Wallum Vessels- deeper water

"It took me four years to paint like Raphael, but a lifetime to paint like a child. "
Pablo Picasso

The "vessel" is a form of enormous significance in ceramics. What distinguishes a vessel is its ability to contain something. These vessels are embryonic, they are carriers for an idea about the wallum. Prototypes, fragile, ugly, often contain a germ of an idea that continues, untouched through the creative process.

Picasso said we should all learn to draw like children, by this he meant let go of learned, technical skill and capture the joy of sensation, colour, form and wild imagination. It is really hard to do, I take refuge in skill, feeling that if something doesn't quite capture the fleeting, glimpse I had in the original inspiration then at least it will be beautiful because of the skill. I keep letting go "just a little bit" - which is an oxymoron. I have to trust that these funny little vessels will be able to carry me beyond the safety of technical skill and into the wild blue sea.



You can read more about me and Rebecca Ward's collaboration at our blog "Swamp Cartography"

Wallum Kit

Currimundi, originally uploaded by rebeccathewrecker.

This is a photo of what Rebecca Ward and I get up to when we enter the wallum. What you can see here is our "Wallum Kit" contained in it's super- duper heavy duty 4WD toolbox.

This contains a couple of reference books on the wallum, some plastic containers for holding our "impressions" and samples, a lump of porcelain, two containers with "silpression" (a two- pack jewellery moulding silicon rubber), brushes, video and normal cameras, and water.
"Silpression" impression from the wallum.
Currumundi was the first big outing for the Wallum Kit and it worked great.....but I have to say that dragging it up another really steep sandhill when we thought it was just a short walk to the beach was hard work.

positive and negative impressions

Yesterday I swam across Baroon Pocket Dam......

Yesterday I swam across Baroon Pocket Dam. This is the first time I've done a big swim in open water and it was quite a scary experience. We went across and back, it was 2.6 kilometeres and took about an hour. The others advised me to look up every 10 or so strokes and get my position on the bank to aim for but as we got deeper and deeper I just couldn't bear not to see the bank so I did breast stroke for most of the way. The feeling of 10o's of meters of dark water pressing from below and around was overwhelming. On the way back I stopped and floated on my back, lying in a huge bowl of water, surrounded by hills, looking up at the clouds drifting across the sky the peace and insignifigance were overwhelming.

So there are two sides of swimming in the open water, irrational fear of the unkwown, anxiety over whether you are going to make it, and exhilaration over the beauty of being all alone with natural elements all around, visual delight, and physical pleasure.


I've been moving into our Wallum Project, making new work and, although I try not to indulge in "artisty" neurosis it has been quite nerve- wracking.....and exhilarating.

a sense of occasion

Australian expatriate potter living in Japan, Euan Craig recently posted a blog on the Japanese tradition of boxing special works . Works of special significance are boxed in paulownia boxes, resistant to fire, and rot and marked with calligraphy denoting the contents and the maker's kanji. The bowl itself is wrapped in yellow tumeric dyed cloth, also marked, and placed inside the box. This subtle and poetic tradition leads to a sense of occasion, and anticipation when the owner of the pieces uses the vessel. Using a pot boxed in this way involves an active decision about which moment calls for the pot.

Although I am a strong advocate of handmade pots for everyday use, there is something special about getting a pot from a cupboard, admiring it as you indulge in the private sensory moment of unpacking, running your hands over the vessel, reacquainting yourself with the curves, foot and maker's marks on the underside. This private moment leads to a sense of celebration when the table is set with the "best china", it is something I remember vividly from childhood. I loved going to the china cabinet and choosing which of the special pieces to use, it smelled dusty and sharp.......and exciting.
The images are all of Euan Craig's teabowls you can see more of these and read his gentle and illuminating explorations of these pieces here