Blog Archive

Monday, June 27, 2016

the process of making cups

Well its all very complicated and with ceramics as always there is a waiting game to play.

you make the cup and let it dry a little,
then smooth it a bit
then paint it a little, then let it dry
and paint it a little more

drying and firing

and glazing and firing

waiting for opportunities to take them to the kiln
and bring them home

then they can be placed for people to find






each cup is being decorated very carefully and i a special and individual way, then when I get the messages from people, I will choose a cup and write the message carefully on the inside with cobalt oxide. The cups must stay unfired until I do this, so It has a better chance of having nice clear blue writing.

So if you give me a message for a cup, keep in mind it will take a while to get onto the cup, then fired twice, then onto its adventure.



And here below are some I painted tonight whilst entertaining a visitor.
I have been using liquid underglazes and blue stains and cobalt oxide. 
They will look completely different when fired, and also much more blue!
What's very special about ceramics is that you cannot predict what it will look like. You have to make something and then wait and see how it turns out.



Message in a cup

Messages and stories of Learning in Footscray are collected and then written onto the insides of one hundred blue cups. The cups are placed in Footscray during Blu-scray events to be found by people and taken home. 

BluScray is a collaboration between Victoria University and Maribyrnong City Council
 as part of Footscray University Town and the VU Centenary

defiance, feminism, empathy

Mari said:

Hey this is some Footscray statement graffiti - will it work?



When I asked Mari her own thoughts about learning,

this is what she said:


Learning doesn't just take the form of formal education in a place of learning, and isn't imparted only by those who 'know'. It can also be a moment of insight in the mind of someone who has just read some public protest graffiti or art.


I made a cup for the graffiti artist, who was definitely wanting to share their ideas, and one for Mari's ideas about learning.



Message in a cup

Messages and stories of Learning in Footscray are collected and then written onto the insides of one hundred blue cups. The cups are placed in Footscray during Blu-scray events to be found by people and taken home. 

BluScray is a collaboration between Victoria University and Maribyrnong City Council
 as part of Footscray University Town and the VU Centenary