About Us
The Blue Mountains Clay Collective is a non-profit community group based in the Greater Blue Mountains.
Connect with Clay and Community in the Blue Mountains
Blue Mountains Clay Collective Inc. is a non-profit community group based in the Greater Blue Mountains.
Our vision is to bring together a diverse range of people with different levels
of ceramic skills and experience to create and connect through clay.
Our Story
The Blue Mountains Clay Collective is an organisation in the greater Blue Mountains Region. Since 2023, we have been committed to growing the community’s interest in the ceramic arts. We believe in sparking creativity through education, exploration and collaboration. We encourage all local artists, at any level, to develop their unique and diverse artistic interests. Today, we continue to provide events and workshops, membership benefits and community initiatives including Blue Mountains Empty Bowls and a Christmas fair.
Our Purpose
Our vision is to bring together a diverse range of people with different levels of ceramic skills and experience to create and connect through clay.
Meet The Committee:
Linda Kemp
President
Working from my studio, Bellevue Ceramics, in Wentworth Falls, the journey with clay began briefly in 1981 while running an Art & Craft gallery in Katoomba. A return to the corporate world followed in 1987, but retirement in 2017 opened the door to rediscovering a passion for ceramics.
Classes and workshops in Canberra and NSW helped refine skills in both hand-building and wheel-throwing. Days are now joyfully spent creating a signature range of delicate, hand-built ‘pods,’ inspired by the rich textures of the Blue Mountains flora. The work includes both functional and decorative pieces, blending nature’s beauty with artistry.
Racheal Larkin
Vice President
During the 1970s, after studying in Canberra, life revolved around working as a full-time potter and artist. A successful workshop and gallery were established in Bungendore, followed by work as a designer and production potter on the Gold Coast. Further qualifications include a Post Certificate from East Sydney Technical College (now NAS) and a Postgraduate Diploma in Visual Arts from Sydney College of the Arts.
Membership in the Inner City Clayworkers Cooperative led to exhibitions and teaching ceramics at various TAFEs, as well as serving as Senior Lecturer and Coordinator for the Ceramics Arts Workshop at Sydney University. After a busy hiatus focused on family and business, the love of working with clay was rekindled.
Now based in a well-established studio in Springwood, in the Blue Mountains, my focus is on creating tableware and vessel-oriented ceramic pieces that celebrate both form and function.
Liza Allen
Secretary
I have been enjoying the art of working with clay for over 30 years, adapting my practice to fit around family and work commitments. Since moving to Wentworth Falls in the Blue Mountains in 2021, I’ve focused on creating functional ware and table decorations, alongside my whimsical bird sculptures. My work blends hand-building and wheel-throwing techniques, allowing me to explore both practicality and playfulness in my pieces.
Veronique Sellies
Treasurer
I have been working with clay since 1996, a journey that began with my studies at the ANU, Hornsby & Brookvale TAFE. Along the way, my work has been featured in the Australian Ceramics Magazine (Issue 46#1) and had the privilege of exhibiting both nationally and in France.
I started teaching ceramics in 2016, sharing my love for the craft. Recently moved to the mountains and build my studio in Bullaburra, where I teach, as well as at the Blackheath Art Society.
My creations include both wheel-thrown and hand-built pieces, with a particular passion for Saggar-fired work, laced with metalwork. My artistic journey has been influenced by my upbringing in the Middle East and in Africa. Moroccan pottery has always captivated me with the rich earthy colors, symbolic geometric patterns and the use of metal overlays on pottery.
For the past nine years, I’ve been teaching ceramics, sharing my love for the craft. Since moving to the mountains, I’ve set up a studio in Bullaburra, where I teach, as well as at the Blackheath Art Society. Clay continues to be my inspiration and a source of endless exploration.