Contemporary Ceramics
This year from October 29 – November 11, I have the ENORMOUS pleasure of leading a group of women on retreat to the Gaya Ceramics and Arts Centre in Bali. Under the tutelage of artist and Gaya Director Hillary Kane we’ll embark on a journey of creative daring to create BIG pots and BIG magic.
(This magical women’s retreat is now SOLD OUT. Don’t hesitate to contact me to join the waiting list. Meanwhile, check out the workshop schedule below and follow the links for fees and details.)
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!
Last week I was on the farm, and I wrote about inspiration, and the importance of filling up our creative tanks. This week in the valley, I spent time thinking about the role vulnerability plays in the life of an artist.
Last month I was in China, and there I had the good fortune to hear Professor Brian Snapp speak about our grey matter – he spoke about how we learn, remember, and make. In his talk he quoted scholar and author, Dr. Brene Brown, and her words hit me right between the eyes. For Brene Brown, vulnerability is the birthplace of innovation.
I’m all fired up about the inspiring schedule Hillary Kane has created for the culinary clay workshop, ‘Food Meets Plate’, happening May 15 – 28 at Gaya Ceramic Art Centre, in Bali!
Places have been quickly snapped up by a diverse group of foodies and clay enthusiasts from around the globe. There is ONE place remaining in this workshop.
If you would like to join us, click here for workshop fees and secure your place. [Read more…]
For centuries, islands have captured our imaginations, they are magical places inhabited by mermaids, pirates, fairies, and more recently – much to the delight of my two sons – they are the petri dish of mad geneticists and their dinosaurs!
For many years, I lived on an island north of Sydney. Island living is every bit as idyllic as you imagine. However, I discovered that it was not just the physical beauty of the island that inspired me, but equally it was the challenges we each faced, that inspired creative thinking and helped shape a diverse, vibrant, and resilient community.
Today’s post is the final in my Bali series, and I’m talking to Janet DeNeefe, long time islander, internationally renowned restaurateur, writer, festival director and, one time student of ceramics 😉 [Read more…]
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!
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.
‘…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.
‘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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
‘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!
I’m leading a group to Ubud in May 2016, for the clay-bending-mouth-watering workshop, ‘Food Meets Plate’ at Gaya Ceramic Art Centre. This month we’re meeting some of the inspiring artists whose knowledge and vision will turn our time in Bali from a trip into a transformative experience.
Last week I spoke to our workshop host Hillary Kane, and if you’re just joining us, catch up on our conversation Creative Callings.
This week we’re checking out the workshop accommodation, at the inspiring, art-filled guest house ‘Ubud ArtVilla‘, owned by Australian ceramic artist Bruce McWhinney.
Ubud ArtVilla at night
Bruce McWhinney is an Australian artist with over 30 years experience in ceramics. Nature and travel have been the main inspiration for his work; be it wood fired ceramics, sculpture, painting or drawing.
I met Bruce about 15 years ago when I was a student at Brookvale TAFE, where Bruce and a group of exceptional designers and potters were building a dynamic ceramics department on Sydney’s Northern Beaches. Brookvale TAFE continues to thrive, and while Bruce is as passionate as ever about Australian Arts education, his vision now incorporates a much wider classroom that includes building creative communities in other parts of the world…and Bruce is literally building them.
Stunning garden design links sculptures and architecture throughout the villa
One such project is Ubud ArtVilla, a unique guesthouse in the quiet hamlet of Penestanan, just minutes from the bustling town of Ubud.
Here the concept is to infuse hospitality with Bruce’s long time love for Balinese arts and culture. In this place each day, guests soak up stunning architectural design, idyllic gardens, wood fired ceramics, paintings, drawings, and sculptures at every turn.
ArtVilla is managed and operated by Wayan Suparta and his family, who bring local knowledge and Balinese custom to every moment, enabling guests to discover the real traditions and culture of Bali during their stay. ArtVilla is the perfect place for anyone who is seeking to revitalise or woo their inner artist, and for two weeks in May 2016, Ubud ArtVilla will be home-sweet-home for ‘Food Meets Plate’ workshop participants.
