Dawn Vachon Ceramics via the design files

Dawn Vachon Ceramics:

Handcrafted cups by Dawn Vachon - slab-built, stoneware clay with various stains and clear glaze.

Plates, bowls and cups by Dawn Vachon -  wheel thrown stoneware, straw coloured scalloped glaze.

Dawn Vachon in her Brunswick home studio

We discovered Melbourne ceramicist Dawn Vachon via Instagram!  True story.  Instagram is our secret new research tool – watch out!  If you can avoid the ubiquitous cafe latte and pet pics there are some gems to be found!  Kidding kidding… (kind of).

Anyhoo Dawn Vachon.  What a talent!  I have immense LOVE for those super sweet teacups up top (blue / pink / white)… there’s something special about those just slightly wonky shapes and joins.  Also love the flecked stoneware clay and unexpected details – like handpainted polkadots and imprints hidden secretly on the underside of each vessel.. cute!

Ms Vachon is Canada-born but Melbourne based, and therefore has an extremely great accent.  As you are reading her responses to our questions below, imagine a friendly Degrassi-esque twang for the full effect.

Hi Dawn! Tell us a little bit about yourself and your craft.

I graduated from Emily Carr University in Vancouver, Canada with a Bachelor of Visual Arts in 2008, and moved to Melbourne shortly after. Upon migrating to the Southern Hemisphere it took me a little while to reacquaint myself with the world of ceramics again. This ‘ceramic drought’ finally ended when I was invited to compete a one-year residency at the Incinerator Arts Complex in Moonee Ponds, which finished this time last year. Now I spend my days either making fruit pyramids and kale forests at an organic vegetable shop in QV markets, making glazes at Northcote Pottery, or working with clay in my home studio in Coburg.

What path did you take to become a ceramicist?

I was working as baker in my early twenties and  loved being creative in this manner, but disliked that everything I made got eaten straight away! So I decided to go to art school to explore something that I could sink my teeth into that was less ‘delicious’, and ended up discovering ceramics.  My creative crisis was averted – I was able to produce work that was great to eat off, but not to actually eat!

Has the film Ghost has tainted the world of pottery and ceramics forever!?  Can you give us an accurate insight into this world – what stages and processes are involved to create one of your incredible works?

The other day I heard someone ask “which clay did they use in Dirty Dancing?” Hilarious! I don’t have a kiln or a car,  so my situation may differ from many others, in that I take my work to and from the kilns (at Northcote Pottery) with my bicycle and trailer.

I implement varied techniques that are dependent on what I am making at the time, but briefly here’s the processes involved when I construct serving platters: Wedge clay; center and throw clay on the wheel (this would be very tricky with Patrick Swayze’s hands in there!); allow the piece to dry out enough to flip it over (could take from one to several days, depending on the weather); trim up the bottom using sharp tools and the wheel; cut and smooth the top edge to create the ‘handles’; when dry, pack it onto the bike and take to the kilns; once fired, bring back to the studio; sand item smooth where necessary; dip into a big bucket of glaze (which I usually make from raw materials); bring it back to the kilns for a final firing; before finally bringing it home and sanding it again where necessary.

Dawn’s studio shelves

What are you experimenting with at the moment?

I’m currently experimenting with adding coloured stains to clay. This concept is not new, having been masterfully pioneered by ceramicists including David Pottinger, it’s just new to me. In my uni years I used to spend ages glazing each piece, waxing and inlaying multiple glazes. I still do a bit of that (for example the pieces with the speckled brown scalloped tops) but mostly I’ve been simplifying my glazing partially due to the rough way that I transport my work to the kilns. So in looking for new ways of adding colour and interest to my pieces while still keeping the glazing simple, I tried colouring the clay body itself and having each section of the cup be a different colour. And? I like it!

Dawn has a sweet though sparse little blog over here.  You can buy her beautiful pieces at SMALLPieces which is at Northcote Pottery (which is actually in Brunswick East, go figure).

She could do with a couple more stockists I reckon…!  Get on it people.

‘Cups with nubs’ by Dawn Vachon - wheel thrown with pinched nubs and multiple glazes.

