Jill Loader

Previously I have worked in porcelain paper clay and raku clay I specialised in ceramics at RMIT University.

I am enjoying working with a combination of polymer clay, cotton rope and natural materiels. Because of the Covid 19 travel restrictions I’ve been working with different materials.

I was introduced to polymer clay at Holmesglen TAFE and I have always made objects from textiles and when I was younger repurposed vintage clothing.
 

My art style is Organic Abstraction and small sculptural forms.

I have always been interested in art, I went to Cornelia Creek Primary School near Echuca and the teacher would set up small easels outside for the art classes. I had to mix my own paints to make different colours I understood the primary colours from a young age. In 2005, I worked supporting a visual art student at Swinbourne TAFE it was during that time I decided to take my interest in visual art further.

As an adult I graduated from Holmseglen TAFE, Chadstone with Certificate IV in Visual Arts, Bachelor of Art (Fine Art), RMIT University, Melbourne and Bachelor of Creative Arts (Honours), Federation University, Churchill.

I have been exhibiting in group shows since 2008, a group show titled “Back to Back,” in 2016 at First Site Gallery, RMIT, Melbourne, the exhibition received great reviews and my first solo show titled “Memento, Memories of a Winter Rose Garden,” in 2018, held at The Spark Gallery, Arc Yinnar, Yinnar, was also highlight.

Most of my inspiration comes from the landscape I travel through, a sense of place and contemporary life.

I always take a small camera with me when I go out and about and take images of anything I see that’s interesting. In the studio I write down ideas and draw sketches in a visual diary or just start playing with clay. I then let the idea(s) evolve.

My favourite piece of artwork is a small hand decorated ceramic bowl by Australian artist Guy Boyd it belonged to my grandmother. The bowl has always been part of my life and it reminds me that during tough times art is uplifting.

I am interested in the history of Art Nouveau, Modernism and 1960’s jewellery. I am inspired by contemporary Japanese ceramics and textiles, a 20^th century French Artist Lea’ Stein who made buttons and jewellery and also a recent exhibition titled “Its all in the Bag” by Melbourne based contemporary printmaker and conceptual artist Rebecca Mayo.

I would like to visit the Glasgow School of Art because I am interested in the Art Nouveau movement and go back to the Cornelia Creek and create a body of work inspired by that landscape. (Cornelia Creek PS is now closed).

I like to work towards making for exhibitions more than to selling my work in a gallery shop. I did some short courses in make up artistry in my twenties and for 7 years in my later working life I worked for a photography company in Myer, Westfield, Doncaster before moving to Gippsland.

My work has changed over the years I was making medium sized hand made ceramic sculptural forms and now I make wearable art experimenting with polymer clay, rope and textiles. I will continue to make wearable art and I am interested in hand painting on natural materials.