2015 Update and A Work In Progress from 2014 from me! Rose Maguire at THE BLUEDOOR STUDIO...MORE 2015 news coming...

Fishing In the Hippocampus
ROSE MAGUIRE      Porcelain  

Yes it has been a while and this is really an exercise to see how much the 'Blogger' dash board has changed. This is a lovely porcelain sculpture in the making that I did this time last year. Its about 18 inches in height and made from 'cool ice' porcelain with a light cobalt wash and once fired.

So much has happened in the past year or so. and the business is keeping us busy. We do get a chance to get out into our studios though. 

Right now we are gearing up for our third annual 'Muggs Day' event at Milan Rouge Contemporary Craft and Design... so the cauldron will be bubbling with the aroma of spices from the mulled wine. We have about 15 local potters making mugs for the day as I write this post. 

As well as that we are busy making for our next exhibition here at Milan Rouge Contemporary Craft and Design for the annual 'South Australian Living Artists' Festival in August. This year we are down sizing a tad with only  3 ceramic artists, Alison Arnold, Angela Walford and myself ( Rose Maguire) and the fabulous Painter Rebbeca Cooke.... Who said the middle of the year is boring!!!

Some of the mugs I made last year
 for Muggs Day... ROSE MAGUIRE

Promo shot for last year...
  ROSE MAGUIRE and ALISON ARNOLD

Topping up the spices for the mulled wine

FABULOUS AUTUMN MORNING @ THE BLUEDOOR STUDIO



Had to share my breakfast spot with you

Yes I can see the studio from my Morning cuppa spot

What a fantastic morning up here at THE BLUEDOOR STUDIO. Autumn has come and the weather is perfect for making pots! Expecting a Soft and sunny 25 degrees today so after my morning cuppa I'm off to make some more Slab vases.





Beakers glazed and wax resist almost finished
Just need another dip in the glaze bucket

The studio has had a major clean and ready to go. Mmmmm seems I have a few things to finish off!



Hand full O small Tea bowls PERFECT FOR GREEN TEA
 waiting to be trimmed,
will have to be a dry trim this time...
MASK ON!!!

I've been playing with constructing forms from layering textured porcelain slabs....much fun! These will be off to our new shop/gallery MILAN ROUGE CONTEMPORARY CRAFT AND DESIGN in Stirling (Adelaide Hills, South Australia) when they're finished.



Porcelain Slabs, textured and draped  until they firm
 up a wee bit more before assemblage into vase forms
as seen in the background



Short version of the slab vessels

HAPPY 2013 FROM THE BLUEDOOR STUDIO

What a roller coaster last year was.... a fantastic year I must say!
The last half of the year saw heaps of new work and the opening of an exciting new business with my dear friend Ali.



Key day at Milan Rouge Contempoaoy Craft and Design

A couple of years in the brewing we opened the doors of 'Milan Rouge Contemporary Craft and Design' on the 2nd of November and have had a fantastic response so far. Check out our page on Facebook to see more photos....and don't forget to LIKE our page at the top right corner!
We now have the work of more than 30 Amazing and talented South Australian Artists with more on the way, every thing from CERAMICS ( naturally!) Glass, Jewellery, Painting,Sculpture, Wood work and textiles. We are hoping to launch our new fitting room with a fab range of clothing by mid Autumn.



A couple of my Uke mates dropped in on tour
down under day

The Tour down under came to Stirling last week we had a great day and an impromtu Ukulele sesion with a couple of freinds.

We even got one of the Cyclists to give us a tune




New arival at THE BLUEDOOR STUDIO....
My gorgeous slab roller

The other exciting event at the Bluedoor Studio was the arrival of my shiny fabulous new Slab Roller!!!!!! whooo Hooo so I have so many new slabby projects up my sleeve.







I'm posting the results of my first session for you to peek at. these are Porcelain with slip trailing and embossing...delicious.


Embossed and slip trailed Porcelain tray

Embossed and slip trailed Porcelain trays
Chrome Red and High Alkakine copper glazes



Embossed and slip trailed Porcelain trays
Chrome Red and High Alkakine copper glazes

Well I'm off for a date with the slab roller.

Till next time....Cheers from Rose Maguire and the Bluedoor Studio

WINTERS END??? AT THE BLUEDOOR STUDIO

Full Moon over LENSWOOD through a rain splashed lens august 2012

Wow, am I ready for Spring!!!! this winter at the BLUEDOOR STUDIO has been relentless to say the least, while not overly stormy it has been consistently BITTER and a bit of a trial in my Lovely (but unheated) studio....

However I've had some great inspirations this winter and have been 'playing' quite a bit.

This is a sample from my 'Sea Urchin' series inspired by my New Zealand trip in Feb. Due to poor lighting/photography the delicate green and gold is a bit washed out but enough to give you and Idea...These will go well in summer I feel and am still adding forms to this series, will post better pics when I get some 


Whilst I'm still after an appropriate glaze for my Fungi inspired bowls, in the meantime have glazed them with my green satin matt with iron on the rims...not to shabby I must say, sorry no images of the glazed forms as yet.... I still really want to find a white crawl glaze for them.

'NEST' series, Bird feeders, Stoneware with Porcelain slip and etching

I've been extending my 'NEST' series and working on some exciting new bird feeders this week, they are great fun to throw! They also serve the purpose of 'Prototypes' for a sculptural project I have in mind...Two birds with one stone so to speak.

Here's a pic of the progress so far, these ones have been slipped with porcelain and incised, just waiting for the 'dags' to dry before brushing of and applying the Iron oxide,which I will then sponge back...Will post pics when glazed....
They are a further development from My Owls of last year that some of you may remember and will have the same surface appearance. The owls meanwhile are still popular and I have some appearing in an interior design show this weekend! fingers crossed for sales.

