My glaze development followed the same structure – I would decide what ingredients would surely produce the delightful glaze I imagined and proceed to mix a 20 litre bucket of it. So confident was I in my imagination that it shocked me when the resulting glazes turned out to be awful.

Eventually I got sick of having 20 litre buckets of useless glaze and applied myself to testing small amounts.

No one would call my approach today particularly tidy or precise but I do have a book where I write down every damn time I try something new. If I change anything in the kiln I…write….it …..down!

When there is going to be months or years between when I try something that turns out nicely, and when I come back to use it again, I have learned to write……….it ………..down!

I went through a stage of laboriously testing and developing a set of glazes to pour on and layer with. All that effort didn’t really produce what I wanted.

One of my early mentors Paddy Bambling generously shared her glazes (if you are at convention hit me up I am happy to pass them on.)

Today I use 6 favourite glazes collected over time. At least half of which have Paddy’s celadon as their base.

When I knew her Paddy raw glazed (once firing). A process of applying glaze to raw pots at the leather hard stage instead of bisque firing and then glazing.

Initially, I too raw glazed enthusiastically, and couldn’t understand why anyone would put themselves through unpacking and packing a kiln just to bisque.

As a working parent I now bisque – that perfect leather hard stage seems impossible to catch. It is hard to let go of my high clay raw glazes even though I feel they might be limiting the effects I can achieve. I have introduced one clear glaze low in clay from another generous potter Jackie Gasson but I get frustrated when I bump things and it chips off easily. I also stick to minerals I believe to be reliably safe food and slightly less toxic if I get it all over me. I use iron, rutile, talc, tin, zinc and cobalt for inside cups and bowls. Commercially prepared underglazes are great for a bit of colour.

At the moment I am enjoying discovering how to get the best out of my six glazes. Dialing in on exactly what they can do. Thanks to the 3-cone temperature difference in my aged, and well-traveled gas kiln, I am learning what each of my glazes look like at different temps.

it’s amazing how many different effects I can make with six glazes. The bisque ware tolerates the application of more layers of glaze than the leatherhard clay. So I layer glazes in different combinations and I write down what I do. Sometimes I add light glaze decoration in the making stage and bisque that to add more depth.

 A hydrometer is a very useful tool that i have found helps me achieve consistent results. Each time I use my glaze I can make it exactly the same thickness.  I think I got this idea from Janet Deboos at a WBBPA convention but I can’t remember for sure. I have attached a couple of weblinks here to give you an idea how to DIY

https://www.wikihow.com/Make-a-Hydrometer

https://ceramicartsnetwork.org/daily/article/Make-Your-Own-Hydrometer-for-Glazing-Success

I would still like to develop the skill of visualizing a glaze and proceeding to test and create it. It is just not where my life is right now!

The post How my approach to glazing has changed over the years first appeared on Amy Wood Artist.

The Surat on Ballone art gallery is the venue for a show of work by Kathy Ellem, Catherine Clark Dowden and myself.

It was lovely to spend time and get to know these two artists more. I came home with renewed respect for each of them and what they have achieved. Also new determination to keep working and learning myself.

Kathy compiled some amazing videos of the work we did out there and I am sharing them here cause I love them 🙂 and they tell the story so well.

A really interesting, scary and fun thing we did was a demo at the opening where we all three of us took turns working on 3 paintings. It was actually way out of my comfort zone to paint on top of someone else’s paint. They turned out great though and it was an up close look at individual technique!

Another little highlight was dinner every night with Jennifer and her family – thanks guys :)!

https://www.facebook.com/surat.on.balonne

The post “Connections” friendship, fun and growth first appeared on Amy Wood Artist.

Check out all that I am up to in the next couple of months – follow the above link to my March newsletter.

If you like it subscribe at the bottom of my website home page and get the newsletter straight to your email inbox!

The post 2026 March Newsletter :) first appeared on Amy Wood Artist.

It bears the scars!

The most difficult part of pottery is that it will break.

