Tiles and Markets

I wish I could just stick to one thing, but I get bored. So I have to keep myself interested by constantly changing what I am doing. I will maybe have two or three parts of my business/ practice to work on at the same time. In the morning I may do some wire work, then in the afternoon I swap over to my new interest which is ceramics.

I've been wanting to find a new product to sell in little shops and at market. I miss market. Before I left Australia 2 years ago I did Rose Street Artist Market in Melbourne every saturday. I loved it, my group of friends were all fellow stall holders and saturdays were my social day (as well as working!) After market we'd all go to the Napier Pub and spend our earnings on dinner. Jeremy would walk an hour from our house in Hawthorn to join us and a merry time would be had by all!

 But when I returned to Australia in September 2011 I realised I no longer had a product suitable for market. I had stopped sewing my felt brooches due to nerve damage and I just wanted to move on to something new. About a month ago I bought a bag of clay and I've been playing and trying to research places I can get work fired. It's all coming together finally, my first batch of brooches should be fired and ready to pick up by next week. Then I shall glaze them and send them back for their second firing. I've also bought some ceramic paint and have been painting little finches (and a chough) onto clay slabs or tiles. I'm really enjoying doing these. I still feel quite experimental, I don't know how they will turn out. I've painted onto non fired clay and I've got some tiles I need to fire first and then paint on. Which will turn out better? I don't know. We'll see!

So these little finches have not yet been fired. I'll bring them down to Melbourne in a week to two for firing and let you know how they go. Hopefully soon I'll be a market girl again!