April 1, 2014
Artist of the month, Cristina Metelli
News

A native of Milan, Italy, Cristina Metelli was trained in the tradition of the European Masters at the Liceo Artistico Milano. After moving to Australia, she embraced the art scene of her adopted country, earning an Advanced Diploma in Applied and Visual Arts at the North Adelaide School of Art. In between producing new lines of work, Cristina continues to undertake short courses of study in different art techniques and mediums.

New Ceramic Series

Each piece is hand-built from clay, just using simple wooden tools and with the help of some props to support the weight of each horse as it is being constructed. It is important to make the body and legs hollow to avoid the piece exploding during kiln-firing. While I’m working on a piece, I need to keep the clay damp so it doesn't crack. Once it’s dry, I can no longer make any additions or changes.

After the drying time (normally a couple of weeks), the pieces are steamed and then fired in a kiln for about 15 hours, eventually reaching a temperature of 1050° C. After the piece has cooled down, I apply my colours and glazes. This is the time where I may hand-paint motifs to suit the mood of each piece. Now it is time to put the piece back in the kiln for another 10 hours to make the glazes permanent. At times I may also use mixed-media other than glazes to enhance the desired finish.

Each horse and rider is a unique pair that tells a different story.

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