Tag: follow your passion
My Ceramic Journey
Overview
I began my ceramic journey in the late 90’s sort of by accident! The way best things often happen.
I worked for the next 20 years on and off studying under various ceramic artists and masters in Spain, Australia and Italy. I took time in between to travel and explore the world.
Although a painter of female nudes first, over the last years I returned to my passion of ceramics. This saw me build my first ceramic atelier with private gallery, kiln, wheel and all that goes with it. I took part in workshops and local exhibitions to further my knowledge and experience. I was a successful part in the Noosa Open Studios (Australia) for 3 years in a row from 2016 to 2018 (Noosa Open Studios).
I have used most of my time to experiment with different clay bodies, glaze making and blending, and most recently, the ‘crackle’ method through sodium silicate. In addition I’ve worked with a little with raku and wood firing, mixing clay bodies such as groggy clay and porcelain, effects of the same glaze over different clay bodies and currently, single fire. And always trying to improve my wheel throwing!
My passion for ceramics is infinite and there is always much to learn! In 2017 I spent 5 weeks in a bespoke ceramic residency in Tuscany with an acclaimed UK potter as my tutor, as well as renowned Italian sculptor. My journey blissfully continues delving into the world of ceramics, its generous potters and where they come from.
ARTISTS STATEMENT
“We are all cracked pots, perfectly imperfect.”
My Cracked Pots and Dancing Skirts
In today’s world we are continually being compared to (perceived) perfection. I am constantly exploring ways and techniques with my ceramic forms to emulate how perfectly imperfect we humans all are, as are my cracked pots. A lot of feeling, reflection and experimentation goes into the hand creation of every vessel. Each one to some degree reflects my personal inner search.”
ARTISTS BIO
Born in Denmark and raised in Australia, I spent 15 years in southern Spain honing my painting talents of the female nude when I discovered a new passion, working with mud!
I have worked on and off with clay for over 20 years. I am mostly self-taught though I have taken part in many classes and worked one to one with various world class tutors on my extensive nomadic travels. I have studied with ceramic experts in Spain, Denmark, Australia and most recently, in Tuscany Italy during a 5 week ceramic residency with a leading UK potter.
I look at my recent body of ceramic ‘crackle’ vessels, Dancing Skirts, as an ongoing exploration; a combination of self, possibilities with raw materials and inspiration drawn from nature and the natural environment around me. I love nature, trees and critters! So from there comes an innate love of earthy, natural and organic forms as can be seen in my ‘cracked pots’ and ‘dancing skirts’. The very character of clay is its complete unpredictability and I love (and sometimes loathe!) the spirit of clay to always engage and emerge in its own way.
A visual artist for 25 years, clay has taken preference due to its vast versatility and potential. It lets me extend myself in a way I feel is not quite there with painting. Over the past 4 years my work has evolved into perfectly imperfect organic forms reflecting us as humans, by using the ‘crackle’ method. Although mostly contemporary and sculptural I maintain usability with all my creations.
Exhibitions:
1997 – Parador Nerja Spain – Solo
1998 – Sala Bako Torre del Mar Spain – Solo
2000 – Balkon Galeriet Odder Denmark – Group
2001 – Precinct Gallery Berry Australia – Solo
2001 – Forest Gallery Batemans Bay Australia – Group
2001 – Bower House Milton Australia – Solo
2001 – Michael Cummerford Gallery Milton Australia – Group
2002 – Boyds Gallery Sydney Australia – Group
2004 – Galeria de Arte Margetson Nerja Spain – Solo
2007- Cultural Centre Frigiliana Spain – Solo
Feb 2016 – Galeria la Rubia Noosa (ceramics and paintings) Australia – Group
Mar 2016 – Ceramic Centre for Excellence Cooroy Butter Factory Australia – Group
Aug 2016 – Noosa Open Studios (ceramics and paintings) Australia – Solo
Sept 2016 – Royal Queensland Art Society Brisbane Australia – Group
Oct 2016 – Kenilworth Arts Council Australia – Group
Mar 2017 – Bespoke Ceramic Residency Tuscany, Italy
Aug 2017 – Noosa Open Studios (ceramics and paintings) Australia – Solo
Feb 2018 – Noosa Regional Gallery (ceramics) Australia – Group
July 2018 – Ignition Ceramic Exhibition Nambour Australia – Group
Aug 2018 – Noosa Open Studios (ceramics and paintings) Australia – Solo
Oct 2018 – Eclectia Ceramic Exhibition Noosa Australia – Group
Below are examples of my work, the most recent first, from the past 3 years:
The Little Goddess Who Followed Her Intuition!