I have turned suddenly and bumped precious things or placed them down not quite right and %#*@Smash!. That’s the end. Some people I know keep their mugs, safely in a cabinet just for decoration, and they are beautiful.

If you feel as I do, that the pleasure of using a handmade mug everyday is worth the risk, here are some tips to help yours last:-

The fine lip will chip if it is knocked against a hard surface, so stack them a little apart in the dishwasher.

If hand washing – put the mugs through the sink one at a time so as not to knock them against each other.

Over a period of time and use pots sometimes develop a hairline crack – as shown on the mug pictured. I am still using mine and so far it is holding up. This mug is showing normal wear and tear.

Having said that the making and firing process can be quite harsh. I check all my pots over carefully as I sand the bottoms after they come out of the kiln – looking for any flaws or cracks. If you are at all concerned that I missed a flaw or crack on your pot please let me know.

The post How to look after your handmade mugs first appeared on Amy Wood Artist.

I didn’t get it all done but I did manage to tame enough patches that there will be composted, mulched spots ready for the next lot of veges 🙂

Planted some new trees and resigned myself to donating the last of the plums to voracious rhinoceros beetles!

Audio credit :- Miley Cyrus – The Climb 🙂

The post I love working in my garden! first appeared on Amy Wood Artist.

If you would like to receive these from me every now and then, scroll down to the bottom of my website and enter your email in the newsletter sign up box!

below is a copy of my January newsletter 🙂 Enjoy!

The link to the actual browser version is here :-

https://mailchi.mp/edf655282519/january-newsletter-amy-wood-artist

The post January Newsletter- get yours now! first appeared on Amy Wood Artist.

I have spent mine relaxing and always when I am chilled I turn to my books. Rediscovering favourites like “Drawing on the right side of the brain” by Betty Edwards and a whole stack of other art books has me humbled.

Drawing is a tool I use to ‘get my head around’ my subject, to understand and comprehend it before I try and paint. I am frustrated my how far my skill is from where I want it to be and inspired by those who have built their skill into a powerful tool to express what they see.

I had an idea which seems scary now as I sit here typing. I would like to commit to improving my drawing practice by carving out time every.. …. single…. day to draw. To keep me motivated I will post a drawing every single day for one year and the goal is that my practice will improve my drawing! That I will improve the way I see value, also my accuracy.

I would love to hear from other people who are also trying to improve their drawing! And what works for you. Tag me

https://www.facebook.com/p/Amy-Wood-Artist-100092200239326

https://www.instagram.com/amywood_artist/

The post One year drawing challenge first appeared on Amy Wood Artist.

Possibly the cover of this calendar is my favourite painting this year. It felt like I improved as an artist. People are hard for me and i have never been able to ‘fill in the gaps’ or loosely suggest figures. It has always been a painstaking and difficult process to try and achieve something that looks like a person. This painting excites me because I wanted to paint a bush picnic, a ‘smoko’ and the only reference photo I had was a rubbish photo from my phone with bad light and terrible proportions and this time I felt I was able to ‘fill in the gaps’ and create a story that read well 🙂

The facing pages are the best bit for me – my 2025 adventures 🙂

Last year I was trying oil paint with more frustration than success – this year it started to come together for me. This one happened while I was looking for reference photo’s for Cilla’s backdrop. A friend, Cheryl Cumming, took a series of terrific photos of the mustering years ago and I revisit them every now and then. It’s a timeless story, the horseman and his dogs working the mob.

I will be interested to see what others think of this one. I love it and I loved painting it. I sat on the lawn (not as comfortable by the end of the painting) and so enjoyed tackling these beautiful flowers against the background of the afternoon sky and my favourite chair on the deck.

This is an older painting that has always been a favourite and it felt right to sneak it in here. This one was inks and acrylics – I love the bright colours it gave me.

We have had a beautiful season this year and my garden sprang to life as the relentless heat of summer faded and Autumn’s gentler days began. I paint from life whenever I can. It was a delight to pick these roses and paint them. There is a little tansy, lemon verbena and asparagus fern in the mix too.

