Hello, a bit about me!

This website is a long time coming its always so much work to pull together but I’m very glad I’ve finally taken the leap!

So, I thought this is a good opportunity to introduce myself (beware, this is a bit of a long post!).

I’m Chrystie Longworth, an artist, wife and mother of two teenage boys.

We live on Dharawal Country (Thirroul), on the verdant fringes of Sydney where the high cliffs meet the sea.

I originally completed my Bachelor of Visual Arts at Sydney College of the Arts majoring in Printmaking with a minor in Photography and upon leaving uni (and after a year of travel) I arrived back in Sydney keen to do something (anything) in a creative industry.

I then undertook a Multimedia Traineeship at Enmore TAFE and worked in a small web design agency before graduating to a larger web organisation working in their design team.

Since then I’ve had my own design business called Garnish Garden with clients in the fashion, homewares and corporate sectors. I really feel this is where I learnt a lot of my visual skills, working every day to balance images, colour and consider positive and negative spaces as well as manage a business.

When my first son was born a friend convinced me to go to a pottery class to have 2 hours in the week to myself and I was immediately hooked! Since then I have tried to get on the wheel at least once a week to improve - it took me at least 3 years to really “get” centering!

If you want to go back through my Cobalt & Kin instagram you can see my progression (both in making and photographing skills) - and I believe anyone can do it if they are willing to put in the time.

I’ve also been volunteering at my local pottery club, the Illawarra Potters for the last 10 years and have met some amazing people of all ages. I can highly recommend getting in touch with your local pottery group!

Over the years I also set up a home studio and really embraced making from home while also managing my design business. I love the tactility of clay and the joy of pulling a special piece from the kiln.

There’s a lot more I could write but I’ll leave it for another time!