Meet the Makers: Melbourne Ceramics Market

The pottery wheel scene in Ghost has officially been confirmed as a very common reference that Tina Thorburn and Daisy Cooper, the creators, curators and coordinators of Melbourne Ceramic Market (MCM) get tired of hearing. In fact, we're confident that everyone at Melbourne’s newest independent ceramics market has heard it before, too.

Knowing that, don’t ask about it at the upcoming MCM summer event, which is on again at the end of the month, Saturday 25 and Sunday 26 November, in Collingwood.

After a bustling and successful turnout of more than two thousand people for their launch event in August, MCM is back bigger and better, showcasing over fifty emerging and established ceramic makers under one roof and aiming to create a vibrant marketplace that highlights and reflects the work of Melbourne’s finest ceramic talent.

Annette Wagner caught up with Tina and Daisy and asked them some questions about being ceramicists.

Tina Thorburn (L) and Daisy Cooper (R), the creators, curators and coordinators of Melbourne Ceramic Market. Photo: Annette Wagner.

Tell us your insights about the Melbourne ceramic movement.

DC: It’s here and it needs to be celebrated! There are so many amazing artists creating really interesting work across all the fields of ceramics that it’s hard not to be immersed in it.

TT: The appreciation for ceramics has grown in this movement and it seems pottery schools can’t keep up with demand of people wanting to try ceramics!

Did this prompt the ceramic focused market?

DC: Yes, we felt that there were so many makers going unseen and there wasn’t a specific market outlet for them. There was a niche that needed filling.

TT: Not everyone who tries ceramics will enjoy the process, and not everyone is good at it. Why not connect people who love and appreciate ceramics with local ceramicists who make beautiful work? 

Is the ceramic market competitive or community orientated?  

DC: Completely community orientated! We want to create a space that allows new makers to the market scene feel supported and welcomed. Of course there is a competitive element in the selling, but in a welcoming and knowledgeable way.

Tina Thorburn, at August 2017 Melbourne Ceramic Market. Photo: Annette Wagner

TT: We are intentionally doing specific things to make this more than a market. For example, we raised thirteen hundred dollars for SisterWorks by collecting gold coin donations at our last market, and we have lots of fun things planned for midsummer events that bring the community of ceramicists in contact with the general community. We are about more than selling ceramics. We also believe we are responsible to help educate people about the craft and share our insights as full-time potters with other makers.

What customer insights have you been able to observe from the recent market? 

TT: We’ve had lots of feedback. Everyone loved it but some found it too crowded. We have taken steps to make the November market bigger and control the crowds better. It’s all a big learning curve!

What is the response from your consumers?

TT: Many customers asked us to do monthly markets, but we want to stay fresh and keep our markets boutique in feel. 

Is there a demand from the more conscious consumer for more thoughtful pieces?

TT: Yes! And this is linked to the whole handmade movement that is giving pottery its big presence. In our experience, people are craving things that are thoughtfully made and with purpose in mind. Ceramics is functional art and there is big demand for that now!

What and where are your top tips, from where to fire work to how to use a wheel?

DC: There are so many amazing ceramics schools around Melbourne and across Australia. Get yourself booked into a class and have a go at as many things as you can. Don’t be afraid of the wheel (like me)—go for it!

TT: My top tip, and the thing I tell people in my workshops, is to be kind to yourself. If you give kids a piece of clay they’ll dive straight in and make weird and wonderful things without self criticism. Give adults a piece of clay and they’ll automatically say they aren’t creative, or panic about what they ‘should’ make. In my experience, no one is good at ceramics from the start. It takes time, practice, patience and kindness to oneself to get good.

When did you first start working with ceramics, and for how long? 

DC: I started an evening class in London at Turning Earth Ceramics Studio in May 2014 and have never looked back. From there, it has all been self-taught and having amazing ceramic maker friends to call upon when I get stuck with something technical or tricky. The wealth of knowledge of other makers is invaluable to a creative.

TT: I took it up in October 2014, so coming up to three years. I took it up as an evening filler because the hockey season had finished and I wanted to keep busy. It was an eight-week course at the Carlton Arts Centre. By March 2015, I’d quit my job and became a full time potter.

