AT FULL TILT, SINGING AS I GO

This week has been one of those full-tilt-singing-as-one-goes sort of weeks. The days have been glorious, though cold enough to wear a tartan coat and a sunbeam....

I finished the door commission, mentioned a few posts ago......



...... and visited my "good luck" gallery in my favourite little mountain village ....


..... ate lunch next to a waterfall, at a restaurant overlooking the farm where I spent most of my childhood.

I also treated myself to a Clementina van der Walt plate, something I've been wanting to do for a long time.


Ceramics by Clementina van der Walt at The Underberg Studio. The plate I bought is in the top left corner.

The Underberg Studio gallery stocks art by leading South African ceramists. This little gallery is my lucky charm ..... and I'm not saying anymore in case I jinx it ;-)

Quirky ceramic jugs by Hennie Meyer.

Ceramic Tile by Cathy Brennon. (I happen to have this tile on my wall :-)

Cathy and Lawrance Brennon, the owners of the gallery, are both recognized artists in their own right. Cathy is a ceramist who creates a range of amazing pieces, from delicate, detailed bowls to earthy, African inspired body masks.

Delicate bowl by Catherine Brennon at The Underberg Studio gallery.

Lawrance is a photographer who captures the stunning beauty of surrounding mountains with his camera. He also makes pinhole cameras and has a blog where he shares his passion for photography.


Potter at Work by Lawrance Brennon. See more on Lawrance's blog, here.

The ceramics studio (attached to the gallery), is full to brimming with bits and pieces that grip one's attention from the moment one walks in the door.

Ceramics Studio. The clay busts you see are also made by Cathy.

Have you ever tried holding a conversation with someone while your eyes are darting around the room and though you are hanging onto every word because the words are important you are battling to pull your eyes back into their sockets so that you don't appear rude? That is what it is like for me when visiting the studio. There is just so much I need to look at! Shelves of art books ...... half finished ceramic pieces ..... new ideas carved in clay .... pottery tools ..... sacred treasures gathered on walks ..... shards of blue and white porcelain, stumbled upon during a trip to Japan .... pinch pots filled with found objects and inspiration.

"There are mountainous, arduous days, up which one takes an infinite time to climb, and downward-sloping days which one can descend at full tilt, singing as one goes". - Marcel Proust

ART BOOK FETISH

There's a new title in the Lark 500 series called 500 Tiles. I had to have it!





To me inspiration means new ideas. New ideas mean new work. New work means pleasing potential buyers. Potential buyers mean earning an income. Earning an income means I can afford more wonderful books to inspire me.



Does everyone go through this process to justify book addictions? Books (particularly art books) give me endless joy. They are my springboards to new ideas. I discover new artists, new mediums , new processes and new outlooks.




In 500 Tiles, I discovered Steven Bird's quirky mosaics. He creates playful, naive ceramic pieces, a number of which are featured in 5oo Tiles.


I'm guessing he started making mosaics when he had a surplus of broken ceramics that were beautiful in their own right. Far too good to throw out. His work makes me smile. (Another good reason for buying this book. There are many pieces that make me smile).



South African artist Hennie Meyer also features. He is known for his quaint teapots but now I have fallen in love with his tiles.


The set of 6 tiles tiles above are made by Hennie Meyer and the mosaics are created by Stephen Bird.