Rose and the Tiny Dancer

It's been a very busy couple of months for me with work and preparation for our SALA exhibition, which opened last Wednesday night at the Urban Cow Gallery in down town Adelaide.


The Clay Collective put on yet another great show with our usual eclectic mélange of works! It was a terrific to catch up with some old faces and meet and greet many new ones. A very bubbly evening, fun with a capital F.

Time and weather where certainly not on my side with this one. How many times did I throw my hands in the air and and yell... 'That's it, it's never going to happen, I'm pulling out!' ...(in true Drama Queen style)... Plenty! but it all came together somehow and I am so in love with my Tiny Dancer.
I had to give into the weather, it was just so wet and cold up here at the Blue Door Studio, so I converted a newly vacated bedroom into a cosy Hand building Studio (Luxury!) A couple of tables, a comfy chair, a CD player and a Heater, what more could you ask for!









I didn't have time to test the materials for this project but a lot of educated guessing and a bit of luck and I couldn't have been happier.




It really was a tense 7 days from start to pulling her from the kiln still warm and bundling her into the car on exhibition set up morning,but now I know it can be done in the middle of a Lenswood winter, OK so I did steam her for 24 hrs and leaving the oil heater on 24/7 for a week did nothing for my carbon footprint.




A blend of Feeneys Buff Raku and Keans White Hand building clay allowed very quick building. and created a lovley softening undertone where the porcelain slip top layer was lightly sponged back.


I used Gestley Borate and body stains (1 part GB as to 2 parts BS) mixed with water to apply light washes to the dress, boots, headscarf and the banding over her eyes which again I sponged back into. She spent 24 hrs steaming in the kiln and then slowly once fired to about 1200 degrees,may be just under.















Rather than a literal representation of a dancing figure I was striving for a painterly dream like suggestion of an intimate moment of introspection and I couldn't be more pleased with the results...

And somehow it all came together and I am so in love with my Tiny Dancer!





Till next time Cheers from the Bluedoor (Rose Maguire Ceramics)

Rose Maguire, Getting It Right?Throwing Tea Pots off the Hump

This video is incompleate I'm creating this post as a trial to see how much I can compress a video file without compromising the quality or the upload speed. I have a feeling it will be back to the drawing board! Please leave comments on Quality and speed!

Thanks (Rose Maguire @ the Bluedoor)

UMBERRELLAS ABOUND...RAINY MAY AT STIRLING MARKET

I love these new platters with the satin matt black spilling over into the strontium green, really effective! note the water filled bowl on the left of the table, we gave up emptying things... Angs colours were soft but bright and lifted a gloomy day.

The rain certainly didn't keep people away from the Stirling Market last Sunday and added a new dimension to our monthly event.

Ang took fashion to new heights with the launch of her new 'Street Grunge Sheik' Bubble wrap skirt (sorry no pics of that one) and I squelched the day through in Swimming Pool Boots ( oops forgot my trusty old favorites leaked)

However we managed to keep our spirits afloat with much laughter and the weather gave everyone a chance to fluff up umberrellas old and new. The were some great looking Brollies about!

I forgot my camera so have pinched some of Angs pics, follow the link to see more and check out Angs great Blog

I'm off to the studio to make some Tea Pots today (if i can find my way through the fog!) so till next time, Stay dry!

Cheers from the Bluedoor (ROSE MAGUIRE CERAMICS)

Simply Gorgeous Autumn Day...Well Thats My Excuse

This is My view ( the back view of THE BLUE DOOR STUDIO) as I sit with chin on hand taking a breather from sorting through images for the slide show (showing the making of the adorable ceramic slippers/shoes I made for the Greenhill Galleries Exoteric exhibition)that I'm putting together for the Blog.

You may not be able to see it in this pic but it is raining! real rain!!! and pretty chilly for us, and I have found a good excuse to play on the cyber highway (Well of course I was researching...)

Don't you love the fore ground distortion that the fly screen wire creates infront of the window in this photo....mmmmmmmmmm ideas for yet another print project. (layer upon layer upon layer... you know what I mean)

Any way, The farmers were right, Our long dry weather broke around ANZAC day with big rains over a few days and some cool but deliciously sunny Autumn days.

