Dawn Wade - Ceramic Artist: Amber enjoys the works in the Yorke Peninsula region of South Australia

Fly over the Yorke Peninsula and we see the 600 kilometres of coastline is dotted with delightful holiday towns - big and small. And sitting snugly where the 'leg' meets the 'foot' is Point Turton. Overlooking sheltered Hardwicke Bay, this is just the place for year round boating and sailing.

It's also the place for quiet contemplation and that's exactly what drew Dawn and Barry Wade here 18 years ago. They'd had enough of city life and headed to Yorkes. Why Point Turton?

Dawn Wade: "Because Barry said he would live longer if we came up here to live - and I didn't have an argument about that."

The seachange also meant Dawn could pursue her artistic cravings and set up Point Turton Ceramic Art - a small gallery and workshop specialising in hand crafted ceramics. All pieces are made from scratch in a painstaking process that begins in the back shed.

Casting the pieces or greenware, as it's called, is a team effort, with Dawn contributing the expertise and Barry supplying the handyman skills. He whipped up the homemade mixer out of an old hot water cylinder and washing machine parts.

Dawn's an internationally qualified Ceramic Art Judge but it's the teaching she enjoys the most.

Dawn Wade: "I started off with two classes of eight students, I had 16 to start off with and I used to buy the greenware because I didn't have any mounds. And I'd put the money into a jar and every time I had a little bit to spare I would go out and buy some more moulds and that's how we've built up our business - by just putting it away."

Dawn's classes deal with every step of ceramics - from cleaning, painting and glazing to the incredibly demanding and time consuming art of carving.

"I'm just so proud that I can teach these girls where to start and that they're so absolutely brilliant. I think that's what teaching's all about - helping someone discover what they're really good at - it doesn't have to be what I'm good at.

"With ceramics you don't have to be arty to do it - you can be as clumsy as anything and still turn out something lovely. It's geared towards people who are arty and it's geared towards people who have no artistic ability whatsoever and so they can still do it."

Dawn holds a number of lessons during the week and her gallery is open most days… but if you're travelling a long way it pays to call ahead. You'll find it in Wurlie Court in Point Turton. If you have any further questions please email info@postcards-sa.com.au

Point Turton Ceramic Art
5 Wurlie Court
Point Turton
Ph 8854 5120
Mob 0428 952 947

Published 31st May 2009