Score

'Bring out your dead'.  It's that time again, when the good people of my suburb put their unwanted items for collection by the council.   Many a time have I slowed to a crawl by the verge to peruse for any top finds.  The problem is I'm far too self conscious to get out and start picking over my neighbours' detritis, so have to restrict any hunting and gathering to nightfall or the backstreets.  Not so one of my dear friends, who is out shamelessly combing the streets for the entire week and comes home with some top booty.  She knew I collected mid century European cermics and came over with this ... "isn't this like the stuff you like?"

Oh indeed Mrs.  It is a Bitossi ashtray and would set me back at least fifty bucks were I to acquire it from a dealer. 

And look how well it goes with my other Bitossi.
 

It looks even more at home with a bunch of keys contained within, with a nod to the seventies and some free loving.

Happy days!

The world does not need more bad pots

For the past two years I've been dabbling in a bit of pottery, I may have mentioned it.  Starting out with a beginners class at Perth Studio Potters, I've now nearly finished a semester of Cermaics at TAFE.   It is quite different at TAFE, all about the skill and art in pottery, rather than the craft.  Oh yes, there is a difference.

I've made lots of really bad pots.  But this is not one of them.  This one was charmed from the moment it centred on the wheel like a breeze, to when it came out of the kiln from it's glaze firing.

I won't bother putting up any pictures of the dud pots.   As the wonderful Bela tells us constantly at TAFE, the world does not need more bad pots.

This week I had to buy a wedding present for some girls who are tieing the knot.  Perth Potters have a great gallery open on Saturday mornings where you can buy amazing pieces for snip made by people with far more experience, skill and creativity than I will ever have.

They gave me a copy of this when I was there and I've been enjoying living the history of ceramics in our little town.  For over 50 years a group of passionate and dedicated ladies (mostly ladies) have kept the craft alive in Perth.

It is full of lots of shots like this, god bless.   Another collared shirt on fetching jumper, you might remember the look, from the eighties.  I know I do, I had plenty of both.

Going back a bit further to the sixties, look at the ladies down on their hands and knees laying crazy paving out the back of the studio, no old jeans for these dames!

By loveliest of all are the stories of passion and pleasure gained from the process of mastering a craft, and constantly adding to the skills and ideas that take a lifetime to gather to be a truly great potter.   I hope I'm still throwing pots when I'm in my eighties.  Now that's something to aspire to.