Monday 16 September 2013

The last festival and the next.

 Can you remember weeks ago we had warm, no, hot weather? It's easy to forget now the rain and storms have washed the sunshine away. Anyway,one hot day when the kiln was on and the studio was baking the pots were drying too fast, I was just about to recycle this pot when I thought I'd quickly experiment with a different design. Here is the result. Not quite sure whether I can develop this idea or not.
 Anyway,the pace of life has changed this week as I take a break from the studio to go to pottery festivals. The week-end was spent at Wardlow Mires. Here's my stand. The week-end was very enjoyable and went all too quickly. I think the combination of pots and food works really well. The countryside around the festival is wonderful with rolling hills stretching in every direction only broken by sudden outcrops of rocks. I only wish we could have stayed longer to explore the area more and enjoy Pat and Geof's hospitality at The Three Stags' Head.

 Back at home I am preparing for the next event which is Ceramics in the City at the Geffrye Museum in London. The bowls below will be coming with me. I set up on Wednesday and the event runs from Thursday evening through to Sunday evening.


Wednesday 4 September 2013

Song words

Does anyone recognize the lyrics on this bowl? ( If you click on the image it will enlarge)
It's quite a challenge doing the sgraffito when the weather is so warm as the pot is drying very fast. I like to work on the pots when they are leather hard so not too dry. The surface is so pleasant to draw into at that stage.

A busy week

 Last Tuesday we headed off to London for the day. My middle son was home from Italy and he wanted to do 'tourist' things in London. My youngest son needed to go to the V and A to study changes in fashion. This suited me just fine as I was able to browse through the ceramics galleries.
This small exhibition caught my eye. It was entitled Deception- Ceramics and Imitation. When I was teaching children we had great fun with this topic. I once took a box of  'biscuits' home and found it really funny when someone tried to take a bite out of one! We all met up for lunch in China Town before heading down the Mall and finishing the day in a London pub.



 As if that wasn't enough fun for one week my eldest son got married on Thursday. It was a most joyous occasion. It was a wonderful mixture of solemnity and fun, dignified and relaxed.

 My daughter is also home from China for the wedding and another impending event. Looks like our family is definitely growing.

 Unloading the glaze firing on Monday hardly seems exciting in the light of all the other events, though strangely enough, doesn't matter how many times I fire the kiln I still look forward to unpacking it with a sense of anticipation.
Here are some of the pots that are going to Pots and Food in Wardlow Mires next week. Wardlow Mires is a most beautiful place so do check out the event. I think the combination of food and pots is marvellous but then perhaps I am just greedy. We enjoyed last years event enormously and I felt the need to sample most of the food and drink.