A modern approach to creating with clay

Helen Frost creates clay art often inspired by texture or appearance. Photo / Rebecca Mauger

Helen Frost's first ''play with clay'' was a mound she spun on an old cream separator.

As a 10-year-old, she had no clue where she got the idea from, but it fascinated her.

''We used to play in this wreck of a cowshed. I saw the separator, and knew where there was a clay bank so I grabbed some and put it on it. When I turned the handle and put my foot on the pedal, the whole thing started spinning around.

''This lump of ugly looked amazing going around and around. When it stopped it was still ugly. I didn't know you were supposed to knead it.''

Helen, of Waihi, never asked her parents about the separator. It was a missed opportunity, she says, as it sparked an interest in the arts.

''I knew it was a really important thing in my mind. If it had been picked up then, who knows?''

Helen didn't study art at high school or knew what she wanted to do with her life. She travelled a lot and did a ''multitude'' of jobs.

''That's why it's so important to take notice of, we need to delve into our kids and see what they really love.''

She didn't pick up pottery/ceramics until her 30s, at a night class. Another decade passed before she studied art and excelled in painting and drawing. She learnt about the business side of art, galleries, and how to make a living from creating art.

Helen's paintings always sold well. But then the recession hit and Helen decided to step sideways into pottery.

Now she's a ceramic maestro creating all sorts — delicate feathers, original ornaments, wall hangings and creative works that come straight from her imagination.

''It's art rather than pottery. It's a more-modern way of thinking about clay.''

The artist is inspired by random tactile things she comes across that are interesting in appearance or texture. One inspiration was a tree outside her house with unusual, wave-looking fungi growing from a stump.

She's one of the artists participating in the Clear as Mud Pottery Exhibition.

Clear as Mud

Pottery fans will once again descend on Waihi for the Clear as Mud Pottery Exhibition for some beautiful, practical or even weird pieces.

This will be its third year and include more than 110 pieces by artists from across the North Island.

Event co-ordinator (with Andrew Killick) Dianne Caton says Clear As Mud features ''the beautiful, practical, sculptural, whimsical or just plain weird work of more than 20 potters, from novices to professionals".

''The aim is to promote potters, attract visitors to the town and add to the area's already- vibrant visual arts scene.

''We're excited to showcase potters who have never entered or exhibited their works before. They are so nervous about whether their work is good enough, how to price it etc, but once it's professionally displayed, they are ecstatic!''

Andrew says they're expecting to have a diverse range of submissions.

''Waihi is home to several potters who exhibit locally, regionally and internationally. People stopping by to view the show will be amazed at the wide range of talent."

Clear As Mud Pottery Exhibition will be held during Labour weekend. All works will be available for purchase, with profits to its maker.

Pottery entries close October 1, email www.clearasmudwaihi.com

What: Clear as Mud Pottery Exhibition
Where: Waihi Arts Centre and Museum
When: October 22-25