Need to make some space!

My studio is very small and at the moment it seems to be cluttered up. A good clean up is needed. Part of the problem is that the weather has been so hot I have been reluctant to fire the kiln as it is in the studio and it makes it exceedingly hot for working and the ongoing work is drying too fast.

One of the things I like to make are colanders. Although I must have made a large number over the years I still like to make them. It's the challenge of making something that is good to hold and functions as it's meant to and looks good as well.



This is the door from the garden to the studio. I only have to walk a few feet from the house to work. When the weather is as warm as it has been I enjoy working with the door open onto the garden. This week I have been able to sit in the garden to eat my lunch which is such a simple thing but one I enjoy immensely.

Work in progress

I quickly snapped these photos tonight before I closed up the studio. Just to record that there is work in progress.
I'm using the images from the Luttrell Psalter on these jugs. They never fail to fascinate me. I like the wonderful graphic lines. The clothing in particular has great linear qualities. I sgraffitoed away for about eight hours with only a quick lunch break so by the end of the day my eyes were sore so when my husband suggested a trip to our local I was glad of a change of scene!

McGill Duncan Gallery

I am busy decorating jugs this week out in the studio. I've enough thrown and slipped to keep me busy all this week and probably into next. I am also working hard decorating on the home front. It's a tedious business but the house was in need of an extreme spring clean. Sanding paintwork must be one of the most thankless chores but I am encouraging myself by saying that it will all be worthwhile when it's finished.
Zoe and Jill at McGill Duncan Gallery will have some of my pots in an exhibition soon. I feel particularly attracted to the lino cuts by Hilke Macintyre.

Kiln opening

I unpacked the kiln this morning and as you can see the sunlight was flooding the studio. It was very pleasant but made working quite challenging as the bowls I was working on were drying far too quickly.

The last few pieces of work on the Alice theme have only just made their way through the kiln.

When the children were little I taught in adult education. I didn't have a car then and would jump into the car as my husband came in from work and he could take over the household. I really enjoyed it and I think it was often a welcome break from child rearing!
I taught for 9 years until East Surrey closed all their pottery departments. Then some of the people I taught came to my studio for their weekly pottery 'fix'. Recently, however, I have found that I have been competing for time and space in the studio, so at Easter I finished the classes.
These last two pots are all that is left and are awaiting pick up. In total I have taught two nights a week for 13 years!!
I've met many lovely folk and made some good friends but now I am looking forward to more time and space in the studio.

Come to tea with Alice

It's an afternoon of sharp spring sunlight. Perfect for afternoon tea. You may wish to join us for cakes and tea, of course Alice may just pop in (she has a habit of inviting herself to tea).

'Alice' gone to my head

The queen of tarts she made some .......
....hearts all on a summers day ................
the knaves of hearts he stole those tarts ..and took them quite away..

Doesn't sound quite right!

Alice in Wonderland

I am just coming to the end of my time working on the theme of 'Alice'. I am quite sad to leave the theme as I have enjoyed working with the idea. Normally I try to keep ahead with the ideas I am exploring in my sketch books. Above is a drawing that I have never used and my head and sketch book are full of ideas that I want to explore. I am never in the position of looking at a pot and wondering what I am going to do with it in terms of decoration.
With 'Alice' I have been in a different position where I am almost behind with the drawings. I have been drawing my 13 year old son to get some ideas for how Alice might look in different situations. (I decided that drawing the 16 or 19 year old would be no good or Alice would look like a hairy gorilla!) Good job they never read the blog!!
I have also refered to the original drawings by John Tenniel as they are images I remember from my childhood.

After working on the drawings I have made templates. I didn't use all of them but they are very useful as you cann't correct mistakes with sgraffito. I use them to place the images on the pots.
Here is a glimpse of a few more finished bowls.

We went to see the film 'Alice in Wonderland' withJonny Depp last Sunday and now I am looking for Alice everywhere. We saw the film in 3D. I haven't been to the cinema for years and it gave me motion sickness- the screen was massive. When we got home I was glad to go for a walk around the lake to clear my head. But I couldn't help thinking that there might be a hole some- where near these tree rooots that Alice might just fall down.
Next week it will be back to making colanders and jugs.