Cathy’s Blog

Thoughts from the Studio

What a year it has been so far! Australians have seen drought, bushfires, floods and now a pandemic … and it’s only April.   But through it all, the Australian character is shining through. Responding to each of these crises with swift action and compassion … it makes me proud to be an Australian. “Stay safe” […]

10/04/2020

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FriedMudd Open Studio

Fried Mudd is opening its studio doors for the first time! Come and see the place where ideas are conceived, clay is transformed and my unique pieces come to life! The workshop, gallery, studio and kiln shed are the spaces that I spend much of my life – a life mostly dedicated to my passion […]

12/07/2019

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It’s all about the firing

Have you ever wondered about what happens to your creations after you leave the workshop? Their journey has just begun … Your pieces are photographed (often with you in the frame ) and the image is uploaded into the booking system. Each piece is then carefully moved into the drying room, checked for holes and […]

23/02/2019

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Making Marks in mudd Exhibition

My first solo exhibition, “Making Marks in Mudd”, held at the Old Ambulance Station Gallery, Nambour was a huge success. I was so pleased with the pieces I had made, and the reviews I received.  Thank you to all those that attended through week and especially those that helped me celebrate on Opening Night. Just prior […]

10/09/2018

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Clay Gulgong – the Mansfield Farm

The Gulgong International Clay Festival culminates in the firing of a sculpture that has been in the making the entire conference week. The location of this sculpture, the creation of which is being overseen by Renata Cassiano (from Mexico) and Craig Hartenberger (from the U.S.A.), is the Mansfield family farm, 20 or so kilometres from […]

19/04/2018

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Clay Gulgong #2

Our first few days have been dominated by an amazing sculptor from Seattle – Tip Toland and a wood-fired potter from Tasmania – Neil Hoffman. Tip Toland‘s work is captivating she works with the human form and transforms the clay into her humour. But it is also a voice for her to platform in clay […]

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Clay Gulgong Road Trip 2018

The trip started with an overnight stay in beautiful Byron Bay. This was followed by a scenic drive along the Waterfall Way from Coffs Harbour to North Dorrigo. A cosy little cabin awaited, surrounded by cows, a cool mountain breeze and an amazing sunset. Back on the road, it’s Autumn in Armidale, where we find […]

17/04/2018

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Decals on Clay – A tribute to my father Sonny Smeeton

It’s coming up to 25 years since my fathers passing and 25 years that I’ve been part of Peace of Green Art Gallery. A little ironic that memories are flooding through my mind about Dad and his amazing life he lead in The Northern Territory. Mum was sorting through some photos and came across a […]

11/03/2018

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Pottery is more than just a piece of clay

‘When you buy something from an artist, you’re buying more than an object (or a video, or a book, or a story). You are buying hundreds of hours of errors and experimentation. You’re buying years of frustration and moments of pure joy. You’re not buying just one thing, you are buying a piece of a […]

21/02/2018

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Raku … a love story

I  came across the Raku firing method during a time that I was researching different kinds of firing techniques, around 30 years ago. Raku captured my imagination due to the exciting and unpredictable nature of the results. I attended a week long workshop given by Jeff Mincham in Bundaberg in the early nineties and I […]

03/02/2018

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