Ubud ArtVilla’s lap pool looks out to Mt Agung
Claire Atkins: Hi Bruce! I had the pleasure of staying at Ubud ArtVilla last year while I attended a workshop at Gaya. I have to say, that living with and using your woodfired ceramics every day was one of the best parts about staying at ArtVilla. Each morning, breakfast was served on stunning ceramic pieces that quietly called for our consideration. Do you think that living with handmade ceramics affects us?
Bruce McWhinney: Woodfired ceramics for me is the ultimate expression of working with clay and fire. The spontaneous effects coming from the fire on each piece is quite individual and embue the work with a human warmth that makes using it a daily joy. What I love most is that I never tire of the work and it keeps me captivated by the evidence of nature.
Bruce McWhinney ceramics
Can you describe your design process, and is your approach different when you’re making ceramic pieces intended for food?
Making tableware is very much about understanding the function of each piece. One can only be a good functional potter if they use their work and learn what makes it a pleasure to use and live with. After decades of making ceramics, my forms have been pared right back to the simplest possible. This allows space for the fire to complete the piece and also gives a calm reassuring presence about them. Teapots must pour, cups must be easy to hold with a lip that feels good up against one’s mouth, and plates should provide a smooth finish. Having said that, while I strive to give the most, it often takes time to appreciate what is there in each piece. But so it is in life and art.
Traditional ‘Bali kopi’ served in Bruce’s woodfired ceramics, is a daily ritual at Ubud ArtVilla
You divide your year working and living in Australia and Bali, with residencies throughout the world thrown in! How has travel, and living so intimately with the Balinese impacted your own art practice?
This is a big question. Bali has provided a cultural retreat where I can make work and share it with people from all around the world. My aim in building the ArtVilla was to create a place where people could experience living with hand made things and discover the joys of using wood-fired ceramics. Bali has taught me patience, detachment and to see the funny side of life. Things do not always go according to plan but the caring nature of the Balinese makes it all worthwhile. Travel is a passion but being able to work in different places makes it immensely more rewarding. When doing residencies one is privileged to experience life as an insider. I get to know people over a longer period, and hopefully share our different experiences of the world. Sightseeing is fun but it doesn’t sustain me in the same way.
Bruce in the studio
What do you hope your guests will experience at Ubud Art Villa?
What I would hope for is that people coming to ArtVilla would experience Bali from the inside. Connecting to the culture and traditions of Bali is made easy through Wayan and his family who staff ArtVilla. Combine that with the joy of making pots at Gaya, and discovering the local food and gastronomy would be a great thing. But, staying at ArtVilla would also mean extending the experience by using, learning about, and living with woodfired ceramics every day.
Thank you so much for joining us Bruce.
So, what do you think?! Will you join us? Visit the workshop page now for Early Bird fees, Ubud ArtVilla accommodation, and booking details. Private room options at ArtVilla and Art Manor are limited, so please don’t delay in contacting me to secure your place as bookings are rolling in!
Be sure to join me next week when I’m talking food and Bali with the indefatigable Janet De Neefe! Janet is the founder and Director of the Ubud Food Festival, the Ubud Writers and Readers Festival, she’s also an author, a mother of four children, aaaand the owner of some of Ubud’s best restaurants and bars!
Many of us spend our days alone in a studio, and as much as we relish the solitude and energy of our own creative spaces, many artists, writers and thinkers have long felt the creative benefits of travel. Simply placing yourself in a new setting can be enough to give you a creative boost. Even neuroscientists examining our grey matter have concluded that new sounds, smells, language, tastes, sensations and sights, spark different synapses in the brain and have the potential to completely revitalize the mind.
Last year I was part of a wood-firing workshop at the Gaya Ceramics and Art Center in Ubud, Bali. For two weeks we immersed ourselves in Balinese culture and worked intensely to produce enough pots to fill a fire-breathing dragon, and the results were like nothing we had ever made before.
Gyan Wall and Hillary Kane pack the ‘Baligama’ – our fire breathing dragon
Next year I’m off to Gaya again, but this time I’d like you to come with me. From 15-28 May, 2016, I’ll lead a small group of clay enthusiasts to be part of ‘Food Meets Plate’, a workshop that will inspire any clay-lover with an interest in the intimate relationship between food and the vessel. The two-week workshop will culminate in a feast of the senses at Ubud’s International Food Festival! Tempted? Yes, much? Read on!
First, let me introduce you to Hillary Kane, Director of Gaya Ceramics and Art Centre and our inspiring workshop host.
