Changelings

                               Kerry is working on his new series, Changelings.

            ‘They are among us and as long as we keep them amused they may keep us around.’

                              This series covers a lot of ground from erotica to ‘bluecifer.’

The Fox is one example from the series. A fox is a small wily animal, the bane of anyone who has chickens. This Fox looks dapper, standing upright on his back legs, his tail bushy and neat, he stares brazenly at the viewer..


                               When the sculpting is done the Fox is off to the foundry.

The Foundry

For nearly 6 weeks Kerry has been away at the Foundry where it was cold and wet. Working there with the professionals he has continued with his big project, The Impala.

A lost Dutch Master.

The finished wax sculpture is covered in a clay shell and the wax is melted out. Molten bronze is poured in and when it has hardened, the casing is removed and the piece is ready to be finished.

Various Castings.

                                                     There is still much to be done.

The Glass House opening in Arizona

The Glass House opened on Sunday at the Rancho Linda Vista Gallery in Oracle Arizona. Everyone who came loved the bronzes which glistened and glowed in their well-polished beauty. People came from as far away as New Jersey and Texas and many places in between.

On St Patrick’s Day, Friday March 17, the new publication, The Glass House will be launched at the same Gallery. Be there and have your book of the series autographed by the artist himself. 

This is the third publication that we have done of Kerry’s bronze series. The others are Alchemy, golden dreams come true and The Frost Giants.

This is Kerry’s first show in Arizona and the enthusiasm of the crowd suggested this may not be the last.

The Impala

Kerry has been working on The Impala for nearly two years. It is much larger than the reality and is a beautiful animal covered in signs and symbols of the African continent and civilizations.

Creativity is an incredible thing and Kerry has explored African culture in many ways, some not as easy to identify as others. But he has enjoyed himself.
 

Washing,waxing and having fun..

To look their best bronzes need to be maintained, especially in a hot and humid climate. Recently Kerry had the pleasure of visiting a few of his bronzes in a private collection in Texas and he was quick to don rubber gloves and get down to business. Texans like to work hard and party later. My lips are sealed about the later.

                





                                             Aung San Sui Chee

     The Pinata.

Warialda HSC 2016

Seeing their art work hanging in a professional gallery is an excellent experience for young artists and for several years, after their exams have finished, the HSC Art students of Warialda High School have exhibited their final works at Ceramic Break Sculpture Park. We believe in encouraging young artists and their families and in November, family and friends were able to view the students' art work in one of our galleries. Congratulations to the students for an excellent show and thanks to Nerida, Barbara and Sharon for their time to organise and hang the work.

 

Visitors and artists.

The Artists

HSC Art teacher Sharon Gilmore and Nerida Hansen

What is happening at the Park

     
                  In place and playful the Crows need just a little paint and they will be finished.

It has been hectic at the Park over the last few weeks.  An opening, general organisation, welcoming new staff and fare-welling old. On that subject, more anon.

The opening was great. Robyne Berling's art was as beautiful as always, pleasing to the eye and joyful to the soul. The artist's talk by Peter Cannon was fabulous and gave us all a chance to discuss his approach and ideas. Peter's works were not easy to view, though some contained 'light' and maybe comic comments in a dark world. It wasn't a one way discussion either as he put this blogger on the spot to further define the question asked.. Phew..

The show is there for a few more weeks. If you like beauty and having your own ideas challenged, this is the show to see.

Kerry in Sculpture in the Garden.

Sculptures in the Garden at Mudgee is one of the largest outdoor sculpture events in rural N.S.W. and was held on Saturday 8^th and Sunday 9^th October. Over 50 artists were involved as was Kerry with his amusing piece, ‘Mrs. Wright and her cat’.

It seems Mrs. Wright was a real person who was perceived by all as a rather dour woman until she showed you her cat.  She was amazingly proud of her cat and would elongate it to show its beauty. The cat, as can be seen in Kerry’s bronze portrait of the pair, thoroughly enjoyed the experience. Mrs. Wright’s feelings are open to your interpretation.  Everyone who passed by the piece was taken by it and its history and was amused by the insider information given when Kerry was interviewed. 

Kay and Gerald Norton-Knight, their family and the many supporters who gave of their time and skills are to be applauded for their incredible organization and the artists for displaying their considerable talent.

The Dancing Crows

 

 

 

 

On a hill high above Ceramic Break Sculpture Park, two crows are dancing and singing

 under a crescent moon.

What fun!

And what an adventure to move such large pieces.

To Be Continued.

 

 

 

Annual Myall Creek Memorial Exhibition

The art was amazing, the weather was wonderful and everyone had a great time at our Aboriginal show.

 

 

 

The opening with class..

The sun shone, the crowds came and everyone had a cultured time at Ceramic Break’s first opening of 2016.

Two artists, Margie Makim and Marilynne Barnes are exhibiting through May 2016.

 

Margie Makim’s exhibition included paintings, installations and performances of song, music and readings from the text.  The enthusiastic auction conducted by professional auctioneer Mark Smith  added another layer of fun and excitement to the proceedings.

 

Louise Gilmore on saxophone

  Yvonne Ledingham reading from the text, 'The Washerwoman's Dream'.