'NEST' series, Bird feeders, Stoneware with Porcelain slip and etching

 Well that's about it for this Post  I'm off out to the studio to see if the Bird feeders I threw TWO days ago..(That's right TWO days ago...nothing is drying in this weather) are ready to have the holes cut out and the slip applied......So until next time....Cheers from ROSE MAGUIRE at THE BLUEDOOR STUDIO

FUN WITH FUNGI AT THE BLUEDOOR STUDIO

Winter has arrived in all its icy glory here in Lenswood and the last couple of weeks has seen a proliferation of all things Fungal around the Adelaide Hills. Very distracting I must say as I've been out taking photos... alot!!!

think this is a Saffron Milk Cap....apparently yummy...

Just outside the studio door

Saffron Milk Cap emerging

This one is defiantly Not Edible( well I wouldn't eat it- even though I saw an identification that described it as edible!) I call it Sponge Bob or

Silly Colin its real name is  'Sillius Colinitus'

However I have found it very inspiring and decided to play with making some Fungi Inspired Pots. I cut and roll the rims on these at soft leather hard stage. Not to sure how I'll glaze these but have a few ideas up my sleeve 

 Well I better get back to work...I'll post some photos of these when they're finished...Till next time Cheers from ROSE MAGUIRE at THE BLUEDOOR STUDIO

Autumn Leaves

Just a wee pic of the Autumn leaves on the pavement in Stirling on Sunday.

Ang and I spent a chilly but for the main part, fine day at the Stirling market.and as usual had a great day catching with each other and regular visitors. The afternoon entertainment was provided by Rajan and Will, strummin and singin up a storm, These guys are great! will post some photos later but you should all get down up to Stirling Market to see them for yourselves (Fourth Sunday of the Month). its always a lovely vibe up there with plenty of great food and coffee and excellent stalls.

This Photo is from a past Stirling Market. I really must do some more of this green glazed work...only have a few bowls left...So I best get out to the studio then...Must stay focused...Must stay focused...Must stay focused...Must stay focused.

Cheers from Rose Maguire at the Bluedoor Studio. 

By the way I'm trying a new Template for this Blogg for a few days PLEASE let me now what you think.AND dont forget to click the facebook LIKE button!!!

STORMY AUTUMN DAY @ THE BLUEDOOR STUDIO



Chicken Ah La Rose !

It was a bit of a stormy day here on top of the hill today so I had my first big sleep in for a very long day...Yes I had forgotten the real estate agent was coming this morning...Very embarrassing answering the door at 10:30 in my PJ's I must say!
As the Kiln was still cooling from yesterdays Bisque I spent the day cozy indoors enjoying the change of seasons. Mikes Veggie patch is ready for the winter Veg but no planting today!!!

This dinner we had a couple of weeks ago was the last of the tomato's...Everything you see in this pic except the Free range chicken was from the garden...Absolutely delicious





Succulent... mmmm I can just smell the roasted garlic and herbs!

This what I was doing while waiting for the chicken to cook! I'm sure it added to the flavour!!!
Well I'm off to the kitchen again and looking forward to an early start to my Glazing morning tomorrow and then I'm off to Mum and Dads for lunch.
So Cheers till Next time and Bonn Appetite!

MASKS IN PROGRESS @ THE BLUEDOOR

From this Blank of my face

To the finished Masks

Detail one of Gorgeous

We've had a some great pottery weather here at the BLUEDOOR STUDIO over the last couple of weeks...Well some really lovely days mixed with a few not so great ones...Today the sun is shinning and the air is crisp and I've had a lovely flow in the studio over the past two weeks.

I started with a play with Tea Bowls which I'm really happy with,although as yet unglazed and then fiddled with the Altered forms that I shared a sneak peak with you in an earlier post and I've been having a great time over the last couple of days doing a long needed Mask 'Run'.

I love the shadows on damp terracotta

Sweet dreamings

 I use a plaster press mold of my face to form these 

 which I detail with dentistry tools at the firm(ish) 

 leather hard stage.

 After they are dried I apply an iron oxide wash  

and then fire to about 1000degrees.

Sweet dreamings two

I must say that although Today is lovely the cold got to me by about 4 o'clock yesterday so I set up a table in front of the heater inside and finished the last couple of masks over a glass of wine...How civilized!
Just thought I'd share these pics because I love how they look at this stage as much as when they're fired!
Well Cheerio for now... Off to finish the last couple of masks in the sun!


Cheers from ROSE MAGUIRE @ THE BLUEDOOR STUDIO

PLAY TIME AT THE BLUEDOOR STUDIO

Autumn again! It's been great Potting weather up here @ THE BLUEDOOR STUDIO. I've had great fun playing with some new forms, pretty different for me and great fun!
I'm not sure where these guys are going to go yet but thought I'd share the results of today's play.

I've thrown the body on the wheel and added stretched and textured slabs for the neck. once the neck is attached and consolidated I put it back on the wheel and give the neck a bit more shape. Then I attach a couple of lugs and pull and roll them to make the 'handles'. After that I have slapped on a thick luscious slip to create even more texture. Now theyll sit in the damp cupboard for a couple of days and then dried slowley. Can't wait to see them fired!
Till next time... Cheers From ROSE AT THE BLUEDOOR STUDIO

All slipped up

Thrown and Altered

THE OLD STOMPING GROUNDS

Just a few pics from My trip home to New Zealand in February. We've jumped off this warf more than a few times in the past. What a fantastic place it was to grow up!

Veiw from the warf

Here we are 25yrs on shame Linda had to take the photo