Vitrified Studio- Take a break........

Give yourself a big treat and check out Shelley Martin's blog Vitrified Studio. Shelley runs a small ceramics studio in Portland , Oregon and her blog is just the thing you need at lunchtime, when you have a lot of boring e-mails to reply to,or tax forms to fill out. DON'T DO IT!!!!! Take a break and browse through beautiful ceramics from around the world.
Shelley Martin's pots from Vitrified Studio

Things

It is really good to have a blog discussing the philosophy and poetry of objects as a compliment to all the blogs presenting craft and illuminating the making process. I think it is really important for the continued existence of the handmade crafts that people who are not craft artists enquire into the meaning of objects in their lives.

Journalist Ruth Quibell has started a blog called "Precious Things" discussing the signifigance of the things we live out lives with. Ruth interviews artists about their favourite objects and also writes revealing and beautiful posts about her own interaction with objects.
Photo from Ruth's blog- a post about the demands of life and escape to be found in her op-shop Tasmanian teatowel.

Handmade Life publishes a Book!

Ramona Barry and Beck Jobson from the blog Handmade Life are very inspiring women. Despite both having tiny children they bring creativity into all aspects of their lives and are constantly redefining their practices and supporting other artists through their blog. Their new project is the biggest so far, they have published a book. And if you get in early you can buy a customised edition with beautiful embroidered cover. Here is what they say about the latest project........
"We have made a 140 page full colour book containing interviews with 29 makers from around the world. Our wishlist of people we most wanted to ask things like 'What music do you listen to when you make stuff?' and ' do you miss your stuff when it's gone?' It's turned out to be one of the biggest projects we have ever undertaken and we are quite proud of it."


Just click on the highlighted link in this post to get through to Handmadelife Blog where you can purchase this book. It is also available at Craft Victoria.

Craft Guerillas and the World Wide Web

My friend Renee Blackwell has just started blogging and has thought of a brilliant idea to harvest the power of the blogs......
"I'm having a great give away. No strings attached, whatsoever! You are welcome to pass this blog offer along to friends, co-workers and family. Here's the deal...Go to my website: reneeblackwelldesign.com Go to the "stackable ring" page- Pick one stackable ring you would love to wear, (stones only), choose your size and e-mail me these details along with where it should be sent. Anywhere in the world! (You don't need to go thru' the ordering process...just an e-mail with mailing address...)

These will be sent from Australia on Fridays.... This offer is good until August 12th."

This is a real offer, Renee thought of it as a way of connecting with people who might like her jewelery throughout the world. What I really like about this is that it subverts the gallery/commercial system that all artists are supposed to be desperate to be part of. The Internet has broken open this system and put the economic power back into the hands of artists.

Taking your work around to galleries and shops used to be an expensive and humiliating exercise. Ten years ago when I first set up my studio I would travel long distances and set up meetings with "retail outlets" and when I got there they would have the meeting outside on a bench, or not be there and tell me to come back tomorrow or any number of other depressing scenarios. I once went to a lot of trouble to set up a meeting in Byron Bay (400 kilometres from where I live) and the shop owner suggested I meet her at the side of the road at a place bizarrely named Billienudgel (!) and show her my pots from the boot of the car.
"....oh you'd like to show me your art and talk about me stocking it....Why don't we meet here....in the MIDDLE OF THE SAHARA DESERT?"
I didn't do it but the fact that someone would think it is Ok to treat professional artists this way is outrageous.

Selling direct subverts all this. The only trouble with selling direct is that it is hard to get an audience. That is where the Internet comes into it's full power. I call those who practice these subversive activities "craft guerrillas"

Craft Guerillas Unite! Dependence on the system or voluntary poverty is not our fate!

How to...... Get a Blog Started for Artists

beautiful fabric from Melbourne company Ink and Spindle

Here is another entry for those who want to enter the blogosphere. The first thing I would say is...IT IS NOT NECCESSARY TO WRITE YOUR OWN BLOG TO BE SUCCESSFUL ON THE INTERNET. You should only start a blog if you are interested in either writing or photography and you intend to keep posting regularly. A blog with infrequent, poor or boring content will not do you any favours.

You can successfully be part of the blogosphere by posting comments on others blogs and sending photos and press releases to other, established bloggers. The only thing I'd add about this strategy is that in sending someone photos and information you are actually asking them a favour, introducing yourself in a polite and respectful way is essential. I sometimes get -emails along the lines of "I am a Canadian ceramicist would you put my work on your blog?" Well......no.
Working with e-mail is like meeting people in real life. Would you walk up to someone a a party and say "Hi . I'm great will you promote my work?" Very bad pick-up line.