Hillary Kane
Hillary Kane is a potter, painter, teacher, mother, and nomad. Travel and work has led her to claim residence in several continents and innumerable countries. Inevitably, the artistic culture of each has imparted an indelible influence upon her work and continues to be an endless source of inspiration. Educated in the United States and France, she now lives in Bali with her husband and her twin daughters.
Claire Atkins: Hillary, you have such a great personal story and you really pack it in, when I met you last year I thought, what the hell have I been doing with my time? Tell me, how did a young American woman come to live, launch and direct a thriving art centre in Bali?
Hillary Kane: Seven years ago, I took a leap of faith and headed off from a tiny mountain town in the American south-west to Japan to follow my aesthetic calling in Ceramics. At the time, I would never have imagined that it would lead to establishing the Gaya Ceramic Arts Centre (GCAC) and a life thoroughly settled in Bali.
However, my airline ticket was very deliberately one-way. I was ready to welcome the signs and serendipities as they came, and I found myself departing Japan after two months, swollen with inspiration, yet venturing toward another opportunity and another culture altogether. I set foot in Bali aiming to spend a year teaching, when unexpectedly another door opened at Gaya Ceramic and Design. From the moment I met the studio crew and the effusively generous Italian founders (both ceramic artists themselves), I knew the connection was a strong one. Within a year, together we were dreaming up an educational branch of their already well-established production studio. After a brief residency back in Japan, I returned again to Bali to build my first Anagama and to launch the arts centre.
The GCAC studio was built a couple of years after, and now, four years, five kilns, a Balinese husband, twin 3-year-old girls, a house and a thriving workshop later, it really feels the Gods of this island have led me here for a reason.
Looking out to the garden from the Gaya studio
What happens at the Gaya Ceramics and Art Centre?
Gaya Ceramic comprises a large production studio employing around 70 people who produce exquisite ceramic ware for top clients the world over, and across the street is the Ceramic Arts Centre, which is dedicated to education in clay. There is always a lot happening at Gaya, it’s a continual cross-pollination and collaboration. At the Arts Centre itself, we fill the year with two-week workshops, two-month artist residencies, exhibitions, and a variety of weekly and private classes tailored to community needs. Each year concludes with an Empty Bowls fundraiser and Open Studio event. In between all of this are the endless activities of our own staff (who, one and all, get their hands in clay!).
Looking into Gaya Studio from the garden
Why should someone travel half way across the world to make a pot or fire a kiln?
At Gaya, we believe that setting is everything, and that for many artists, the opportunity to immerse themselves in a different world, even for only two weeks, encourages growth, self-reflection, and a willingness to take the next step in their own work. When an artist is encouraged by a master ceramicist and surrounded by similarly enthusiastic participants, a workshop is an incredible time and place for development. Even for those not physically traveling so far to come here, Gaya studio stands as a sanctuary for transformation: earth into Art, self into Self.
Hillary and workshop student
Have you witnessed this kind of creative transformation and renewal at Gaya?
Catapulting one’s artistic self into an entirely new atmosphere foments intense creative inspiration. I see this throughout the year at Gaya especially with our resident artists. Three to four times per year, we host professional ceramic artists from around the world for a two-month residency program. There is no prerequisite of what each should make or spend their time doing. It has been an incredible experience to witness each resident take in, digest and respond to all the new stimuli of Bali. For some, inspiration taps from the intricacies of a cultural philosophy so different from their own, for others, from the visual explosion of a tropical ambient, some are more self-probing and introspective about identity and place in the world, others simply allow the remove from their familiar to generate great emotion, allowing it to well up and surface through their works.
One resident artist recently said: ‘It was as if I was just supposed to be here; one bit of visual information, one cue from the culture, one conversation just falling into place and leading me into the pieces I have created.’ Another was shocked at her proficiency, having come to Gaya with an intention to build rather abstract geometric forms, she gave in to an unexpectedly arisen urge to build figurative sculpture entirely dedicated to the pure emotion of parenting. It was the first extended journey she had ever made away from her early-teen children. For each, creating in this oasis of newness amounts to a unique, and utterly inspired experience.
‘For some, inspiration taps from the intricacies of a cultural philosophy… for others, from the visual explosion of a tropical ambient…’ Photo Vicki Grima
Let’s talk about the upcoming workshop ‘Food Meets Plate’, what are your thoughts about the relationship between ceramics and food?