Again with the people. I want to get better at this. To tell more stories like just plugging away in your high vis getting your job done.

Gorgeous Garden Bounty – deliberately placed in June in case it those winter days get a bit grey!

The quiet peace of a special spot down the creek. For the full story check out my blog

These were a piece of time stolen from all the thing I was supposed to be doing. Instead I sat on my deck with the bright spring light and tried to capture more roses, banksia roses and freesias 🙂 Bliss!

This won first prize in the Australian poetry section of the South Burnett Council Regional Gallery October Comp. For the full story on the painting click the link below to my blog

I love the way the pony waits patiently and the dogs are keen to lend a hand. The young horseman and his team have got this!

This one is special. It took a fair bit of effort but I am really happy with how it turned out. Link below

If you would like to purchase my 2026 Calendar they are $15 in my store plus $5 shipping Australia Wide

The post Woohoo 2026 Calendar is here- I feel so proud! first appeared on Amy Wood Artist.

I remember reading many years ago in the little Gayndah Gazette paper that they were upgrading to a bigger glossy magazine. At the time I was living in the city and just visiting my parents but I remember thinking it was a pretty cool idea.

Since then I have moved back to my home town. I feel like I want to put it out there how much I admire the job Tiffany does with the North Burnett News. She was the owner behind the upgrade. The paper is now weekly and has grown from Gayndah to encompass the whole North Burnett.

I feel its pretty special to have such a professionally presented, enjoyable read, right here in our community.

Before 2019 Gayndah Gazette and After 2025 North Burnett News

The post Celebrating our local paper first appeared on Amy Wood Artist.

These days I live in the bush. The city is a place I visit for my son’s medical appointments.

I am usually to exhausted or hurried for anything fun on these city trips. The visit I did make to the Queensland Art Gallery (QAGOMA) was a sweaty charge from my Annerley Road accommodation to Southbank one afternoon

Wondering if I was wasting my time I skipped in 30 minutes before the gallery closed.

There was some art that really didn’t turn me on but OOOhhh there was some that did.

I think I may have amused a lot of the watchful security people with my enthusiasm as I floated around getting as close as I dared to the artworks. Investigating thoroughly without actually letting my nose touch the paintings.

What really turned up the voltage on my smile was the moment that I discovered a tiny (and quite dull) Arthur Streeton. Now you have to understand that Streeton has been my hero since I discovered a book of his work as official war artist in 1918. Books have been my education. The source I use to inform my view of life. The only woman I found in art books was Mary Cassatt, her style is rather formal and romantic.

So in fact my smile wasn’t because I loved the Streeton. It was because my eye was drawn to a small beach scene – so lively and colourful. It had much more impact for me than the Streeton painting. My smile was because it was painted by A WOMAN! WOW – mind blown! Then round the corner a painting of a scene so mundane yet so typical – Monday morning washing Day! Vida Lahey’s paintings were so well done, stories that just made sense to me. The kind of stories I want to tell.

LAHEY, Vida – Monday morning 1912

In the next room – a painting that stood out for me amongst its rather pretentious neighbors – Banana Cutters – an early Margaret Olley – I had only ever known her still life paintings.

OLLEY, Margaret – Banana cutters 1963

Wander a little further and  a beautiful warm painting of a woman holding her horse on the hill with her dog at her feet. Another Woman artist! Hilda Rix Nichols.

RIX NICHOLAS, Hilda – The fair musterer 1935

Something about the idea that these incredible women painters had been there all along gave me a boost. Credit goes to the QAGOMA for making sure this work is on display. I want to be an incredible woman painter and the knowledge that these chicks have already paved the way ( as early as 1912) is inspiring.

To see the artworks in the QAGOMA collection click the links below.

https://collection.qagoma.qld.gov.au/creators/lahey-vida

https://collection.qagoma.qld.gov.au/creators/rix-nicholas-hilda

https://collection.qagoma.qld.gov.au/creators/olley-margaret

The post Mind Blown- women painters paving the way first appeared on Amy Wood Artist.