Where did your interest in ceramics come from?

DC: I was travelling around Australia and China in 2013 and fell in love with the colours, textures and variety of ceramic work out there. I thought to myself, I want to try my hands at this! I found my medium!

TT: I had an inkling I would enjoy ceramics because my dad had done a lot of ceramics through his life. His pieces litter his house, and I grew up with handmade ceramics all over my childhood home.

Can you remember the first piece you ever made? Was it a coil pot?!

DC: It was indeed a coil pot! I am truly useless at the wheel, so my first pieces were some bowls (not great) and a set of cups (a bit better). I still have the cups and my mum has the bowls. I get them out now and then to remind myself how far I’ve come in three years! It’s always a laugh for my family and partner.

TT: I learned on the wheel and we threw away our first two weeks attempts in an effort to loosen up our expectations. The first batch of pieces from that course were given to friends and family for Christmas. I regret this as every once in a while my mother-in-law will pull out a cup made in that first batch to show off, only making me cringe and want to break in when no one is home and smash those early pieces! They are so different and primitive to what I make now.

What appealed to you about working with ceramics, as opposed to other forms of art?

DC: I studied fine art, so have tried my hand at many art forms, from painting to screen printing and now ceramics. I love anything that is hands-on and where you really get into the raw materials, so clay was the ultimate medium for me. I’ve even worked with clay that I have dug straight from the earth near home in Scotland. You don’t get much closer to the raw material than that.

TT: I love clay. It's the only thing in the world that slows me down. I'm not naturally a patient person but I have to be with clay and that quality is slowly creeping into the rest of my life. Ceramics has also helped nurture a stillness in me that is helping with my self esteem and giving me to time and space to figure out where I belong in the world. Sounds very profound, and to be honest, it is.

What other artist/s do you admire that were represented at the market?

DC: That’s a hard one. The quality of work was so amazing from all the makers, but obviously Tina’s work and work ethic inspires me greatly, along with Melanie Channel and Dasa Ceramics for their enthusiasm and love of the craft.

TT: I love Daisy's work along with Ghostwares, alhora and Georgina Proud.

Do you ever get the equivalent of ‘writers block’?

DC: Sometimes, and it’s usually when I’ve got loads of orders to fulfil and I just want to create something of my own that’s a bit different but when I come to create this piece I get stuck. It’s usually overcome by telling myself to look around at what you’ve achieved! Just try something new. What’s the worst that can happen?

TT: Yeah, I guess so. But when that happens I give myself a day of play in the studio where I follow the clay and make whatever I want rather than fill orders.

What do you value most: the process of creating a piece or the achievement of having made it?

DC: The process of making the work is the most valuable to me. I get to come to work every day and make! For myself! It doesn’t get better than that. Once my pieces are out in the world, they are their own thing, but it’s the pleasure of making that makes this the best job in the world.

TT: The process. I adore glazing. I think that is where all the magic happens. And that process will make or break a piece. I get so nervous about bringing my pieces into the world for sale. This is getting easier for me, but I find each piece has a bit of my soul in it. I have crafted the clay into what it is, and to put it on a table and ask people for money is scary. Sometimes people scoff and say it’s too much, sometimes people say hurtful things, like they could make that. I find that part of the process very taxing.

What do you least enjoy about ceramics? References to the scene from Ghost?!

DC: Ha ha, yep, lots of Ghost references—which have no relevance to me as I don’t throw! I think the hardest thing is putting yourself out there. There are major highs and major lows with creating and running your own business, but the highs usually outweigh the lows.

TT: I get this all the time. And I just smile and nod.

What qualities make a great ceramic piece?

DC: Timelessness. A piece that can sit in a house or a gallery and always bring you back to it is a great ceramic piece.

TT: For me, the mindset and ethos of the person who made it. I also like bright colours and unique takes on old techniques.

What do regard as more important: a piece that is aesthetically pleasing, or one that has practical function? 

DC: That’s a hard one to answer. It’s a combination of both for me. I would never use or buy something that I didn’t find aesthetically pleasing but I also love a functional piece that I can get pleasure out of using every day.

