Heather Humphreys: Potter
Pondering on my journey so far, it's wonderous how the things that bring me joy have blended: the Blockie's daughter covered in mud at irrigation time, the confused Yr12 dropout, the shop assistant, the waitress, the traveller. On to a 2nd attempt at Yr12, and a few years of horticultural research and wine pathology. Then out into the blue, with a swan-dive into an Arty-farty Cert IV at TAFE and whoops, full circle back into mud with a BA Ceramics at Latrobe Uni in Bendigo. That was way back in 1992.
Setting out as a practicing potter, I established a studio & gallery in Mildura, near my hometown Merbein. Production runs, commissions, exhibitions, teaching, community projects... ah, it was divine. A few years pass and along comes an interesting partner, a big move to coastal NSW, a child, a mortgage, a ‘real’ teaching job. You know… that sort of thing. By then, the demand for 'hand-crafted' had lost out worldwide, but always on my shoulder was a little bird singing sweet Pottery songs in my ear.
And now? I'm hand-crafting pots in my home studio which, for most of the week, is taken over by creative souls seeking something beyond a muddy dabble. I’m grateful for the depth of knowledge, skill and wonder kick-started by my tertiary Ceramics studies and I'm proud of the honest and enlivening learning experiences I've created for others. The pull to pass on real skills and knowledge and a genuine engagement in the learning space, inspires me to create a space where one can deep-dive into understanding clay, form, design, aesthetics and ergonomics, with a smidge of geology, chemistry and mathematics thrown in for the daredevils.
Welcome to the fascinating world of Pottery!
And now? I'm hand-crafting pots in my home studio which, for most of the week, is taken over by creative souls seeking something beyond a muddy dabble. I’m grateful for the depth of knowledge, skill and wonder kick-started by my tertiary Ceramics studies and I'm proud of the honest and enlivening learning experiences I've created for others. The pull to pass on real skills and knowledge and a genuine engagement in the learning space, inspires me to create a space where one can deep-dive into understanding clay, form, design, aesthetics and ergonomics, with a smidge of geology, chemistry and mathematics thrown in for the daredevils.
Welcome to the fascinating world of Pottery!
