A recent comment on one of my posts from a Turin-based potter, inviting readers to visit his new blog, comes at an interesting time, with the Australian Ceramics discussion list talking about a web presence as one of the ways for potters to promote themselves and their works to potential buyers. The discussion list is till talking mainly about websites, but blogs are now emerging as an effective way of bringing work to new markets. The start-up cost and effort is much less and it is a nice, informal way of building up relationships with fellow makers and potential buyers on the Internet, even for potters who already have a website.

Shannon Garson, who is writing a blog for the Australian Ceramics Triennale to be held in Sydney next month, has recently posted an entry on her own blog encouraging artists to blog, and  another on how to get started.  There will also be a panel on this subject at the Triennale.  I’ve been bookmarking Australian pottery blogs in my delicious account as I find them. The numbers are still not large,  but I expect that there will be a burgeoning of new blogs over the next twelve months, and a need to make sure that these are described and safekept as part of the artistic record.

For my bookmarks, I’m single-minded in my pursuit of Australian pottery blogs, but the blogosphere is full of interesting blogs by overseas potters and by artists working in other media. I feel surprisingly connected to this larger world when an artist comments on my blog, or adds it to their blog roll. While it is not entirely good behaviour to comment on another blog solely to promote your own, I was pleased to be visited by the Turin potter, and have just paid a visit in return.