Raku and mixed media with Claire Beck from Australia

Claire Beck lives and work in the beautiful Gold Coast Hinterland region of Queensland in Australia, about 10 kilometers from the coast as the crow flies. She completed two of the online workshops at TeachinArt, Alternative firing with Marcia Selsor in September 2016, and Porcelain Handbuilding with Antoinette Badenhorst in July 2015

Rabbit Proof Fence - raku with sodium silicate and barbed wire. 2017

​​I have been doing ceramics for about 8 years – both sculpture and wheel/hand built pots under the initial tutelage of the wonderful Midge Johannsen at the Sculptors’ Society Gold Coast but now I teach from my own home studio and am Treasurer of the Society. I developed an early interest in raku after having done a workshop with the Gold Coast Potters Association of which I am also a member. Since then I have built and owned 3 raku kilns and do at least two or three firings each month. I did the Alternative Firing online course of Marcia Selsor and found it very useful since I also intend doing regular wood firings later this year.

Black Betty raku kiln

​My current raku kiln is called Black Betty for obvious reasons. I usually fire to around 1,050 C. The first firing into which I put the more fragile pieces usually takes around 40 mins but from the second firing onwards the time reduces until its down to around 20 mins. I reduce for about 20 mins then spray a fine water mist over the pieces to cool them. To maintain lustre I spray pieces with automotive clear satin finish. I’ve had pieces outside for a couple of years which still show lustre using this spray. I have a small electric kiln in which I fire greenware.

​I have entered a number of ceramic competitions and exhibitions and have taken part in several two and three people shows locally. Last year I won the Tony Palmer Sculpture Award for my piece Hark the Herald Angels.

I like to mix and combine materials. I started weaving natural fibres onto raku. From there I moved to combining natural timber with raku and now I use found metal objects with raku. I find raku goes with everything! I am very fortunate in that I have a wonderful partner who is happy to weld or wood turn as required.

Hark the Herald Angels Sing (naked raku and wire). Winner of the Tony Palmer Award at the Sculptors’ Society Gold Coast in 2018)

Our Lady of Perpetual Bliss - raku and found objects

Alongside - raku with found metal objects

​When we bought out block of land (about 2 acres) in 2008 we loved it so much that we used to say “when we live here we’ll truly be living in bliss” and after a while when we started building our friends would ask “how’s Bliss coming along” and so our house, Bliss, was named.

Can you see why we call it Bliss?

Inside Bliss - I'm running out of room!!

My artistic endeavours really only started when I retired in 2010 with life drawing classes. From there I moved to printing where I won the Caldera Award in Murwillumbah NSW (New South Wales) for my piece Rainforest Cathedral.

Trophy Wife - ceramic with natural fibres

​​I teach a popular monthly class for the CWA (the Country Women’s Association) and after Easter I will start a regular weekly raku group at the Society’s teaching studio nearby.

I have held a couple of raku workshops up here at Bliss for the Society which have been popular. Everyone seems to love raku!

I guess the thing I love most about it is the immediacy of the art along with the (often) unexpected results you can get. I am not noted for my patience LOL.

The happy CWA Raku@Bliss group hard at it in the studio

​I think my future probably lies in teaching. Funnily enough I used to teach computing as I came to the world of raku via decades working in the IT industry at various teaching colleges and Universities both as a teacher and as an IT Manager. Before that I worked in advertising and publishing and ran a gallery in a small tourist town in North Queensland.  
Strange what paths our lives lead us on.

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Links:
E-courses (online workshops) at TeachinArt online school of art
Demonstrations, tips and techniques (Tips shared by teachers of TeachinArt)
Preview e-courses (take a quick peek into our online workshops)
Art Instructors (Meet our online art instructors)
Alternative firing online course with Marcia Selsor (how to do obvara, raku, saggar firing)
Porcelain handbuilding online class with Antoinette Badenhorst (Learn how to get translucent porcelain hand made items)

Tags:
#mixedmedia #teachinartstudent #teachinart #rakufiring #raku #Australianpotter #alternativefiring