TT: For me, functionality is paramount. I don't make anything that doesn't have a use. I think ceramics is the perfect balance of function and art.

If you weren’t working in ceramics, what other field would you work in?

DC: I’ve worked a lot as an arts facilitator in the disabilities sector. I love working with groups of individuals who are so talented but either don’t get the representation they deserve or don’t believe themselves to be the artists they are. Working to help people realise this is so rewarding and something I recommend anyone to try volunteering in. There are so many amazing organizations out there like Arts Project Australia that need support and recognition for the work they do.

TT: I will probably go back and study nursing/midwifery in the next five years. I care a lot about rural health and think balancing ceramics with a health career will allow me to live the life I wants in my later thirties.

The MCM will be held on Saturday 25 and Sunday 26 November 2017 at Fiveasy Upstairs, 5 Easy St, Collingwood, 3066. Opening hours are Saturday 10am–6pm and Sunday 10am–4pm.

For more about the MCM, visit their website at melbourneceramicsmarket.com or follow them on Facebook (melbourneceramicsmarket) and Instagram (@melbourne.ceramics.market).

Annette Wagner is a designer, marketer, creative consultant, artist and writer. She is also on the board of the Creative Women’s Circle. Obsessively passionate about the arts and the creative process, she is determined to not talk art-speak and instead focus on supporting and sharing concepts and insights most creative types crave to know.

Australian Women in Art: Outsider Artist Jasmine Mansbridge

Jasmine Mansbridge is an ongoing contributor and supporter of CWC, and an artist with an upcoming show at Koskela in Sydney this year. In the often intimidating art world, Jasmine would be considered an “outsider artist,” a term used for people who are untrained, without a formal art school education. However, as you’ll read from Jasmine’s contribution below, her training has been gained through mentors and life. And, like many other “outsider artists,” she is generating a swirl of supporters and attention through sheer drive, visibility, and consistent, passionate determination.

With no formal fine art education, you are very much an “outsider artist,” as the industry likes to say. How has your journey as an artist transpired? Tell us about finding confidence and courage in your style, and why painting has become your passion.

My overall naivety about the art business reveals itself to me more and more as time goes on. It was around this time last year that I was referred to by a gallery as an outsider artist. This was the first time I became aware of the term. I think if years ago—when I started painting—I had known what I know now about the complexity of the art world, I would have been too overwhelmed to feel I could ever experience success as an artist.

My desire to be an artist has been built by the practical application of creativity. I became pregnant at age seventeen, and at the time I was living in Katherine in the Northern Territory. There was no internet, no phone, and often no transport. I lived away from my parents while all my friends had typical teenage lifestyles. I was determined to be the best mother I could, so I began painting as a way to channel my frustration and loneliness into something positive. I would be home painting while everyone else I knew was out. My painting sustained me and gave me a way to express myself.

In those early years, I was encouraged by older, established creative people within the Katherine community. This is one reason I love to share with people, because I am proof that creativity can bring so many good things to one’s life.

My growth as an artist has been largely organic. I am big on taking opportunities presented to me. I have so much to learn, but I have always figured I will only learn by doing. I think that the hard thing about being on outside, is getting on the inside!

How did you arrive at your medium? Has painting always been your creative outlet? Expand on finding painting and the specifics of the medium (such as acrylic on board).

When I first started painting, it was with those tiny tubes of acrylic you could buy from a newsagent, and watercolour paper. I still have some of those early works.

I was encouraged to paint by my in-laws at the time. They run an Aboriginal art gallery in Katherine and began giving me linen off-cuts and basic paint colours. This is where my obsession with quality art materials began, because it makes all the difference to a piece.

It wasn’t until I started to sell work and buy it myself that I realised how much it all cost. If you know someone who likes to paint, why not buy her some good stuff? It makes such a difference. I have always painted with acrylics because I’ve always worked within the home environment. They dry very quickly and don’t have the smell that oils do. They also work well with my style and allow me a lot of control. I love to paint on linen as it is such a beautiful product, but I also work on board, and on paper for smaller works. In saying that, this year I plan to experiment with oils to see what they do visually to my style.