Starting a blog...
1. Think of why you want to write a blog. I think a theme is quite good as it narrows down your perspective and prevents your blog from becoming a boring list of things you have been doing (eg. "Strange Fragments" is about craft and design)

2. Go to the Blogger website and sign up. It is easy and the instructions will just walk you through.

3.Posting a blog is a bit like writing something in a Word document. The little row of icons at the top of the "new post" box are what you use to add images from your computer, add links etc.

4. Images are really important for artists blogs. Consider signing up to a photography site called Flickr. This site allows you to download high resolution images and creates an online gallery of your photos. You can put the photos on your blog from Flickr and also use it as a portfolio and send galleries and other bloggers to your Flickr site if you want them to see your whole body of work.


a weird little vase I made at the ANU summer school in Trudi Golley's workshop.

5.Sign up to Google Analytics so you can see how many people are visiting your blog , what country they come from, how long they spend on each page etc.

7. Blurb is a wonderful resource for artists. On this website you can start a book, chose any size, format, write your own text and upload images. When the book is finished you can buy as many copies for yourself as you wish and put it up for sale in the Blurb bookshop. This is a great resource for creating a folio to show galleries.

6.Start using the internet. Post a few entries. start putting up links in your blog. Contact blogs and websites you really like and introduce yourself and tell people you have linked to them. comment on others blogs. The more you use the internet the more you build community. Be part of the online community.

Be "swellegant" at your next gallery opening with the power of the blog!

7. Bring the blogs down to earth. It is no use being an online success if you are not getting work or actually meeting people in the flesh. Visit other cities and see if you can catch up with people you have met online. Conferences, art openings and industry events are great for this. Instead of lurking by the back wall desperately clutching your rapidly warming champagne next time you are at an opening you will know some people there through blogging. Say hello. It is important to supplement online activity with real events. Artists (particularly if you are a bit shy) can easily get caught up in the virtual world with no benefit to themselves or their practice, real contact with real people is the final, and most important step for getting the web to work for you.

How to Use the Web for Artists OR a Lifeline for the Technologically Reluctant

I am doing a blog workshop this Wednesday at the Maleny Artworks Gallery. This post is also part of a panel I am taking part in at the Australian Ceramics Triennale in July this year.

Blogging can give people greater insight into the artistic process, most particularly how entwined the process of inspiration and making is in everyday life. I encourage all artists to find their own little corner of the internet, reading blogs, posting comments on others blogs and posting images to established blogs are all powerful ways of connecting with other artists and the wider community.

I heard an amazing statistic the other day...98% of web content is written by 2% of web users. Many people feel that blogging is something they just can't get into because they haven't got time. I maintain that artists can use the internet better, to meet their peers, learn technical information, gain inspiration and promote their own work. With this in mind I've compiled a list of links (or as I like to call it a lifeline for the technologically reluctant) This will enable you to dip your toe into the sea of blogs and wade out as far as you feel comfortable- who knows some of you may become addicted and venture off beyond the breakers!

Art and design
These blogs are good for inspiration browsing and researching names of galleries/markets etc that might be worth approaching personally.
Moda Muse- Australian Contemporary Craft and Design
Handmadelife- an artists blog featuring work from Ramona Barry and Rebecca Jobson and exhibitions around Melbourne, Australia.
Dear Ada- amazing art and design blog based in America but featuring international artists.
Design Sponge- design and interiors based in America, if you can get your work on this blog you will definitely recieve approaches from galleries- it is very widely read.
Udessi- Brisbane based artist and business woman Kim Wallace's blog connected to her online store, beautiful art and design.

Illustration Art- drawing and illustration blog.
High up in the trees- Gracia Haby, illustrator, zine writter and bookmaker extraordinare.

Fashion
Kris's Colour Stripes- fashion designer photography and colour swatches. Isolates the colours from his photos, excellent resource.

The Sartorialist- pure inspiration from fashion photographer Scott Schuman. Street shots from European capitals and New York.



Food
101 Cookbooks- cookbook author and photographer San Francisco based Heidi Swanson's cooking blog.
Not Quite Nigella- cupcake queen and food blogger from Sydney, Australia.

Recipe on Not Quite Nigella Blog


Photography
Simply Photo- Jennifer Causey excellent photography blog featuring international photographers.
Simply Breakfast- Jennifer Causey (professional photographer) beautiful photo blog of her breakfasts.

