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Arty Places #10 2012 : Clayhouse

Gundaroo NSW : Sally Paskins Store 
Gundaroo, a village about 35km north of Canberra, takes you back in time. Most of the buildings  in the main street of the village are typical of 19th century Australia  - slab huts, wattle and daub, stone and local brick. What a delightful place! Although I lived in Canberra  for over three years, I am embarrassed to admit that I only discovered Gundaroo last week while attending a family wedding. There are  a few arty places in Gundaroo, but I really liked the work of Leanne Percival of Clayhouse and so Clayhouse becomes Arty Place #10 ( most likely the last arty place in this series for 2012). 

 I really like Clayhouse pottery ... I think there is an appealing simplicity and a  trendy cleanness  about the shapes and patterns in a "happy" colour range. 



Clayhouse is very much at home in Sally Paskins Store, a slab hut,  built in 1886 with  kauri floors,  newspaper "wall paper " from the period, and  a brick chimney . 







 Sarah ('Sally') Paskins ( who died in 1892)  was an interesting character who was renowned for keeping  a cockatoo on the counter in the shop. These days, Leanne doesn't have a cockatoo, but her silent guard dogs ( sculptures) are a talking point. While this photo depicts Leanne as rather serious, she is a very friendly, personable, talented  and obliging artist. I enjoyed chatting and learning a little about the history of the building and the area. Thanks, Leanne! 


 I love the little egg cups I bought at Clayhouse, and have some creative plans for them. In the meantime, they have happily settled in with  my egg cup collection. 


When you are next in the area, I hope you will enjoy a visit to Gundaroo, and especially to Clayhouse in Cork Sreet,  Gundaroo or at least visit on Facebook  .  
PS Also recommend the Cork Street Cafe and Grazing  Restaurant - great food! 
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  1. AnonymousMay 27, 2018 at 11:05 AM

    Thanks for showing me my great great grandmother Sarah (sally) Paskins' old shop. It is great to be able to see something still standing and in good use. I seem to always miss out on seeing the real thing as I was also down that way last year and had no idea until research that this is where my gr gr grandmother got to. The extra interior decor from that era was something I can now add to my notes.
    Hope to pass that way, one day!

    ReplyDelete

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