With a growing number of solo exhibitions, a book, public murals, and a pending exhibition at Koskela later this year, how do you divide your time while still being present to your family of five? 

It is answering this question that led me to write my book, There Is a Paintbrush in My Coffee. In the book, I talk about all the ways I have learnt to work over the years.

You have to be very passionate about something to give it the energy that I give my painting and my family. But the nature of painting—the solitude, the contemplative aspect of it—is quite complimentary to the overall busyness of my life. My family brings its own blessings in that they love me and need me whether I do good work or no work. It is a great balance to the ego having children. I am often reminded of the saying, “Before enlightenment, chop firewood and cart water. After enlightenment, chop firewood and cart water.”

It is school holidays at the moment, so my house is like a bomb site. I have to set very low expectations of what I will get done so I can be happy. I am glad I have the excuse of being a artist so I can ignore the mess and let the kids be “creative.” During school term I use a bit of daycare, do “kid swaps”; I have a couple teenage babysitters, and sometimes I pay my own teenagers as well. It is always a juggle because children’s routines and needs are always changing. Simply put, I am a control freak who has had to learn to let a lot slide. There is a line from the cartoon Madagascar that stays in my head: “Just smile and wave, boys, smile and wave…. often all you can do.”

This year will see a massive shift with the oldest two (20 and 17) away at university, two in school, and only one (my crazy two-year-old) at home. So I am planning on taking on a bit more this year commitment-wise. Exciting times ahead. My husband has a job that sees him working long hours, especially at this time of year; we are both ambitious in our own way. But me working from home means I am also running the home. It is a challenge, but I have come to accept that it always will be. To be working creatively is a great gift, something I am aware of and grateful for daily.

My greatest asset, I think, is to be able to mentally “turn on a dime” and paint productively in short spaces of time. If I have an hour I use that hour. You have to develop and nurture that skill. My biggest tip would be to get a space to work where you can leave your work—even if it is just a corner in your bedroom (where I worked for many years), or a drawer in a cupboard. Doing this means you are able to maximise your work time and not waste it setting up or packing up.

Being creative is such a wonderful way to relax, to order your thoughts, to challenge yourself, and to express yourself. It is a way to add value to your life.

Your work continues to progress. Who are your influences and inspiration and how important have mentors been to you?

I was a child who grew up without a television and I spent many hours drawing. My grandmother was an artist and she worked in a studio painting portraits, amongst other things. I was always disappointed at how my pictures looked compared to hers, so early on I tried to find my own way of visually representing things. I remember being awestruck the first time I saw mosaics, and I have been obsessed with pattern and repetitive design for as long as I can remember. These elements have always been present in my work in some way.

While still in Katherine (which I left when I was twenty-six), I spent time with established Indigenous artists. Their use of pattern, and their patience and devotion to their work, resonated deeply with me. I learnt a lot about the life of an artist, and how important it is that it be tailored around the work. My life is like that. My life and my painting are not separate but the same. I have always felt greatly moved in nature and had a connection to the physical world, and this—as well as storytelling—are all aspects of my work.

This philosophy has seen me ride the highs and lows of the “career” side of my life well. At the end of the day, I would make work with or without an audience. While commercial success and sales are important because they enable my work—and me—to grow, I often remind myself that to do meaningful, connected work, I have to be meaningful and connected to my work. Otherwise it will become empty, repetitive, and meaningless.

In the last few years, social media has allowed me to connect with a wider audience and has given me some wonderful friends and mentors. I am grateful for this and I definitely do not feel the isolation I once felt as an artist living in a regional area. There are also more creative people living and working in my local area (Hamilton, Victoria). I think we are in exciting times for regional centres as new hubs for creative growth, perhaps due to cheap living costs and the internet making the world a much smaller place.

You mentioned M.C Escher; he is certainly an artist who I have long admired. I also love the suburban paintings of Jeffrey Smart, the Australian artist. They say something about the artistic quality of the man-made world. Of artists working presently, I think Ghostpatrol (David Booth) does interesting and clever pieces, as does Miranda Skoczek. I have a friend here in Hamilton, Grotti Lotti, who is making beautiful work as well. I love a lot of art, but it is the paintings I remember that impact me. That is my measure of good work: the images that stay with me long after I have seen them.

