Farnham Art in Clay

Although we have been our new house nearly a month we are still living out of boxes. The builders have plenty of messy work to do so no good unpacking.
Everything seems slow and we've only recently been connected to the inter-net.
This week-end I'm back to Surrey for Art in Clay at The Maltings Farnham. Do have a look at the event, link here.
I'm looking forward to seeing every bodies work and catching up with friends. 

Moving slowly

 The piles of boxes are getting higher both in the house and the studio.

 The Pots and Food festival in Wardlow Mires was a welcome distraction from packing boxes. As the kiln is disconnected now work has come to a halt. It feels very strange not to be working.
My trustee helpers came along to lend a hand and share the victuals.

 I took along a new display unit for the bowls. Now I've seen it in the pictures I think it's time to give it a coat of paint. There were plenty of beautiful and useful pots I wish I had taken more photos.
I was really taken with Patia Davis' work. Although I don't have a picture of her stand you can view a beautiful video about her here.

 My youngest son is now set up in halls or residence and ready to start college next week. I met him in London. We just happened to go past this chap painting a mural. It is a colourful addition to all the murals around Spitalfields.

 Here's a view of an interesting deli in the same area. I don't think I'll get to London before we move now so we popped in and out of some of our favourite shops and finished at Borough Market.

 Some pots out of the kiln recently. This is the last kiln firing for a while as we move very soon.

Art in Clay

I'm just packing for Hatfield. This is probably the last pot I can fit in!
You can find a link to this offer  here.
The weather promises to be glorious do come along.

Potting and the garden

 Our house is now under offer and we have made an offer on a house in Wales. I'm trying to work full time and fit in a house move. I thought I would take some photos of the garden to remember some of the plants I've enjoyed here so that I can find them in Wales. I spend very little time gardening so it's surprising anything is growing.

 I think I should have spent more time photographing pots and less on the garden! These are two coming to Rufford at the week-end. Click here to get more information about Rufford.

Out and about

 I had to go to London recently so I paid a visit to the V and A. The garden was packed with people and it had the atmosphere of Brighton on a sunny day.
I first went to the V and A in 1969 and there were never very many people there - what a change. But no hang on! Look below and you can see that you can still have the entire ceramics collection on the 6th floor to yourself. Bliss.
We've just put our house on the market with the intention of moving to Wales so I need to make the most of some of the wonderful places London can provide.

 I threw a batch of small jugs recently and wasn't sure how to decorate them. I went into the house and picked up this sketch painting I'd done and the book. I don't usually decorate in such an arbitrary way so it will be interesting to see the results.

I'm off to the Crafts Study Centre in Farnham tomorrow to hear a lecture entitled Leach, Carroll and Beyond English Slipware and the World of Reference.Should be interesting.

 In April we visited our daughter in China. It was a real adventure travelling around and staying with friends.
We stayed with a family in the country and Mark couldn't resist the opportunity to help them in the fields. They have recently taken out their orchard and are replanting it with peach trees.
After a day in the fields they offered to take us out to the local town. Knowing they don't have a car we wondered how this could be done but not to worry the three wheeled motor bike and cart below seated 7 adults and 2 small children!! We all hopped in with our tiny stools and off we set.

 The weather was warm and the country side looked idyllic but we know life is tough for our friends in the winter. All the households had these wonderful carts and many were still using them.

 You can see the village in the distance. The houses are built in the traditional way with rooms opening off a central court yard from the outside all you can see are these large doors. The main room is both bedroom and lounge and has a kang which is a brick built bed which can be heated with a fire in winter.I was fascinated to spend time in the kitchen watching them make noodles which they cook on a wood burning stove.

 We went to a village school where my daughter and son-in-law teach English. Just to add some fun to the class we took along some clay and the children made little thumb pots.

 We couldn't find many pottery related trips but the main museum in Xi'an has a wonderful collection. They have the most wonderful tri-coloured horses.

 We visited this market that did sell loads of pots. Unfortunately I didn't take many photos.The tiny shops were crammed with pots of every sort mostly celedon glazed pots but I don't know where they were made.

 As most people in the city live in high rise apartments the parks are a very important and busy places. You never know whats going to be going on.It could be ballroom dancing, sword waving, Chinese opera and of course it's all going on at the same time.

                                                         You can also get your hair cut!

Now it's time to get back to work in earnest. I need to get plenty of pots ready for the summer festivals.