alot of reorganization had to happen. It is a good thing!

Here are a couple of photos of what we did:

We tore out a creepy old area and cleaned it up for the spray booth.

I have also tried a couple of “tricks” that I posted about in a previous post, where I mentioned the excellent advice given me by Loren Lukens.

If you are spraying glazes, you should definitely give that post a read! He is awesome!

I’ve moved my glazes to liter bottles that can easily be shaken for mixing!

I also found some cool velcro labels that I can attach to each sprayer, identifying the glaze in each! So helpful!

All in all, it is getting easier. The turntable in my spray booth is the one that we built earlier. Read about it in this blog post: Click here!

Plate sprayed and rimmed with iron oxide.

I’m gaining confidence and I’m seeing some good results!

Here is a slide show of the latest firing results (they are quick and dirty photos-hopefully, someday I’ll do some nicer ones!):

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Keep the faith!

Luv,

Marian

Malcolm Greenwood Workshop

Amazing Potters How To's Workshops

Just attended the Malcolm Greenwood Workshop at the Gold Coast Potters Association.

What a fantastic workshop!

Malcolm Greenwood, potter extraordinaire!

Malcolm Greenwood is a fantastic potter, teacher, and human being! He has also figured out how to make a living as a potter – designing and creating pottery for many restaurants. Check out his website here to see his amazing work: HERE

Malcolm Greenwood throwing a large vessel.

Wow! I learned so much! I guess I was just at the right place in my potting career to HEAR what he said and showed us and it ALL made so much sense!

We learned how to make our own tools!

Tombo, bamboo trimming tool and rib-newly made!

We learned how to make slabs without a slab roller!

We learned about throwing without water!

Malcolm's throwing is magic! Porcelain. No water. Just a dampened cotton cloth. Brilliant! — Malcolm’s throwing is magic! Porcelain. No water. Just a dampened cotton cloth. Brilliant!

We learned how to trim pots in an efficient manner!

And MUCH, MUCH MORE!!

I’m so eager to try all the tricks of the trade that he shared with us! He was super generous with ALL of his information! No secrets with him! We got it all.

If you get a chance to go, don’t hesitate! It is awesome! You will learn so much!

Upward and onward!

Luv,

Marian

Woodfiring Pottery BBQ: Pots And Goannas!

Firing Woodfiring

The bi-yearly woodfiring at the Fernvale location of the Murwillumbah Potters Group happened a couple of weeks ago. It is always a grand event, attended by lots of people, and lots of work ensues trying to get that bastard of a kiln to temperature (didn’t happen….AGAIN!!!!).

I actually thought that I was going to have a great firing and incredible pots. I love the work of Dick Lehman and here are some photos of an article that was in Ceramics Monthly (a few years back!) showing how he side fires and the gorgeous results.

Dick Lehman on the cover of Ceramics Monthly.

Dick Lehman's sidefired bottle- This is what I was hoping for! — Dick Lehman’s sidefired bottle- This is what I was hoping for!

Then on Facebook, I saw a tip from Michael Coffee that showed how to mix wood ash with copper carbonate and rutile to get amazing results.

Michael Coffee

September 10

I received an IM from a potter here on facebook that wanted to know how I get the multiple colors on my yunomi like that pictured below. I thought I would post my top secret information here…My secret is…BBQ shakers. I put a few tablespoons worth of wood ash sieved through a basic kitchen sieve and then at a teaspoon or so of Copper Carb to one and Rutile to the other. The shaker on the right is Portland Cement straight…

I apply the ash while the underglaze is still wet and I apply to anticipate the flowing at temp.

Did this too!

Marian Williams sieving ash mixture onto pots.

Anyway, you can see the slide show here of the befores, during, and afters of the wood firing.

Before:

Tara Dyson and Warwick Anderson getting things ready to put in the kiln.

Claire Byrne sorting kiln furniture.

Dianne Lloyd, a former Murbah potter, and hubbie, came to have a look and see Ann Lee.

Warwick Anderson getting things ready for firing.

Sebastian, a lovely wood fire mascot.

Ronda Luland happy as!

Pots ready to be loaded.

Ann Lee inside the kiln loading pots.

Carefully loading the mermaid!

Ronda Luland loading her big pot.

Having a chat to Sebastian.

She’s loaded! Going for the side fire!

During:

Julie tending the side of the kiln and the coals.

After:

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However, the BEST part was when Carol Anderson decided to retrieve a goanna from the roadside that had been struck by a car (later found out it was Ann Lee’s husband, Terry!) and then cook it on the coals from the wood kiln so we could EAT IT!!!

The whole thing was my friend, Judith’s fault. Really!

Judith Wagenseller, one of my besties, gave me a book on Clay Pot Cooking. Last year.