The variety of activities was a first for Ceramic Break and it was a great show with fabulous performances from musicians, singers and readers.






Marilynne Barnes nudes are a delight and her artist talk gave a special insight into her work. When you visit be sure to look for the one male nude in her show, 'Bodylines'.

Into the dark interior.

The Impala is hollow and over 2 metres tall. Kerry's exquisite doors open the way to the interior where all the organs and a baby Impala will be nestled.

The Artist hands on with his Organs.

Organs

At Ceramic Break Sculpture Park

Where Kerry lives and sculpts his art

He’s working on an inside story

Of organs, large n small n ornery

So come with me and listen as

An interview will come to pass

To expose all the artist’s thoughts

Of how the creative process works..

Int            Kerry Cannon, how do your creative processes work?

Kerry       I'm inspired by everyday things that I find funny and I exaggerate them.

Int            How does that fit in with the Impala's organs?

Kerry       I used to devour anatomy books and once took an anatomy lab workshop
                 and I like to use that knowledge.
                 I thought it would be fun to put in the organs with an African flair.

Int            Tell me about the African flair.

Kerry       I have taken little motifs from different places on the continent that I like
                  and I incorporated them into my design.

Int            Thank you Kerry for sharing your thoughts with us today.

Cooler Times.

As the long, hot summer begins to cool, Ceramic Break Sculpture Park is again open to all. During our quiet time, thanks go to Nerida and Kylie for keeping the Park watered, mowed and clean. Kerry’s bronzes attract the birds, they love to leave multiple messages and cleaning them is a never ending activity.

It is not only Mad Dogs and Englishmen who go out in the midday sun, many intrepid visitors called our Artist in Residence, Margie Makim who paused her own Art work to enthusiastically open the Park and welcome those who made an appointment for a tour. Margie’s show will be our first exhibition in April.

And Kerry continues with the impala. This very tall antelope will be hollow, permitting a view of her inner parts that Kerry has been sculpting, heart, liver, kidneys, bladder and gall bladder to name some of them. It is incredible that we mammals can fit so many organs into such a compact space.

More anon..

Africa, Cradle of Mankind

Kerry’s latest work looks at Africa, a continent he has long been fascinated by; the people, the Art, the flora and fauna.

Impalas are beautiful creatures of the savannah. They can run fast and leap high, up to 3 times as high as they are tall.

Kerry is sculpting a graceful impala. At an impressive 2 metres  tall and covered in African symbols, written and pictorial, Kerry reminds us that Africa is the cradle of mankind.

Initially sculpting in clay, Kerry created an exquisite frieze depicting impalas drinking. He has also painstakingly drawn symbols and writing that along with the frieze will be cast in bronze and cover the impala.

This is a challenging piece to create by hand.

Serendipidy or synchronisity?

Serendipity or synchronicity??  Kerry Cannon has done it again, tapping into the ether to predict a significant event, this time in the hallowed traditions of racing.

Our life sized girl jockey was installed at the Park just a few weeks before Michelle Payne won the Melbourne Cup; the first female jockey to win such a prestigious event.

 ‘Most Improved’ is the title of our girl and her feelings about her trophy are shown with a discreet puff of wind at her rear..

Always polite but not as discreet, Michelle let go at the racing fraternity about the difficulties faced by excellent female jockeys to gain a chance to ride in the top races. She accused racing of being “a chauvinistic sport.”

‘Best Improved’ is a topical comment on our times by the master of astute commentary, Kerry Cannon.

Here at Ceramic Break we have many birds visiting as it is the time of year for the birds and the bees to do their thing. Kerry enjoys watching the little tweeties fly around, finding material to build their nests, generally working their little feathery butts off and sometimes spending too much time flying into the studio hoping the ideal nest site is there.

Kerry's next bronze is a cat. To be precise, it is a cat being stretched out to show its body to the judges in a cat show. The owner is laughing but a laugh uses the same muscles as a grimace and sometimes is is difficult to tell the difference.

New Beginnings from Bundjalung- Brian Irving.

The Art opening here at Ceramic Break on the long weekend was a corker. The sun shone, the artists glowed and everyone had a rip snorting time. Our Member for Northern Tablelands, Adam Marshall, officially opened the proceedings saying that he has been following Brian's work for a long time and likes the way it is evolving. We were lucky to welcome back, Fabio Tolli from Armidale. His music was both fabulous to listen to and even attracted some of the audience onto the dance floor of grass, they thoroughly enjoyed themselves.

Huesos

Now the fuss and palaver of Christmas and New Year is over Kerry is hard at work in the studio on the final composition in the series ‘Polar Bear’.

It is a highly complex narrative, set in a seal resort, somewhere in Mexico.

There are seals sunning, body surfing and just hanging out as all leisure seekers do. A sombrero wearing polar bear wanders the resort carrying souvenirs in a huge basket. There is a touch of violence with polar bear guards attacking a polar bear that is trying to eat a seal and there are whale and human bones in abundance.

Symbolism, metaphors, social comment and good old Kerry imagination abounds.

The composition is called ‘Huesos’ in Spanish (bones in English) and will be finished soon.