My journey with clay began 30 yrs ago, at just 16 I stumbled upon a local ceramic production studio on the mid north coast of NSW were I lived, who were offering a traineeship in small business manufacturing. This opportunity seemed to spring out of nowhere only months after the passing of my mother and although it was a difficult time, I applied and they accepted me. I worked for 3 years under the guidance of South African Ceramic Artist Kathy Brauer (now owner/interior designer of Bisque Traders in Byron Bay), there I fell in love with the entire process of creating handmade functional tableware for retail outlets in Australia and aboard.

The studio was very busy with a team of 6 and we specialised in earthenware slip-casting from small milk jugs and coffee cups to large urns and tiled wrought iron tables. During this time I trained to hand-paint a large variety of brightly coloured ware according to Kathy’s ceramic designs. She was a huge inspiration to me and I was very lucky to have had this experience at such a young age.

I didn’t realise it at the time but the discovery of this little studio and the small team I was a part of, was incredibly healing to me, providing a rare creative outlet that combined mindfulness with tangible results. Working there allowed me to embrace my creativity, fostering a deeper connection to the present moment. Through the experience of creating with my hands and the meditative nature of working with ceramics, helped get me through those difficult first years after my mother died.

Back then we didn't have the internet to sell, therefore it was a lot of trade shows, party plan and markets. I recall days upon days of hand-painting, glazing, packing kilns and I really loved this dedicated, purposeful and creative process of seeing clay transform into a beautiful functional vessel for people to enjoy. 

As life's commitments changed, I moved to the Northern Beaches of Sydney and went on to work for the next 15 years in corporate administration, sales and marketing roles, and kept my ceramics as a casual hobby on the side, however my heart always longed for more clay and the dream of creating my own ceramic studio one day.

It wasn't until an auto-immune disease and unfortunate cancer diagnosis after the birth of my first child at just 30 years of age, that I decided to drastically shift my view of what true health meant to me and embrace a slower more enriched holistic lifestyle. This sparked a deeper love and appreciation again for ceramics, hence another big life moment where clay became a healing aid to me.

Today I call The Gap Brisbane my home, where I live with my husband, 2 daughters and our Sheltie. I am healthier than I've ever been before, and I am passionate about proven functional health options and the freedom to choose our own path to wellness by having access to affordable complementary healthcare when needed. Seeing for myself and from others that it can truly support, prevent and alleviate much of our chronic illness in our apparent “healthcare” system. 

My personal experience with health and healing has helped me to develop a deeper appreciation for a slower paced and simplified lifestyle which is the real inspiration behind my work. These days I am still incorporating hand-painted designs into my work, using a more softer colour palette on a variety of clay bodies that provide texture and reflect our easy-going lifestyle here in Australia.

I truly believe there are times when you find clay but then there are times where it finds you.

X Melanie

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