Patti Smith has influenced my thinking a lot in the last few years. Her thoughts on the culture of celebrity have got me thinking about this within the art world, and her simple advice to just “do your best work” resonates with me time and time again.

You have a big exhibition at Koskela in Sydney later this year. How did you secure your gallery exhibitions? What are your top tips for other artists trying to establish themselves and secure gallery exhibitions? 

I am really looking forward to showing at Koskela. I remember going to a Rachel Castle workshop there in 2012, thinking how much I would like to exhibit there. Like most things I do, the time between the seed of the idea and it actually happening is usually a long time.

I don’t have time or resources to pursue a broad range of ideas, so I generally pursue only a couple important ones. I actually flew to Sydney this time last year to meet with the art director and show her some work in the flesh. This was after some time spent sending emails back and forth and developing connections there. Anything worth doing costs something, and finding places to show your work is no different. For a long time now, all the money I make goes back into the work, so I am able to make bigger and better things happen. Then, of course, you have to do the work. Every door opens another, so to speak. I want to keep making the work better to prove myself worthy of the next project, and so on. I say this all the while aware that I am not yet where I would like to be career-wise, and knowing that I have to take my own advice and be patient and consistent.

My advice to younger creatives is to get out and say “hi” to your heroes. You won't connect with everyone, but you don’t need to. Be yourself, but the best version of it. If you want to work with someone, reach out and tell him or her. The world is so small now; with social media, you can chat to almost anyone.

My favourite thought of late, which keeps me going when I am clueless, is this: No one has been me before. It’s very simple—scary, almost, but true. No one has been me. I can only make choices about what I want to do. I cannot follow, emulate, or duplicate another person’s career or life. I can’t live off someone else’s advice or example. It is a powerful truth.

You have only failed when you have quit, so keep working. Creativity is a long game. As I said above, it is inextricably linked with your life. Do your best work and get it out in the world.

Lastly, how important are your support networks? And what is some of the best advice you received when you were establishing yourself?

The Creative Women’s Circle came into my life at an important time, when I was feeling like I needed to link into something bigger than myself. Because I live regionally, work from home, and work in my home as a mother, I can feel isolated. Through CWC, I was able to meet people I would not normally meet. Blogging for the CWC helped me clarify my thoughts on many things, and cement my feelings about being a professional creative. I recommend membership to everyone I meet, as it is an invaluable resource and support system.

To see more of Jasmine’s work, visit her at jasminemansbridge.com. She can also be reached at jasminemansbridge@yahoo.com.au.

Annette Wagner is a designer, marketer, creative consultant, artist, and writer. She is also on the board of the Creative Women’s Circle. Obsessively passionate about the arts and the creative process, she is determined to not talk art-speak and instead focus on supporting and sharing concepts and insights most creative types crave to know.

Industry Insights: Miranda Moreira, artist and maker at Bride&Wolfe

Many of you know the beautiful objects Miranda Moreira creates for her business Bride&Wolfe, however, many don’t know its fairytale beginnings. From studying fine art with high distinctions and getting a gallery contract, to completing an apprenticeship with Greg Malouf, to becoming the private residential chef for Gerard Depardieu in Paris for 6 years. I certainly didn’t know and it makes me love Miranda’s work more.

I asked Miranda to share her story from amazing beginnings, how she manages her wholesaler relationships, the benefits of markets and diversifying, her recent invitation to the Paris Design Show and the importance of trusting your instincts.

From art school, to living and working in Paris, how did you arrive at exploring and establishing your own successful product range and business?

The Bride&Wolfe journey is a little bit of a fairytale. I studied fine art and finished well with high distinctions, but after years of schooling I’d run out of puff, and had a strong case of wanderlust. Keen to find a way of exploring the world with a creative career that wasn’t so precarious, I reinvented myself as a chef, finishing my apprenticeship with Greg Malouf in 1999 and immediately taking off for Europe.

I was working as a chef in London when I met and became friends with Carole Bouquet and her partner, the actor Gerard Depardieu. Within weeks I was in Paris, living in Gerard’s house as private chef for the next six years.

