Moorooduc master potter John Stroomer is internationally recognised for his crystalline glazes, a complex ceramic technique that produces gem-like crystals through carefully controlled cooling. Now, he is exploring a bold new direction in a collaboration with visual artist Marta Gola who paints her exquisite nudes onto John’s pots, resulting in genuinely striking and original works.
In her white weatherboard studio in Mount Eliza, overlooking the Moorooduc plains, award-winning ceramic artist, Manuela Ferstl throws and squashes, rolls and coils, concocts glazes and experiments with firing. She’s an artistic alchemist creating genuinely unique work.
Mount Martha ceramic artist, Tracy Muirhead, likes to let the clay do the talking. “Each type has its own unique plasticity. You have to learn to listen to the clay,” she says.…