This obvious stage of interaction is one that has endlessly offered inspiration to clay artists, and yet the question remains ever unanswered, ever re-interpretable. We have run this workshop theme twice as ‘Culinary Clay’ at Gaya – both times amazing, each time improving the experience upon the last. And what better theatre to ask clay artists to perform upon than one with the heady, aromatic, gorgeous and thoroughly tropical ambient of Indonesian cuisine?
What can participants expect from this workshop?
These two intense weeks will endeavor to inspire the contemplation of the intimate relationship between food and the vessel in which it is presented – in this specific setting upon the enriching and verdant Indonesian island of Bali and in the “foodie” paradise of Ubud. We will have inimitable opportunities to meet with, learn from, and sample the genius of many local chefs who will unveil some of the cultural and gastronomic complexities of the archipelago, encouraging expansion not only of taste buds, but also conceptual perspective of the more formal design considerations of shape, texture, colour, and scale; where the food meets the plate.
In our final ‘Manifested Meal’ we will have at last a chance to display our inspired vessels in an exhibition/feast in one of Ubud’s fabulous new restaurant venues. Timed to coordinate with Ubud’s second annual Food Festival, our finale will be on display for the public to contemplate the fruit of our labors, and to feast their eyes upon the inspiration two weeks have manifested– though the participant group will privately enjoy the meal set upon their unique vessels!
Who should come, and will the workshop suit all skill levels?
This workshop is suitable for any level of experience in clay. While beginners may be focusing on honing their skills at throwing more traditional dinner ware, more advanced ceramicists may find this an ideal opportunity to break outside their own ‘box’ to experiment widely and discover something fantastically new. This has worked to the advantage of all in the past – veteran clay artists inspiring for and inspired by those newer to clay alike. All participants will be encouraged to explore and will be supported technically, and otherwise by the Gaya studio team.
l to r : Claire Atkins aka Pinky & Maurice, Sue McGuinn and Vicki Grima, HOT AS HECK stoking team
What else can workshop participants look forward to while we’re in Bali?
This particular workshop will be packed with explorations of everything culinary – and in Ubud, Bali, that could last a lifetime – but we will also have the opportunity to peek into some of the intricate and fascinating local ceremonial and artisanal culture, Ubud’s endless boutiques and throbbing nightlife (for such a small town!).
Thank you so much for chatting with us today Hillary, I can’t wait to see you and the Gaya crew in May!
If you would like to join Hillary and me for this incredible workshop and cultural experience, head to the workshop page now for Early Bird fees and details about securing your place. If you need more convincing, visit the blog next week when I speak to Bruce McWhinney, celebrated Australian wood-firing artist and the creator of the inspired guest house ‘Ubud ArtVilla‘, our workshop accommodation.
Ingrid Tufts is a ceramic designer and maker from Melbourne, Australia. For many years she worked in IT, and it was not until she was 35 years old that she began studying ceramics, as many of us do, in an evening class.
Discovering clay can be an epiphany for many people but for Ingrid it was a career changer and today she produces a range of tableware and decorative ceramics for restaurants, homeware designers, retailers and collectors under her label Tufts.
Ingrid ‘throws’ and slipcasts her pots in porcelain and stoneware clay bodies and describes her aesthetic as a coming together of simple functionality and playfulness.
I’m practically jumping out of my skin that Ingrid’s flying up to the studio on Saturday, June 20, to present a workshop specialising in Business and Concept Development for makers and designers. This inspiring workshop will provide practical direction and advice for fledgling and established creators of all kinds.
Claire Atkins: Welcome to the cyber studio Ingrid!
Ingrid Tufts: Hi Claire and thanks for having me.
C.A: You were working in IT before you discovered clay as an adult, can you describe how that unfolded?
I.T: My journey into clay was a natural progression. Getting serious happened quite slowly, from an evening class, to a Saturday co-op and before I knew it I was enrolled in TAFE part-time. I studied at Box-Hill TAFE between 2006 and 2008. I didn’t complete the Diploma course because I had a limited amount of time, in the end it was either pursue my own practice or study and I chose the studio. From there I slowly gave up my day job, one day at a time.
C.A: Does your background in technology help your studio work today?