It was such a unique experience of French culture. I lived alongside their amazing art collection- original Rodin sculptures in the living room, Picabia paintings on the walls, Matisse etchings in the bathroom, it was mind-blowing. I learnt French quickly and my working life involved making dinners and conversation with film directors, actors and writers.

This high cultural influence was a great contrast to my own personal experience of Paris; wandering for miles across the city with my camera in hand, finding treasure in flea markets and artisanal shops, making new friends, just soaking everything in. It was brilliant.

I was still pursuing my art, making paintings, sculptures and collages, working from an old printmaking atelier in the 11th arrondissiment. I knew I’d eventually move home to Melbourne and couldn’t see myself as a chef forever, as much as I enjoyed it.

This is when the concept for Bride&Wolfe really started forming in my mind- living in Paris, making art, and imagining a working life back in Australia creating beautiful and personal objects for people’s homes.

BrideandWolfeGreenLeafMirror

As a maker, you are constantly exploring materials and construction. With a busy production schedule maintaining orders, do you purposefully allow time to create new products?

Early mornings and late evenings are set aside for writing and sketching up ideas; this is how new products are born.

I don’t know if routine is the right word as every day is so different, but to keep happy and productive my priorities are:

Music time- it’s a constant at home and at work.

Art time- whether it’s visiting local galleries or burying myself in an art book, art is part of the fabric of my life.

Exercise time- I have a ridiculous dance-based workout routine that has increased my levels of ‘happy’ and made my working days more productive.

Alone time- A little alone time everyday is important. It’s how I recharge and refocus when the (wonderful!) demands of work and family can get too much.

How did you establish your relationships with your wholesalers/stockists? 

I love my stockists, and for the most part I really enjoy wholesaling.

I’d say do your research and follow the 80-20 rule. Like all industries there are some challenging personalities in retail, and some stockists are very high maintenance. This is okay, but if they are not making good steady big orders then you need to decide if the time spend dealing with them is worth it!

Despite an established network of wholesalers/stockists, including being part of the David Bowie International touring exhibition, why are markets still important to you and what makes participating in a market successful for you?

There are some fantastic design markets in Oz, but they can be a lot of hard work. While my main focus has always been the online shop, markets are a fantastic way to connect with my customers. I love the feedback. My customers are super cool people and often involved in creative industries; with each new product the customer base grows and evolves. Recently I’ve noticed men really getting into Bride&Wolfe, which is brilliant.

What percentage of your sales come from your own ?

The online shop makes up the majority of my sales- wholesaling is wonderful but sometimes not very cost effective. Most of my international stockists have found me via design blogs and magazines.

Diversifying is really important, but also keeping it contained and balanced- I instinctively grow the brand at a rate I’m comfortable with.

BrideandWolfeMintCircleMeshShelf

Your 'Mesh Shelves' product range (above) recently represented Australia at the 2016 Paris Design Week.  How did this opportunity transpire and do you actively market Bride&Wolfe to be internationally recognised?

I was approached by a French curator who had seen my products on an international design blog, and he thought The Mesh Range range would work well in Paris, and he was right. It was a fabulous show, and the whole week in Paris was a dream.

Up until I started Bride&Wolfe I had no idea what PR or marketing meant- but really I see all communication as a form of marketing. Whether it’s an Instagram video ‘story’, having a laugh with an upcoming stylist or being involved in a Paris design show; at it’s essence it’s all about communicating, it’s about creating and sharing information, and growing brand awareness.

Lastly, how important are your support networks and what is some of the best advice you've received when you were establishing yourself?

My friends are my support networks. Spending time with my girlfriends is super important - aside from the general hilarity that unfolds when we’re together, they inspire me, level me and guide me.

Look at businesses you admire and analyse what it is about them that works. Lots of research, book reading and asking the right advice, have a manageable growth plan and trust your instincts.

Annette Wagneris a designer, marketer, creative consultant, artist, and writer. She is also on the board of the Creative Women’s Circle. Obsessively passionate about the arts and the creative process, she is determined to not talk art-speak and instead focus on supporting and sharing concepts and insights most creative types crave to know.