gallery 53

Cheryl Howell

I was initially introduced to pottery in 1982 - Cairns Far North Queensland by Lindsay Wilson, an outstanding mentor, who instigated a core group of seven untrained participants and taught, in stages, over three years, the techniques used by Melanesian tribal communities north of Australia. The group adopted the name "Down to Earth" and off ered an alternative to wheel-thrown, glazed, high-fi red tableware. It was from that starting point I evolved and developed my own individual style.

My works are hand-built from unprocessed local clays where possible. However, accessibility and the digging of local clays is becoming diffi cult due to rules and regulations, nevertheless, all pieces contain a mix of local clays. My pottery is hand-built with simple, often "found" tools. Smooth river stones for shaping, bivalve shells for refi ning, seed pods for texture and shaped bamboo sticks for modelling.

In 1987-1995 I was given the opportunity to pass on these techniques to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students at the Tropical Far North Queensland Institute of Tertiary and Further Education-Cairns. This led to my role as Art Development Offi cer at the Yarrabah Aboriginal Community 1998 -2005.

I now work from my studio in Cairns, continuing to produce, celebrate and pay dedicating to the village potters of Oceania, potters who continue to make honest pots as artisans, not artists, yet adhere to craftsmanship and appreciate beauty because they know no other way.