I participated in two artist in residencies in the early gold mining town of Hill End in NSW in 2002 and 2003.  I was interested in researching the introduced species found there, as I knew early Europeans planted the same staples to allow them to survive – figs, quince, pears, plums, almonds.  I made detailed drawings of the blossom phase and the fruiting phase, which were then depicted on these vessels.

 

These works were shown at Christine Abrahams Gallery and Beaver Galleries  in 2003 and 2006.

 

'Fiona views the traditions of utilitarian ceramic vessels within a broader concept of functionalism, relating her forms to pieces that were used in daily domestic rituals of the past. By enhancing the importance of objects through increased scale she gives the objects prominence and position not always found in our everyday lives. Decoration of the works is achieved though the use of brightly depicted and beautifully drawn botanical decoration inspired by colonial gardens.'