Summary

A range of durable and functional handmade ceramics featuring our Australian native flannel flower. The wares are designed to look at home in a range of domestic aesthetics. The colours are neutral and the forms are simple.

The pieces are durable, chip-resistant, food-safe, dishwasher and microwave safe, designed for everyday living.

Organisation

DM Pottery

Team

DM Pottery is me - Denise McDonald, Potter.

I was originally trained as a Landscape Architect and worked as such for a relatively short time before realising I wanted to get my hands dirtier - with clay.

After obtaining a Diploma in Arts (Ceramics) at Holmesglen TAFE in Melbourne in 1996-97, I completed a traineeship at Dartington Pottery in England (1998-99) and worked in a series of small potteries and studios in England, Melbourne and Sydney. I set up my own workshop called 'Biscuit Pottery' in 2003, and later in 2010, after a period learning about business and technology in a large UK Bank, set up my current Sydney studio under the name DM Pottery.

Inspiration/Method

As I watch the Federation Period houses in my part of Sydney slowly disappearing in favour of modern grey blocks, I wanted to do something to remember the beautiful pressed glass windows that occur in some of these homes.

One of the most charming examples of this 100 year old glass has an elegant flannel flower pattern on it. I have incorporated this design into a range of handmade ceramics that I make by hand.

I made a mould of the original glass surface and use this mould to texture flat slabs of clay with the flannel flower pattern. Working a little like a dressmaker, I have developed templates and systems of darts and folds to turn these two dimensional sheets of clay into three dimensional bowls, jugs, cups, teapots, plates and vases. I also use wheel thrown elements with these formed slabs.

The surfaces of the pieces are further embellished using a white slip (liquid clay) as well as glazes developed by me to capture the softness of the flannel flower, in whites and pale greens.

The work is glost fired to stoneware temperature (1280C) in an electric kiln.

Design Challenge

The challenge was to design something that successfully carried this heritage feature from 100 year old domestic architecture into a new contemporary setting.

The work is modern and clean in its forms. This contrasts with the Art Nouveau flannel flowers of its surface decoration. The result is ceramics that sit comfortably in a range of home aesthetics.

From a process perspective, it was challenging taking a flat slab of clay and developing methods of efficiently creating forms that functioned well and were repeatable in what is essentially a totally handmade way of working.

I found myself developing new methods of working. I used pottery traditions as a starting point (such as wheel forming), and combined these methods with others (such as slab building) and found new and, for me, exciting ways of creating forms.