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Pinky & Maurice

Contemporary Ceramics

December 22, 2016 by Claire Atkins Leave a Comment

Big Pots, Big Magic

I’ve been reading Tim Winton’s latest collection of short stories, ‘The Boy Behind the Curtain’, and apart from the odd paper cut, the life of a novelist appears to be a relatively safe one. However, for Winton, growing up the son of a cop, life has been shaped by havoc and uncertainty. Safety, he says, is a great gift ‘but to be afraid is to be awake’. And while these days he doesn’t go looking for trouble, he feels that he and his father’s careers have depended on accidents and risk, ‘…without strife the cop and the novelist have nothing to work with.’

We can play it safe and write stories or make pots each year by pulling out the same old tricks, but if we want to grow as artists, confronting a certain amount of ‘strife’ and uncertainty in the studio is required.

Last week on the blog I was sharing Dr. Brene Brown’s thoughts on the subject. Brene Brown has spent a large part of her career studying courage, and for her, an artist’s failure to embrace uncertainty and vulnerability is death for creativity.

In other words, artists need to get a little shit scared!

[Read more…]

Filed Under: blog post Tagged With: Bali, big magic, Big Pots, creativity, Gaya Ceramic Arts Centre, HIllary Kane, Pinky & Maurice, retreat, workshop

October 6, 2015 by Claire Atkins Leave a Comment

Spice Up Your Art Life!

In May 2016, I’m leading a group to be part of an inspiring workshop ‘Food Meets Plate’, at Gaya Ceramic Arts Centre in Ubud, Bali.

Hosted by American potter Hillary Kane, it will be a South East Asian odyssey for clay lovers and food enthusiasts, that is set to enliven your senses and spice up your creative practice! 

If you’re just tuning in, catch up on my conversations with our workshop host Hillary Kane, here, and with Bruce McWhinney, Australian potter and the creator of our inspiring Ubud accommodation here. 

Today I caught up with ceramic artist Vicki Grima, who has attended three workshops at Gaya!

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Vicki Grima is a tour-de force, and for the last ten years she has managed to squeeze her ceramics practice between demanding positions as Editor of The Journal of Australian Ceramics and Executive Officer of The Australian Ceramics Association. 

In these roles she shines a bright spotlight on the diversity of contemporary Australian ceramics and shares it with a global audience daily. She says however, the occasions are rare when she can spend time in her peaceful Sydney studio, so you can imagine, that going on retreat and filling up the creative well is an important part of Vicki’s calendar. 

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‘…my times in Bali have been an indulgence in what I love most – to sit with a ball of clay ; no rush, no pressure, just me and the clay…’ Vicki Grima

Claire Atkins: Thank you for joining me here Vicki!

Recently I’ve been speaking with artists on the blog about the workshop ‘Food Meets Plate’ at Gaya Ceramic Arts Centre, and for each artist, travel impacts in various ways on their creativity. In what ways does travel affect you creatively?

Vicki Grima: Travel brings new colours, textures, smells and tastes into my world… an abrupt disruption to my normal day-to-day pattern. I love visiting new places and seeing how lives are lived on a daily basis – how people shop, cook, and move in their landscape. Architecture too is a fascination for me.

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‘The workshops at Gaya are about exploring the unknown, being creative and learning new skills…’ Vicki Grima

You have been to three workshops at Gaya! What is it that keeps calling you back?

My first visit to Bali and Gaya Ceramic Art Centre came through an invitation from Gaya CAC for me to gather a group of potters together. I had never been to Bali, so it was a perfect opportunity for me personally to explore a new place.

I recall choosing the ‘Culinary Clay’ workshop as I thought there could be no better way to immerse myself in Bali than to explore two of my passions – clay and food – in this place I had heard so much about.

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Between visiting the local food markets at dawn, to joining local families in their home kitchens, and tasting food that was cooked using a wide array of spices and herbs new to us, we also made pots inspired by the fruits, vegetables, herbs and spices.

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It was a vibrant, diverse and exciting experience, so much so that I have returned twice more. My second and third trips were to explore woodfiring, another of Gaya CAC’s creative offerings.

My own ceramics practice of making small pinch pots has been enhanced by workshops at Gaya. It allowed me to use different clay bodies and fire with local timbers in an anagama kiln, whilst also being inspired by the multitude of rich patterns and textures in the surrounding landscape.

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I have a busy job as editor of The Journal of Australian Ceramics, and it means my studio practice has suffered, so my times in Bali have been an indulgence in what I love most – to sit with a ball of clay; no rush, no pressure, just me and the clay. The people, the food, the culture and the landscapes are unique and I love it.