Anything deciduous rolls from green to amber red yellow or orange, the gums stand white/silver amidts the remenants of their discarded summer robes the apples blush apologeticly ( they're a bit slow colouring this year) and YES, we have a 5 ocklock shadow of green, spreading on the padocks between here and Mt Pleasant, not to mention the rest of south australia (Darn it... forgot to take my camera with me yesterday!!!)

So this post is really a diversionary tactic...........I really am getting that slide show together.

The exhibition at Greenhills came together really well and looks Fantastic. Thanks to Beck and too all of those that came along to the preview and opening it was great to see you all... + A few special guests for each of us...Yes you know who you are!

Slide show will be up over the next few days.
Till then Cheers! (Rose Maguire Ceramics)

'Exoteric' Work Finished

Don't forget...You can click on the image to see it bigger

Well it's been a very busy couple of months with not much time for Blogging. I pulled the exhibition work for Exoteric out of the kiln on Sunday and Love Love Love it all. A series of 3 pairs of shoes tittled 'Could I Walk a Mile in Your Shoes?' and a 6 piece series of Bowls I call 'The Journey'

I've also posted my artist statement for you to read...

The inspiration for the series ‘Could I Walk a Mile in Your Shoes?’ and the ‘Journey’ series emerged from considering notions of Home and the implications of Immigration and Multiculturalism.

The series celebrates the differences and commonalities of the many cultural groups that form the rich and vibrant 21st century society in which we live and acknowledges that life is a journey that we all share.

As someone once said…There is no place like home…
Wherever that may be.

Rose Maguire

April 2009.

The hard work really paid off and all went according to plan so I thought I would do a wee slide show on the construction of the peices. which I will post ASAP

MMMMM Think It's Time For Bed!!!!

It's been a long night organising and editing this blog (where does the time go?) so it's time for a cuppa and good night from me!

Mud Sweat & Tears or... Where it All Began

Hi my name is ROSE MAGUIRE and I am a clay addict!
My first Clay memory is as a small girl, in the 60s, in New Zealand, standing on tip toes and peering over the top of our neighbors big old kick wheel and being transfixed as a slimy wet lumps of spinning brown mud became pots right before my very eyes.
I loved spending time in the huge old brick floored X barn, surrounded by the smells and sounds of the Pottery. Usually sitting on the floor listening to the slow rhythmical clunks of the kick wheel mixed with the gentle rise and fall of men’s voices as Dad and Bob Huck discussed life the universe and everything. I loved peering at eye level through the long lines of newly made pots on the dusty ware boards.

My Journey in clay really started though in the late 90s when I decided to do a year at the local TAFE in Mount Barker, South Australia. Then, I thought, I would be able to make my living from the pots I would learn to make!!! How naive! The first half of that year was all ‘Mud Sweat and Tears’ but I learnt so much in that year under the guidance of Helen Doubell and Auriel Collins and the supportive eye of Ute and partner Bob and realized I had only just begun my quest. But at least I finally knew what I wanted to be when I grew up!!!

So it was of to North Adelaide School of Arts( as it was then-now ACArts)where I concentrated mainly on Ceramics and Sculpture. John Woods was head of the Sculpture department followed by Andrew Stock and John Coulter was head of the ceramics department He was a fantastic teacher and Mentor. 2 more years of full time and a further 2years of part time study I finally completed the Bachelor of Visual Arts and Applied Design.

In my current practice I continue to make domestic tableware as my main stay bread and butter line and have teamed up with my old Art School buddy Ang to sell and promote our work for the past few years at the Stirling Market and a few special event markets and fairs in the Adelaide hills. I also exhibit more sculptural/conceptual work during the year with Ang, Ali, Tracey others under the name of The Clay Collective…

The Clay Collective is a group of emerging and established ceramists based in South Australia. We have either meet during our studies or have current or past links with JamFactory Contemporary Craft and Design. Our numbers Eb and flow a bit but usually there's 10 to 15 in any of our exhibitions. So... Little did I ever dream as that small girl in the 60s, standing on tip toes and peering over the top of Bob's big old kick wheel...
That I too would have a big dusty shed and make a living from transforming slimy wet lumps of spinning brown mud into pots right before my own childrens' very eyes. I now live and work from an Orchard property in The Adelaide Hills with my Partner, the youngest of my two beautiful daughters and the cat and continue to play, explore and generally indulge my addiction and I am as happy as a Pig in mud.
Carpe argillum, Seize the Clay!

