What do you do?

Partly a product of my being a teacher of craft and design for many years, and partly the product of a restless curiosity I have worked with many mediums but particularly ceramics, fibre and digital media. I have a Masters degree in Fine Arts from RMIT The Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology University and I see making pots and fabrics as much as work of art as other genres, but with a more direct connection with the user.

Why did you start your business?

With Ecofabric the original impetus was applying for a job- which I didn’t get and my work wasn’t even looked at! I wanted to explore my talent further and thought—how hard can it be to start your own business? Well it is challenging—especially without a large amount of start-up capital. Fortunately starting small also means making smaller mistakes.

Having read the material data safety sheets for teaching I knew how dangerous some of the textile chemicals were and I didn’t want to increase any harm from particular chemicals, making a newsletter for Ecofabric I researched further into the ecological side and became even more aware. Once you have images in your head of children with birth defects simply because they were conceived downstream from where cotton is grown, you keep on trying to provide an alternative.

Why is being Eco Friendly important to you?

During my life-time we have lost half the species we had when I was born. This happened without us really understanding that it was happening or that we were causing it. Species loss is escalating and our

What is your top Eco tip?

Do realise that choosing growing, eating, wearing anything using organic methods has considerable potential to reduce emissions of greenhouse gases causing climate change. “Considerable” is the term used by United Nations Scientists— not just my take on it. By organic I mean not just free from artificial pesticides and herbicides but also synthetic fertilizers which by-pss the naturally balanced carbon cycle.

Anthea normally works in the South Coast Collective Shop every Friday afternoon and the occasional Sunday

When you aren’t at the Collective Shop where can we find you?

I could be teaching pottery, designing, avoiding decluttering the studio, or tending my chickens in Owhiro Bay.

Online at: antheagrob.com

Pottery Classes with Anthea Grob