Louise

Website Shop Updates

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You might have noticed some changes in the shop section of our website. We’ve been updating the categories one by one with new photography and better descriptions of the pieces. We do this in an effort to accurately represent our works as best we can to those who aren’t able to buy in person or who prefer the online experience. All our photography is done in-house and we improve with each photo session we complete. Head to the ‘blend’ and ‘patterned’ categories to see some of the updates we’ve made, and if you have any feedback or information you think is missing, please let us know!

February 2023

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Here at LouiseM studio, we’ve been using January to reflect. 2022 was a huge year. The year started with a move for the studio into a space twice the size we had been using, followed by three floods, a broken down kiln twice, supply chain issues causing us to run out of slip three times during the year, and the suppliers to change the slip recipe, causing production issues of cracking in our patterned vases. However, despite all these interruptions to our work-flow we were still able to do so much. Our team grew in April with the hiring of part-time production assistant Marcy, our production capacity grew with the addition of a huge new kiln in October (just in time for the Christmas rush!), and we attended a large number of markets and other events as design markets came back in a big way in 2022. What a year.

What does 2023 hold in store for us? We’re hoping to make changes, but maybe some quieter ones this time around. Alongside ongoing improvements that are planned for the studio workspace, we’ve also got plans to work on some new ranges, and some new collaborations with other businesses and creatives. But to make more room and time for new things, we have decided to take a break from teaching our extremely popular beginners ceramics classes that were run through the Sydney Community College. Last classes are being run from mid-February. We’ve also got some big design market events booked in for the year, so keep an eye on our page footer for the next events coming up.

We Are Hiring

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For the longest time it’s just been me toiling away my studio, helped and supported immensely by friends and family, but ultimately alone. The journey from a full time ‘regular’ job with ceramics on the side to full time ceramics has taken a long time and now I’m at the point where my pottery can support me and also another person. So. I AM HIRING! If you or anyone else is interested, please head here for more details and shoot me an email if you want to know more. Looking for someone to start January or February 2022

Back to Work

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After a massive 12 weeks away I will on October 11 finally be able to get back in to the studio! Cue the celebrations! Of course this also means that I will have a lot to get done in the lead up to Christmas with lots of markets planned on top of pre-lockdown orders to fulfil. Add to all of this that Australia Post is probably running on fumes at this point…If there’s anything you want in time for Christmas, my recommendation would be to order sooner rather than later, and to pick up in person if possible. In the meantime, if you need me, I’ll probably be in the studio…

More COVID disruptions

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Sydney is currently going through another round of COVID-related disruptions, and LouiseM studio has been heavily effected by these changes. As the studio is located in the Inner West Council, and I live in the highly restricted Canterbury-Bankstown Council area, I am unable to get in to the studio because crossing council boundaries for work in not allowed for non-essential workers. Much as I love my job I wouldn’t dream of trying to frame my work as essential. What this means is I am restricted to working at home, and as my kiln isn’t at home there isn’t a terribly large amount of work-related tasks I can complete at home. Unfortunately it looks like the making of Hardenbergia pieces for the flora range will be impacted, as well as Flannel Flower pieces. Hopefully I don’t spend all of spring in lockdown!

Any orders placed through this website at this time will be delayed. If the piece is in stock, I am able to get occasional drop-offs from one of my studio partners, so it will be delayed, but only for a week or so. Any items that need to be made will be delayed to the end of lockdown plus an extra few weeks. Once I get back I will be working as fast as I can to get everything out to everyone as quickly as possible, but there will most likely be delays.

One thing to be grateful for though is that my kiln, which had been broken for approximately a month prior to the lockdown has been fixed, and I am very fortunate that my studio partners have been working their way through firing my back-log of pieces. And so we wait, and we hope, and we try to embrace the down-time. Things at home have never been neater or better organised!