Valentine's Day is Coming

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!

Mugs

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

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

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.

Still on the Wheel

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

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!!!

The Week Just Been

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.

China Artist Residency

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

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!

All in a Days Work

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

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

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

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:

Markets at Hahndorf

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...