I Love Scraffito...Another happy accident

This platter is from my latest firing,
I needed a kiln filler so grabbed a piece of my old bisque and had a play.

I took the opportunity to see how my black satin matte would respond to brushing (I usually dip as this glaze likes to go on pretty thick)

After pouring Strontium Green inside the platter and giving it a roll, so it would cover up to the rim, I gave the underside of the platter a couple of thick applications with a well loaded brush of the Black (it loved it!) The top still needed something so I applied a quick brush stroke of the Black satin and scraffito'd into that.

I'm so happy with the results so you can expect to see a few more examples fairly soon. CLICK ON IMAGE TO ENLARGE

Slide Show...ROSE MAGUIRE CERAMICS @ THE STIRLING MARKET

Painting Day @ Mt Barker

What a fantastic day @ Mt Barker. It was so lovely to meet Gail and Don who kindly hosted the first of Gary's' painting workshops on their amazing property on the way to Mt Barker Summit.

After introductions and a cuppa Don took us on a meander down to the creek, which curls around the boarder of the 20 acre property. Although most of the water has gone for now there are still a couple of deep pools of glassy green water hiding along the rocky creek bed. With much chatting and clicking (we were all armed with cameras of coarse) we ambled down, around,under, over and up gathering inspiration for the coming projects.

The country is steep and very dry at the moment but the colours tones and textures of this summer landscape were simply breath taking.





Adding to the special vibe of the day was this little Alpaca (which had been born about 10 minuets before we arrived at the paddock) and it's aunty's.

A Peek @ Some Cone 6 Glazes

Not having my gas kiln hooked up has forced me to develop a palette of lively glazes for cone 6 oxidation, which have the feel of life about them that you would normally associate with a reduced atmosphere. Here are just a few examples

Rose Maguire, Ceramics @ the Stirling Market

Ang & Ali @ the Stirling Market January 09

A wee taste of ROSE MAGUIRE CERAMICS.
My friend Ang and I have been doing the Stirling market on the fourth Sunday of every month for the past few years. It's always a fun social day catching up with friends and regulars and a great way of getting immediate feed back on our lattest work. Not a great Image I know but I'll update it latter

PAINTING...One small step for man...One giant leap for Rose!

Although I did do a bit of painting at art school it is not my forte, however life seems to be leading me sneakily towards the 2D.........So tomorrow I'm off to take a series of painting workshops with an Artist (Gary) I met last month at the Stirling market. I'm so excited as I know virtually nothing about the materials or techniques of this medium, To me a glaze is something you put on a pot!
I was initially attracted by Gary's sensitive rendering of the subtle tones of gum bark as that is something I've been working on with my camera for the past few months.
So I've taken the plunge and signed up.......I,ll keep you posted on my progress. Wish me luck

ROSE MAGUIRE CERAMICS

Rose Maguire Ceramics
Hi and welcome। My name is Rose Maguire Ceramics is my passion! This is my first Blog so for the next few weeks it will be a work in progress as I compile images stories etc, that will illustrate the ongoing life of Rose Maguire Ceramics So please bare with me while I get it together.CheersROSE (ROSE MAGUIRE CERAMICS @ the Blue Door Studio)

My studio sits on the top of a hill in Apple country (LENSWOOD) South Australia amid a proliferation of elegantly barked
gum trees. The Bluedoor Studio is a great space to work in, it used to be the old orchard shed and is what I like to refer to as my '5 Tractor Shed' lovley and cool for most of summer but a bit drafty during the winter months. However I have lots of room to spread out.
A few weeks ago A couple of friends, Alison and Ang, spent the day up here with me and we had a great time playing around with some image transfer techniques...with varying results. I'll gather some pics to add later..
Although I've had quite a few visitors working up here this was the first time THE BLUEDOOR STUDIO hosted such an event and hopefully the start of many more