Oops, just now getting around to reading it! But it is awesome and fascinating and one of the things that it talked about in the book was cooking a chicken wrapped in clay.

Judith and I are both subject to a bit of craziness as I only mentioned a book to Judith last year and she FOUND it!

Then we did a video to send to Ellen (we just knew Ellen would want Judith on her show talking about the cat finger puppets she had made from her own cat’s fur – too good, eh?!!) Side note: Truly Southurst this could be you on the video!

See the video of Judith and her cat finger puppets here:

So you can clearly see, that none of this is my fault…it is Judith who is the culprit here. She is the one that gave me the book. I …. only read it and reported the process of cooking a chicken in clay. The rest just happened!

Once again I must reiterate, this is my friend, Judith’s, fault. I was merely sitting chatting with the group about my book on Clay Pot Cooking and mentioned the chicken in clay and everyone sitting around chatting agreed that it was supposed to be excellent.

Well, Carol decided to run to town and get a chook and some banana leaves and try it!!

On the way back, the poor road-kill goanna lay tauntingly at the side of the road and Carole couldn’t resist. She’s an archaeologist and she and Warwick taught school on an island in Northern Queensland, so she is a cluey sort of chick.

So here’s the photographic rendition of this crazy tale!

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I did taste it and yes, it tastes like chicken – although stringy, tough chicken.

There was a party happening in the building at the other end of the property and soon a crowd came to see what was going on. Tasting and dismembering of the goanna happened. It wasn’t pretty, but I wouldn’t have missed it for the world!

As I said this is how kids start using drugs, “Oh come on, try it! It won’t hurt you. Just try a little bit. You don’t want to say you never tried it!” and so it goes. First, it’s goanna, then you are on to the heavier stuff…snake, possum, who knows where it could end!

My family is worried that I’m going “bogan” (red-neck to you Americans) as I am also keeping the snake skins I find around the place in a Mason jar (and other stuff is happening, hey?!).

What the heck! I’m a potter! And we can be as weird as we want!

Happy potting to all! and to all a good nite!

Luv,

Marian

Sheoak Gallery Opening

Creation Totems

Recently attended the Sheoak Gallery Opening. Heidi Ledwell did a great job making the gallery look WOW!!!

Here is one of the pieces that I am showing there.

The theme of the gallery show is Birds, Bees, Bugs and the importance of Biodiversity!!! Nice!!!

Exhibiting Artists: (L-R) Heidi Ledwell, Marian Williams, Marcia Gibbs, Dawn Walker, Leweena Williams.Here are a few of the lovely artists that are in this show.

If you get a chance, stop in and take a look. And then BUY something. Not too early to start that Chrissy shopping!

The Sheoak Gallery is located at 64 Fingal Road, Fingal, NSW.

Party on, Potters!

Luv ya!

Marian

Pottery Studio Redo!

Setting Up A Studio Studio and Equipment

My pottery studio is being redone! It is located in the old pole barn which previously was the furniture factory for Griffith Tabletop Furniture. Here is a post that I did previously on the barn and my studio. Click here.

Now in Australia a “barn” is called a “shed”, but to me, this can’t qualify as a “shed” as it is too huge. So I will refer to it as a barn, ok?!

Due to a roof cave-in last year and the decrepidation of the side building, a redo HAD to happen! Wind, rain, and dirt came in like a hound dog and it was not great for working.

If you click on the little pics, it will bring up a larger size pic and a slide show.

The roof had caved in on the side part of the barn. Ronnie got the tractor and tried to lift and clear the debris.

The old silo and the upholstery side of the barn needed to go!

A side view of the side to come out.

This is the side of the barn with the old upholstery shed-falling in on itself!

The side barn is coming down.

Here’s a view of the inside of the old upholstery building-great shelving!

Demolition of the side building that was falling in.

Big hole in the ground – old cistern?

Two old cisterns were found-empty and caving in.

A before of the barn side.

Lots of workers, timber, excavators, noise, nails, dogs, and no pottery being made!

At the back of the barn, the stairs to the old tree house were rotted out-even Sam was hesitant to walk on them!

So, finally, this week, the work began. The progress has been amazing!

One of the final things to come down was the old silo! Here is a pictorial of that event!

Silo – only thing left standing!

The excavator is ready to topple the old silo.

Here she goes!

Going!!!

Gone!!

Peter Taggett on the excavator! Job well done!

However, because of the noise of the excavator, tin crashing down, hammers, chain saws, and yelling of guys – I had to spend my time cooking, not potting. Keep ’em fed and Keep ’em working.

I come from a long line of cooks that can cook for a crowd and especially a crowd of guys working. As a kid, some of my favorite times were the lunches in the field during harvest and the big lunch spreads for the cowboys when working cattle, so this type of cooking is in my blood – weirdly, it is fun to me!!!