I.T: It’s pretty handy. I can get around images and produce my own marketing material and keep my website up to date. Sometimes though, I wish I had an accounting background!
C.A: What does a typical week look like?
I.T: Each day there is a list of things to do. It might be throwing in the morning, glazing in the afternoon with a little admin in between. I usually take half a day each week to do deliveries and meet clients. Sometimes I work in the evenings or on the weekends as jobs require. The kilns are usually busy at night and on the weekends.
C.A: You’re well known for producing ceramics in collaboration with other artists. What’s your favourite collaboration to date? What’s the best thing about collaboration? What’s the worst?
I.T: Fortunately, all the illustrators I have worked with on projects have been great. Customer management can be a little more tricky in the design process, but overall I find it wonderful to have access to another source of creativity. It can make things new and fresh.
C.A: You’ve also been commissioned to produce ceramics on some great projects for restaurants and you’ve had some impressive clients including Opera Australia. Can you describe the processes involved in this kind of relationship?
I.T: Usually, I’ll put forth a number of ideas and see what the client responds to. Then we work up an idea, sometimes making maquettes or little test pieces so we can see how they work. Clients are all different so I try to be responsive to their needs.
C.A: What advice would you give someone who is dreaming of working as a studio potter?
I.T: Be prepared to work hard!
C.A: What’s your advice for studio potters who feel like their work or their creative business is languishing?
I.T: I’d say, try something new and take a risk. If I get a bit tired of the studio I make sure that I make something new or start a new glaze experiment.
C.A: Who do you think will benefit from your workshop and do you think it’s relevant for makers and designers of all kinds of objects?
I.T: Well, I think this workshop is perfect for anyone who wants ideas, inspiration and encouragement. Although I mainly use examples from the ceramics world (because it’s what I know best), the workshop is equally relevant to other makers.
C.A: Thanks so much for taking the time to hang out in the cyber studio today Ingrid!
And, if you’re a maker or designer of objects looking to kick start your creative business, or give it a good kick in the pants, check out the workshop details here or head straight to the online shop to secure your place. There’s an early bird price of $95 until Friday April 18, after that the price goes up to $125! Don’t be shy to contact me about the workshops via the contact page, below in the comments, on Facebook or Instagram.
I’m a maker and a collector of ceramic pots, and they are beautiful objects in their own right, but they also have a life that is intrinsically connected with food.
Using hand made pots at every meal in my own home seems to ‘charge’ the most simple meals, it causes us to slow down, it effects how we lay the table, how we present the food, we become more aware of our movements, we seem to take greater care and we’re more mindful of the meal.
Pinky and Maurice Ceramics & Sabi Sushi
Last year I had the pleasure of spending time in my kitchen with whole-foods chef and educator Jean Martinez. In a world gone mad with hipster food fads, Jean is a down-to-earth country girl with a simple passion for teaching sustainable food skills. I was struck by her methods of gathering and preparing ingredients, and her obvious enjoyment of the processes involved in making a meal seemed to ‘charge’ our meal with an ‘energy’ (C’mon, I do live in Byron Bay) much the same way good ceramics does.
The Lovely Jean Martinez of Artisan Wholefoods
Jean describes her business Artisan Wholefoods, as a moving-feast-small-cooking-school, that takes her to regional halls, churches and homes throughout Australia teaching sourdough bread making, fermentation and wholefoods baking and cooking.
She trained in New York at The Natural Gourmet Institute for Health and Culinary Arts and has two culinary degrees, a Bachelor of Business, an adult education teaching qualification, and for many years she worked as a teacher and joint co-ordinator of The Whole and Natural Foods Chef Training Program in Perth with Wholefoods educator and author Jude Blereau.
Jean is a fabulous chef and I’m excited that she has agreed to cater for our April 11 workshop Artisan’s of Instagram. Today, Jean joins me from her off-grid, spring-fed, solar powered cottage in the stunning rainforests of Northern NSW.
Claire Atkins: Welcome to the cyber studio Jean!
Jean Martinez: Thank you Claire, it’s a pleasure to be here and chat with you!
C.A Tell me Jean, what are your first food memories?
J.M My parents were definitely what you would call hippies back when I was born. They were living on the land in a remote rural area in New Zealand and were living the ‘good life’ growing as much of their own food as possible, dying and weaving their clothes and generally living outside of society.