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Gaya’s May 2016 workshop, ‘Food Meets Plate’ focuses on the relationship between food and handmade ceramics. ‘Culinary Clay’ shared a similar focus, from that experience, who do you think would suit this workshop?

The workshop is suited to those with a passion for food and clay, together with an inquisitiveness to explore the connections between the two.

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The knowledgeable team at Gaya cater for all levels of ceramics experience from beginners to more advanced in a gorgeous handbuilt workshop space. With a local cook preparing the daily lunches the immersion in clay and food is complete in every sense. Workshops are about exploring the unknown, being creative and learning new skills.

That is all possible at Gaya.

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‘The workshop is suited to those with a passion for food and clay, together with an inquisitiveness to explore the connections between the two…’ Vicki Grima

Curious? Inspired? I am! There are still places available in this workshop, and I would love you to join me!

Click the link and head over to the workshop page now for full details and exclusive Early Bird specials when you book through me.

Meanwhile, stay tuned for next week’s delicious blog offering!

Filed Under: blog post Tagged With: Australian Ceramics Association, Bali, creativity, curiosity, Gaya Ceramic Art Centre, Journal of Australian Ceramics, potter, retreat, Ubud, Vicki Grima, workshop

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Claire Atkins
I’ve been lucky to work on some exciting new TV I’ve been lucky to work on some exciting new TV series this year. And as much as I love acting, I love working behind the camera too. I was so happy to climb aboard this project as Art Director. COURTESY BUS is a piss-your-pants-funny Australian comedy written by Brett Stephens @brettsixsixty, starring @mandy.nolan, Nell Schofield @nellyvision, Tony Barry, @ellensbriggs, @andysaunderscomedy, Liam Olsen and @jen.kyna. Each episode begins at the end of the night, and tells the hilarious and heartfelt stories of a riotous cast on their wayward journey home. Coming soon! 

#courtesybus #aussiecomedy #bangalow #bangalowbowlo #comingsoon #pissyourpants
When a woman swears, or spits, or screams, or shou When a woman swears, or spits, or screams, or shouts, or laughs too loudly, or fights, really fights, or fucks too much and wears too much lipstick or none at all, all we want to do is lock her up or cross the street. Out-of-control women are a sight to behold. They’re terrifying, electrifying, and everything that women shouldn't be - or so we're told. This is a story about these women. Their names are Billy, Bobby and Sam, and you will never forget them.
 
After a sell-out first season, Patricia Cornelius's multi-award-winning play SHIT returns to the Mullumbimby Drill Hall Theatre by public demand on 12-28 March 2021. Starring Claire Atkins, Kate Foster and Kate Horsley. Reimagined and directed by Liz Chance, with sound design by Paul Pilsneniks and choreography by Kate Holmes. 

Tickets: $27/$24/$20 Enquiries 0420986570 
EVENT TICKETS in the link. This will sell-out. Book now.

#australianplays #patriciacornelius #SHIT
Mumma loves her work 💪🏼💪🏼💪🏼 A da Mumma loves her work 💪🏼💪🏼💪🏼 A day on the tools buffing and sanding those beautiful saggar-fired tiles (from the previous post)with the top chicks at @madeofaustralia. Be sure to follow the gals at Made Of Australia, and check out the details for their Open Studio next month. Serious gorgeousness to be had!
There is nothing that terrifies me more or gives m There is nothing that terrifies me more or gives me more joy than live performance. And I’m over the moon about performing again in Patricia Cornelius’s incredible play SHIT in Mullumbimby with Kate Foster and Kate Horsley, two powerhouse actors and dear friends. I’d love you to join us for 60 minutes of heart-racing-breath-taking-sweat-inducing-theatre- and I mean that. You have never seen theatre like this. Tickets go on sale December 1.
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#SHIT #australiantheatre #patriciacornelius #mullumbimby #byronbay
🖤🖤🖤I’m so stoked with the results from 🖤🖤🖤I’m so stoked with the results from this special collaboration! These are a few of the stoneware tiles I’ve made and silkscreened for a custom job, fresh from a saggar firing with the fabulous @madeofaustralia team.🖤🖤🖤
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#collaborate #pinkyandmaurice #madeofaustralia #custom #tiles #silkscreen #saggarfired #hotdamn #australianceramics #mullumbimby #heart #hearth
The last few weeks I’ve been in the studio makin The last few weeks I’ve been in the studio making tiles for another cool job. The sun is shining and the kiln is humming away - and I’m stoked to say we have just received our first power ‘bill’ since installing solar panels, and a payment has been made to US! 🤓Meaning, we’re producing more clean energy than we can consume in the studio and the entire house! 🌱💚🐸
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#greenceramics #target #zeroemissions #greenenergy #cleanenergy #pinkyandmaurice #ceramics #pottery
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