One day a while back I was sitting thinking about how I could tell my story, my story being the journey that began more than 10 years ago with the paintings that created the Sacred Feminine series that then became the (GoddessGuides) Intuition Guidance card deck and on to where I am now, in a not so boring way!
The story begins atop a little Spanish mountain village in my art studio, then went on after creating a dozen paintings for my exhibition in Nerja, Andalusia 2004 and then, with the vision by my very dear friend Michele Claiborne who ‘saw’ me creating the Intuition Guidance card deck from my paintings!
And there was born the Goddess Story! And it’s not finished yet…
So here, without further ado, is the fairytale story of how I followed the signs, guidance, my instincts and passions:
A Goddess Story
Ms Glen Ladegaard
“Once upon a time in a very far away warm land, high up in a rural mountain village, there was a Little Goddess. And this Little Goddess had moved from another very far away warm land to have time to find herself, to work on and tease out her creative pursuits. This she did very well and at the same time, had fun and met some wonderfully interesting people, not to mention getting to know a lot of the local bars and their lovely wines with tapas!
After many years, inspiration, some encouragement and not to mention a little stress (as she had an exhibition looming with no new work to put into it) she found that suddenly, she had created a series of Goddess like images which she decided to call The Sacred Feminine. The exhibition went splendidly and The Sacred Feminine very well received, though few sold. Little did the Little Goddess know that The Universe had other plans for her and her Sacred Feminine paintings. Oh yes they did! A very Divine plan as it turned out.
Some years later, the Little Goddess was divinely and earthly inspired to write some intuitive guiding messages for each of the Goddess paintings. Twenty four paintings and messages later – not to mention many years, a body of intuition cards with powerful and guiding messages was born! The Little Goddess was quite astounded by their accuracy when she used them with other Gods and Goddesses. She was even more astounded as most of the ideas and big vision for these intuition cards, which were to become a compelling self-help tool, had come from many varied others. In fact, the Little Goddess whilst one day giving an induction to a group of other Goddesses, realised that it was almost as though she had been ‘used’ – in the nicest possible way, of course – as a coordinator, a conduit by something or someone much, much bigger than herself.
Thus was born the Intuition Guidance Card concept.
The Little Goddess toiled and worked and market tested the cards for aeons across many distant lands. At times the work seemed too much, the possibilities too overwhelming for one little Goddess and she thought she would just leave it, not continue with the budding of the intuition cards. This would be much easier. But, she realised very quickly, this was simply not an option. When she thought about not growing them to what she knew she was destined to, she felt very sad.
And so she toiled on.
The assistance and ideas seemed to keep coming from many directions. Finally, one day after witnessing the significant encouragement to listen to their inner wisdom of a group of Goddesses working with the cards, the Little Goddess knew what she must do. She had been entrusted with something Divinely powerful and meaningful, to spread to as many as would be open to hear and allow their inner voice and intuition to guide them.
So she crossed a great ocean of water back to that other distant warm land from whence she had come where she then proceeded to launch in earnest her inner voice work amongst its peoples. And the people became happier, more confident, more loving, more balanced and fulfilled in their daily lives. Those that had lost their confidence and self esteem, were jubilant on discovering it again, whilst some just needed to boost it. The people realised how very important it was to awaken and listen to their Selves.
The Little Goddess was very happy. Help and support of all kinds kept being sent to her (and still is) from the ‘Powers That Be’. She realised that when you let go, stop pushing and trying so hard and just relax, be yourself, go with the flow and collaborate with others, all was and is laid in your path. And so she continues with the new paradigm of believing absolutely that when she does what she’s called to do, she is looked after and the ‘Powers That Be’ are actually her biggest collaborators.
And so they/we all are living happily ever after.”
Glen is a passionate artist of female nudes and ceramics, as well as a Personal Growth Mentor for “Women Who Have Everything but still feel Something Is Missing”. She uses the Intuition Guidance Cards as a powerful tool and fast track to your Intuition.