Ceramics by Dawn Vachon.  Left – serving Platters, wheel thrown and altered, stoneware, clear glaze inside. Front / right – stoneware bowls with scalloped glaze and sweet details underneath (note Dawn’s signature stamped on the underside of each vessel with vintage letterpress pieces – ‘dAWn’ !)

Little Bird vie dieline

Little Bird:

New brand for babies and children up to 5 years old from Jools Oliver in partnership with Mothercare.

Antoinette Murray via the design files. PURRRDY

Antoinette Murray:

Work on paper by Antoinette Murray

Antoinette Murray in her Hampton studio – styling by Julia Green, photograph by Armelle Habib

Work in progress by Antoinette Murray – styling by Julia Green, photograph by Armelle Habib

Melbourne-based artist Antoinette Murray (maiden name Ferwerda) creates large-scale acrylic paintings (some 3 metres long!) for corporate offices and private homes… but it’s her works on paper that have caught my eye recently.   These more delicate works explore mixed media, using acrylic paints, airbrush textas, splattered ink and metallic highlights. Super simple, but so striking and pretty.

Antoinette originally studied Graphic Design at RMIT, but spent 13 years working in the pharmaceutical industry, balancing her art practice with a corporate career.  Eventually after many years selling her paintings to friends, family and clients, Antoinette took the plunge, and launched her business, Ferwerda Art, under which name she now creates a great variety of work – from paintings and works on paper, to vibrant painted palm pods, and wall murals which combine collage and paint.

Antoinette is based in Hampton in Melbourne, where she worked from her home studio, often happily interrupted by kids Tehya (5) and Lawson (3).

Antoinette’s work can be commissioned directly (contact via her website), or found at retail stockists including Assembly Hall in Willimstown, Page 8 in Hampton, Something Different in Rockhampton, and Stone and Grain in Ocean Grove, Victoria.

Details from Antoinette’s studio – styling by Julia Green, photograph by Armelle Habib

Antoinette’s studio - styling by Julia Green, photograph by Armelle Habib

diy project: silver-leafed lampshade

diy project: silver-leafed lampshade:


When we moved into our current rental, it had a hideous ceiling fan and light hanging in just about the oddest place you could put it. Needless to say, it was the first thing to go. This left us with the dilemma of not having a light source in our dining and living room. I found an oversized shade at IKEA and hung it on a cord and socket (also from IKEA). This solution brought the light that we needed, but the shade was missing something. Its white interior was stark and boring. I thought about painting it, but decided to follow the metallic trend (which I think I am in love with) and add a little glamour with some silver leaf. The end result is an affordable and quick eye-catching pendant shade that sure beats the look of an outdated ceiling fan. — Brenna














Read the full how-to after the jump…
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Michael Croxton: MODBOT

Michael Croxton: MODBOT:
I’ve mentioned this year’s SVA MFA program a couple of times recently, as the work the graduates are doing is really impressive across the board. In particular though, I’m especially excited about Michael Croxton’s project, Modbot, which is a series of organizational tools for Google Chrome. As someone who is always trying to get more organized and efficient, it’s a product that I cannot wait to try myself—plus it doesn’t hurt that the branding is great. Check out the video below to learn more about how Modbot works, and be sure to sign up on the site to stay in the loop.

Illustrated Bites Exhibition

Illustrated Bites Exhibition:
Heather Hardison recently opened a show at San Francisco’s Curiosity Shoppe featuring food-related bits of hand-lettering and illustration. The show’s pieces were inspired by the work created for her blog of the same name.

12 Colorful Gadgets

12 Colorful Gadgets:

As  kid, I loved color.  Couldn’t get enough of it.  Now as I age (gracefully), I have found myself turning more towards the blacks and grays of the rainbow–except when it comes to my tech.  There is just something about a really sleek, colorful gadget that makes me swoon.  No need to settle for the blacks and grays of technology past because now you can match your gadgets to your personal design style.
I’ve rounded up some colorful gadgets for this week’s post at My Life Scoop. If you’re looking to add a vibrant touch to your personal tech, be sure to check out this list and share your favorites. Click here for the full post. Enjoy! — Stephanie