Jen Causey's latest breakfast.

Textiles
Kirin Notebook- Lara Cameron, Melbourne artist and textile designer gives insight into her studio and inspiration.

A shot from Lara Cameron's studio
Mantua Maker- Ruth Singer UK based textile artist and fashion designer.


Ceramics
Six Hundred Degrees- Sophie Milne, Australian ceramicist
Musing About Mud- Carole Epp's wide ranging ceramics blog. A good place to start.
Sawdust and Dirt- Michael Kline, a wood-firin' , country livin', dad from Carolina, beautiful pots and insights into the potting life.
Euan Craig- Australian born potter living in Japan and working with a top Tokoyo chef to create tableware and food that combine as one.



Australian Ceramics Triennale- Information about the Australian Ceramics Triennale and a comprehensive overview of the many exhibitors, speakers and ceramics. An excellent resource for those who can't attend in person.

Our own lives

My Poppy jug and beakers at Cairns Regional Gallery

I love doing this blog but it is time-consuming (sometimes thinking of something intelligent to say is a real effort!) I do it for a couple of reasons, the first is that I really believe that artists and ceramicists in particular don't tell the wider world clearly enough what we really do. I want people to have a greater insight into the artistic process, most particularly how entwined the process of inspiration and making is in everyday life. Also I think many people in Australia think of art as a "hobby". Through this blog I want to illuminate the work of an artist, the day to day organization and show that thinking of wonderful ideas is just the tip of the iceberg.

The other main reason I write the blog is for our obscure little corner of the art world. I think if you can speak you should. Being and artist is a lonely profession, especially if you live in the country. We need to talk more amongst ourselves. Question each other, examine each other's work. I find there is often a reluctance to engage in discussion about the arts bureaucracy, competitions, others people's work, govt funding etc and really believe that a lively community full of discussion and disagreement makes us all stronger. Many potters feel that if they "criticize" something they are damaging our chances as a community of getting more funding or, being negative. I think the insidious pressure not to speak about our own art, our own jobs and our own lives is way more damaging.

Ceramics Review Blog

Teabowl by Emmanuel Cooper
I've just discovered a fantastic new blog. It is written by Emmanuel Cooper and associated with the covetable British magazine Ceramic Review. Full of great observations about ceramics in the world of modern art, with a couple of recipes thrown into the mix this will become a regular on my reading list.

PS.I just thought I'd mention for readers new to the blog scene..... when you see text in a different colour on a blog this is actually a link through to the subject the author is writing about. So if you click on the word "blog" in the first line of this entry you'll get whisked through to the Ceramic Review blog.

Craft Intelligence

I have just discovered an essential blog for anyone interested in handmade ceramics. Judith and David Rofe are serious collectors of contemporary Australian pottery and have set up a scholarly and fascinating blog on their collection with an emphasis on tracking down the provenance of unknown pieces. This is a major contribution to the craft community . Australian pottery is rarely treated so seriously and with such respect. Recording the history of our craft increases 'Craft intelligence" in everyday society, this leads to an increased appreciation of the role artists play in our communities and, in turn, a greater chance of artists being able to make a living.

Here is what Judith sees as the role of her blog and collection:
"I've been anxious that contemporary potters might not like a blog encouraging people to collect work from "the last century". It is now much harder to make a living as a potter so shouldn't the collecting dollars go to new work? But at the moment there are few outlets where Australians can gain an appreciation of Australian pottery. Public collections are not often on display (with the exception of Shepparton). Retail outlets are few and far between, replaced by shops selling glass or imported pottery. Work in private galleries is often very highly priced and targeted to an elite market.
It is also a snapshot of a current body of work and doesn't reveal any history of development of a potter's individual style. It is as though a potter always exists in the present. And even the term "Australian pottery" has been commandeered in the collecting world by pre-war studio pottery and the slip-cast work of semi-commercial potteries."

This contemporary potter thanks you from the bottom of my heart...........
The images are of my hands. They were taken by Anne Mossman at a recent workshop I did for the Gold Coast Potters. Blogging and virtual friends are fun but they are no replacement for coming down to earth and meeting wonderful artists and budding artists . Sharing knowledge is what keeps a craft alive. Read more about what a fun weekend we had here..and here.

udderly delicious

Fliss Dodd from "Udder" has started a blog. Fliss makes wonderful, weird and sweet toys. Welcome to the blogosphere!