Like many children of the outdoors, as a youngster, Rosemary Tucker spent many hours making 'mud pies' in the backyard.
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Now, an accomplished potter well-versed in the art of glaze technology, she has turned that childlike passion into a lifelong career path.
Introduced to the potter's wheel at age 15, she is now one of the Riverina's more prominent hobbyist creators.
"I started when I was at school with my art teacher who loved ceramics," said the Junee-based artist.
"I'd never touched clay until then, but from then on I couldn't stop. I'll always have my hands in clay."
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In the time since she began turning her passion into a profitable business, Ms Tucker has begun to see a new generation of potters turn their hands to the wheel.
"You can take all your frustrations out on the clay," she said. "That joy of creating something that exists only in your mind, turning into a product to use or a sculpture to admire.
"It's pure joy and you end up with a product you can use, that is different from everything else out there."
Although pottery is having a resurgence the world over, Ms Tucker fears the art of glaze technology will soon be lost to the annals of time, as those who possess the knowledge start to reduce to a fewer.
"They're all getting older now, a lot have passed. They were active in the '80s, and now they're in their 80s," she said. "A lot don't want to teach it anymore and what they know is being forgotten.
"If we don't keep these crafts alive, when they do go we'll be relying on imports. It'd be great to keep the knowledge and the skills in our country."
Now, Ms Tucker laments the declining pursuit, which has relatively died in comparison to its heyday.
"Back in the '80s, pottery was alive. Studios were open for people to learn things like glaze technology," she said.
"It's not financially viable any more. You can learn it at TAFE, but that's expensive. Some ceramics courses are only at uni now. It's hard to afford that."
But even amidst the nostalgic sorrow, Ms Tucker recognises there is always hope and the chance of a revival with the advent of new technology.
"A lot of the young ones don't have the glaze technology knowledge, but they want to and they're looking on the web to find the recipes," she said.
"But you've got to know the chemistry, what each ingredient will do for your glaze and your type of clay.
"For example, silica is a glass, it won't melt at the same temperature as other ingredients, so if you add that you need to know what else to add to get the right consistency.
"These are all things that used to be taught, but now they're being forgotten."