"My sculptures have always reflected my life and the current journey that I am on. These intimate works celebrate the intricacies of human nature and the relationships we have with each other; they look for an understanding of self and the world around us. My works also incorporate my experiences of being a mother to my four year old son and two year old daughter, and explore the diversity of emotions and experiences that I currently enjoy as a mother."

Cradle - 2007 Photo: Bill Shaylor

Essentially, my work explores concepts of human instinctive, protective and nurturing nature, as well as notions of home, domesticity and growth. My desire is for a closer relationship to ‘mother nature’ and to balance this with living in a suburban environment; I am always considering the future of my children and their personal growth. I hope to deliver works that open our eyes to the inherent beauty in nature, and the interrelationships people have with nature. The rapid growth of my two young children has also drawn me to study in detail the natural world. By combining local bird and plant-forms, I hope to create pieces that are brimming with life, affirming not only the miracle but the cycle of life.


Look! flutter, flit, flicker - scuttle 2007 Photo: Bill Shaylor

My works are built from home, where I sit in the lounge at my worktable, surrounded by my family. A fulltime artist, I use a variety of clays; earthenware, stoneware, paperclay and porcelain. All of my pieces are built by hand through a combination of slab and coil technique, so that each finished piece is unique. I assemble and model the features of the bodies when the clay pieces are firm, I then later use the sgraffito technique to ‘draw’ onto the figure’s bodies. This distinctive style requires me to build the body from one type of clay, then paint over the surface using a different coloured liquid clay called slip. I use a scalpel to scratch through the slip to the clay underneath to create delicate line drawings. Colour is always used conservatively to highlight specific areas and I achieve this using oxides, stains, slips and glazes, before firing the pieces to 1200C or 1300C. This ensures my work will last for generations.

Amanda Shelsher, Perth, Western Australia.


Listen ! - Humm hover Shimmer. 2007 Photo: Bill Shaylor


Metamorphosis 2008 Photo: Bill Shaylor


Staying for now 2007 Photo: Bill Shaylor


Mother and Children - Cherish. 2007. Photo: Bill Shaylor


Nature and Nurture 2006 Photo: Bill Shaylor