By the time I was 2 we had moved to Darwin, post Cyclone Tracey, where life for them was quite different – they both had jobs for one thing!
The food influences that stand out for me was their commitment to whole and natural ingredients and a pretty wholesome life in general. All of our meals were cooked from scratch, we used real cookware – stainless steel and cast iron. ‘Fast Food’ or takeaway meals were an occasional treat – and one that was enjoyed together as a family.
It was certainly far from perfect, but when I look back I see a life with balance. The ‘good life’ is what I have always aspired to, and I am grateful to my parents for providing me with this.
Whole-lotta-love-artisan sourdough
C.A I really wanted to be Tom and Barbara Good from the BBC TV series ‘The Good Life’ when I was little! When did you discover that this is what you wanted to do too when you ‘grew up’?
J.M I sort of fell into cooking as a job and stayed with it because I was good at it. It wasn’t until I decided to go to cooking school in New York that I truly found my passion for food and chose it as my career – which sounds a bit backwards. I think that the seed of what is now my business, Artisan Wholefoods was formed then, and everything I have done since has sort of gently guided me along the path to where I am now (which was 16 years ago by the way!!).
Learning about traditional food philosophies really lit my fire at cooking school. This continues to inform many of my food interests and the classes that I teach. In particular fermented foods and sourdough bread.
C.A Tell me more about Artisan Wholefoods, what makes it tick? What’s its driving passion?
J.M The thing that drives Artisan Wholefoods is my desire to educate people as to what good food is. It is truly a simple thing, and something that our ancestors followed as this was what was available to them, and this was what they learned at home. Our modern world is a very different place. Foods today are far more refined and convenience is king. We have an overwhelming amount of options and information available to us. Add to this, OPINION and marketing and you have a wild and confusing soup.
When I was growing up the promise was that scientists would get to the bottom of this ‘perfect health’ quandary – tell the farmers how to grow food, tell us how and what to eat, and things would be sorted. The reality is a mash-up of self-interest on behalf of multinationals, flawed science that can be bought and an increasing loss of our own food culture that used to be learned at home. To top it all off as a society, we are sicker than ever.
I have a deep scepticism of the status quo and a desire to save what is rapidly being lost. My answer to this is to revive traditional food skills – fermentation, sourdough bread making, understanding healthy fats, how to treat grains, nuts and seeds, and how to cook with enjoyment and deliciousness. I also believe strongly that we need to support the farmers that support the soil and us through organic and biodynamic farming, raising old breeds of animals and using ethical practices.
A ute load of Jean’s students at the Whole and Natural Foods Chef Training Program in Perth, W.A
C.A Can you let us in on present plans or visions for the future for Artisan Wholefoods?
J.M My dream is to bring my classes home and send the roots of Artisan Wholefoods down into the soil on the land that I live on. My partner and I are in the process of making this happen by turning our sweet rainforest home into a cooking school, and building ourselves a new home nearby.
I already grow some of the food that is used in classes, but the vision is to provide as much of the fresh produce and eggs for classes that we can and to extend the sustainability of this school as much as possible. This will be Australia’s first off the grid wholefoods cooking school.
In the meantime though, it is such a blessing to be able to roam the region teaching from Brisbane to Dubbo. Plans are in place for classes in Sydney too.
Baby chicks at Jean’s place
C.A So the question on everyone’s lips is, what will we be eating at the Artisans of Instagram workshop?
J.M I love the opportunity that catering presents to prepare whole meals that showcase just how delicious whole and natural and organic ingredients can be.
The workshops will have a gorgeous inclusive morning tea (catering for people with food intolerances), featuring a gluten free welcome cake, low gluten poached pear scones and fresh fruit.
I love any opportunity to include fermented foods and it’s often a surprise to people how diverse the flavours can be. There will definitely be home-made crème fraiche!
It is important to consider the time of year when catering too. So, our Autumn themed lunch will have substantial salads and a lovely large roasted vegetable and goats cheese tart. There will also be some cultured and lacto ferments vegetables with lunch, some homemade sourdough and cultured butter too.
C.A I’m getting hungry just thinking about it, I can’t wait Jean and thanks for the chat!
I do hope you’ll join us in the studio for a workshop and to share an artist’s lunch with Jean, our excellent workshop hosts and me! Please visit the workshop page for more information or dive right in and book in the online shop!