The Ultimate Granny Cup and Saucer

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!? :-)

New gallery in town!

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!!!

Cat Bowls

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.

Red Printed Teapot

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!

Where Did January Go?

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?

Elements Opening

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!!

Elements Promo Video

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)

Urban Cow Studio

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

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.