The Journal of Australian Ceramics Vol 54 No 1 April 2015

Liz Crowe: Winning Surfaces
Liz Crowe is a Canberra-based ceramic artist and was the recipient of the inaugural Jane Crick Memorial
Prize for Handbuilding presented at the 2014 Canberra Potters Society Members Exhibition. The award
was given to her for a body of work titled Black Bean Pod - Forest Litter which referenced seedpods
from the black bean tree. These striking pieces are organic handbuilt forms fired using the Obvara Raku
method, a firing process said to have originated in Belarus around the 12th century and which involves
dipping the heated bisqued pot into a special yeast-based mixture and then fast cooled in water. Liz
has created uniquely feathered surface markings in various shades of tan and brown. After polishing,
the exterior is soft and inviting juxtaposing the toughness of a real seedpod. Jane would have been
particularly pleased about the firing technique as she was an avid user of low firing practices who loved
to experiment.
Surface decoration is important to Liz. Another body of work that she enjoys making uses hard
carving as a way of drawing and referencing plants. Liz's carving method was further developed and
enhanced following a workshop at The Pottery Workshop in Jingdezhen, China. Cylindrical wheelthrown
porcelain vases create a perfect canvas for carved surfaces. Each form is glazed on the inside contrasting
the carved exterior surface that is left unglazed but polished, quietly highlighting the incised imagery.
Although the two bodies of work are different, the common thread is the minimal surface treatment
of the clay that accentuates the essence of plants.
A report by Sue Hewat
Ceramics by Liz Crowe: below left Vine , 2014, each, h.13cm, w.6cm
Below right: Black Bean Pod - Forest Litter, detail; photos: Andrew SIk.orSk.I, Art Atelier
THE JOURNAL OF AUSTRALIAN CERAMICS APRIL 201S 101