Back to work

Just sorting out my 'to do' list before I started work this morning. It's a pleasant way to start with a cup of coffee.
I've been so keen to get back to work that I didn't tidy the studio before I started! Now there is stuff everywhere. Finished bowls drying and bowls in polythene ready for decoration.
And these tiny bowls that I've got through the glaze firing in a hurry to use them as test pieces for applying some lustre. How will that go? Don't know will have to wait and see. Hopefully the lustre will come in the post tomorrow.
Two boys are back at shool and one to go!!

Events

I bought the tankard on the right on ebay recently. I recognised it as being by the same potter who made the puzzle jug. I don't know any more about him now than I did before. His name was P.C. Brown and worked in Gloucestershire. I bought the tankard in about 1970 when I was a student and knew nothing about slipware.
For anyone in London on the week-end of 18th of September there some interesting ceramic event. Of course Hannah is at Ceramics in the City at the Geffrye Museum and there is also the opening of the ceramic galleries at the Victoria and Albert Museum.

Day trips

On Friday my youngest son and I went to London. We had a meal in China Town before heading for the newly opened Medieval gallery in The British Museum. It was inspirational. It's almost like going into a church because it's somehow imbued with a sense of awe and sacredness. Odd in many ways because although many of the objects would have religious connections equally many would have been used in everyday life. I think the potters would be amazed to see their pots in this setting and not filled with ale on some rustic table. There were large jugs with lively applied decoration. There is one below with low relief modelling of a hunting scene.
I particularly like the small sgraffito bowl from Cyprus.







I've also included a few pots from the 18th century gallery.
Last Thursday I went to collect more clay from the clay pit. There is something wonderful about seeing the clay at source. The pit above is now a pond and teeming with large fish. As I approached the water I was very surprised to see the fish approaching us.
The clay on the trolley is fresh out of the pug mill and on its way to be turned into Kent peg tiles. What a sight though all that soft, plastic warm coloured clay.
This is the pile of clay mine has come from. I thought I might follow the pots from clay pit to finished pot. The clay appears to contain plenty of coarse grit but the grit is in fact lime. I have to remove the lime or it will blow out of the pot or bits will flake away where the lime is embedded. Last time I wedged and kneaded it extensively and picked out as much as I could but this time I am thinking of slatting it down and sieving it. If anyone has any ideas please pass them on.

Pots in the Park

Potfest in the Park was a wonderful week-end of pots and pot talk. In fact I obviously talked too much because I took almost no photographs! We did get a view of one of the lakes on Saturday evening. I had never been to that part of the world before so I did want to get a view of the water. It is a very beautiful area and we were blessed with some wonderful sunsets. Mostly I was at my stall and I never even saw all the other stands which seems such a shame when there were so many good pots and excellent potters there.
Mathieu van der Giessen was diagonally behind me so I enjoyed handling his slipware. I bought some plates from him that I am going to use daily. I bought quite a bit of pottery that I am looking forward to using in the kitchen.


I should have taken some photos of my stand at the beginning of the week-end as it's looking a bit bare here. I found the week-end very motivational and it was good to meet Christine as I feel I know her through her blog. I would very much like to be getting straight back into the studio but I've got a fortnight off now . A week to prepare for a youth camp followed by the week cooking at Newday.

This weeks news

The wassail bowl above was meant to be for the competition at
Pots in the Park. The title of the competition is 'cultural connections'. Being from Wales I made all the connections and culture Welsh. But sad to say that there is shimmering on the edges so it won't be coming with me to Penrith. Unfortunately I did it when the weather was hot and it was drying up too quickly.

This is the view of the garden from the studio. With the kiln on the room gets very hot so I have to keep the door open. On Saturday we went to visit friends in Deal as it was their Open Studio .My friend ,Annie Spencer-Smith is a photographer and specialises in black and white photographs. She has included my pots in some of her work. I am thinking of using some of them as part of my backdrop at Pots in the Park.
The pier is at Deal. The weather was glorious and we were able to enjoy our lunch on the beach. Though that was probably the only bit of the day that two teenage boys enjoyed! Being escorted to artists studios was not their idea of fun!

Family news

We've had a week off to do some family things. Last Thursday we waved my daughter and her husband off as they flew out to Singapore on their way to China. They plan to emigrate to China so they have enrolled on a two year language course in Xian. The photo shows us all together before they left.
On the Friday we travelled to Wales to spend some time with my parents. The weather flicked from hot and wonderful to very wet and cold! Still we got out and about between the downpours and visited beaches, gardens and galleries.
Yesterday I got back into the studio and onto the wheel. Today it's slipping and turning.

Aylesford number 3

Jut a few more photos from Aylesford. Mark and I both liked Nick's work. Always good when we both like someones work as often we go for different things.
Three potters competed to throw the most pots in an hour to break the Guiness Book of Records.
Billy pictured above threw 150 (pictured behind him). The previous record had been in the 80s.