Featured Mud Colony Blogger - Sadhana Peterson !!

MC; What do you love the most about being apotter/ceramist/clayworker?

SP;  It soothes my soul …total therapy even when –

·       The pressure is on to get things done for adeadline.

·        Thearthritic hands are throbbing

·       The hard long hours end in disaster

I love it,there is just something about clay that makes me relax

MC   ; What inspires you ?

SP:  Nature, LIFE!….Many things

My work is often lop sided to reflect the imperfections of life . 
Although there is an off centre or lop sided aspect to each piece I make, there is an overall balance 

i.e. it will not fall over, I try to find a satisfyingly balanced imbalance . My general life philosophy is about accepting the lumps and bumps of life and dealing with them whole heartedly. The bumps are the hall marks of the individual. So my pots are about my lumpy and bumpy life

MC: Tell us about the processes involved inproducing your work ?

SP: I hand build and throw and sometimes combine the two.

Sustainability in life is important to me so I like to dig clay,

collect grasses and weave on my pots.

MC: Describe your studio

SP: My studio has two sides a textile room and a pottery room.

I also use a veranda with work tables and shelves that I have assigned  a section to paper making equipment like moulds and deckles and a Hollander beater, a section for dyeing equipment like hot plates, saucepans ,pressure cooker and ties -and a section for glazing.

Sadhana's studio....

Glaze area..

Outside area....

Paper making equipment...

Throwing corner...

Textile Sewing room...

MC:How do you market and sell your work?

SP: I mostly have exhibitions rather than shops and markets as my work is time consuming and I don’t seem to get enough time to make the stock for weekly or monthly selling.

My siblings are all artists.

We have a major exhibition every few years and have done so for the past 16 years.

I also exhibit in the occasional group show.

MC: How did you find Mud Colony?And  what impact ,( if any), has it had on your

blogging?

SP:I discovered the  website through the Australian Ceramic Associationemail list after a post  on it and I followed the links to the Mud Colony….I think that is what happened….I may have been web surfing …not sure !

It has changed my blogging in a huge way!

Having never had any response to my blog posts prior to joining The Mud Colony I feel like I am now a part of a ceramic community.It gives me incentive to document what I have done each week and spurs my workon .YAY 

MC: Are there any  clay blogs that you ALWAYS look at ,and why?

SP: Only just started this blogging thing! Not very good at it yet as you can see.

But enjoy all at the Mud Colony. That is quite a few for starters.

  MC: What would be YOUR advice to someone justbeginning their practice?

SP:Just do it , just enjoy, don’t think too much or worry about the outcomes to start with.

Look at books, go to exhibitions and work out what turns you on.

If you love what you do- then you will do it well.

Once you know what kind of work you want to make,

find out how those works were made, try it ,and make lots.

The best way to discover is to DO !

Then find a class that is in tune with what you want to make.

Make, make, make, make and throw back and recycle and make again

Only keep the ones you are REALLY happy with.

  My first teacher was Margaret Tuckson  and it is all the little things that she taught me as a 15 year old that are firmly implanted in how I work now.

How to knead and recycle clay and just to keep making and absorbing how different cultures have worked in clay. Keep learning and moving on!

Sadhana Peterson is a regular contributor to Mud Colony..read her blog 'Sadhana's Mixed Bag' 

check out her Facebook page 'Sadhana Peterson Mixed Media Artist'  and  have a look at her website !!