The Journal of Australian Ceramics Vol 54 No 1 April 2015

Melanie Jayne, Peppermint
2015, lumina porcelain, clear
glaze with stain, slipcast, various
dimension s; photo: artist
That's another reason why I use sponge casts, which I sew together - I am able to use techniques I
picked up as a child [which] add further personality to my work.
"I make a lot of my work based on memories - images of conversation over a cup of tea, with
teapots throughout the house, and lots of pretty colours."
Despite her passion for sl ipcasting, Melanie's path could have been very different. "In school I wasn't
really very good at a lot of the subjects, but I always felt comfortable with art and won lots of accolades
and support from my teachers. I always picked art as a subject in school. I'm dyslexic so writing and
English-based subjects were things I always struggled with. In art I found a way to express myself and
explain things. It helped me come out of my shell. "
"Originally I wanted to do photography, so I enrolled at the National Art School. As part of the
course offered at the school, in your first year you had to do five short courses for six weeks, and
ceramics was one of them. Doing it, I fell in love with the art form. I was also really inspired by the
teacher, Don Court, who worked with pinch pots using clay. He was very earthy, even bringing in clay
he had collected from his own garden for us to work with. I recall thinking this is real art, it's not
commercialised or anything.
"The art you can create through ceramics and the three-dimensional effects are amazing. You get to
get your hands dirty and really get into using the clay. So, I totally dropped the idea of photography and
majored in ceramics."
Melanie Jayne is based in Lake Munmorah on the lower central coast of New South Wales.
Her next 5010 exhibition will be held at Sabbia Gallery from 1 S April to 9 May 2015.
Mark Henderson is a professional practising journalist and media professional.
Twitter: @mark_onthemoon.
62 THE JOURNAL OF AUSTRALIAN CERAMICS APRil 2015