Dinosaurs, Kings and Museums

T-Rex Wandering around at the World Museum, Liverpool

Last Friday we took the little one to Liverpool to go see the dinosaurs at a special exhibition in the World Museum.  He enjoyed it, but the animatronic dinosaurs scared him a little, while we were there we also took him to the Walker Art Gallery next door and he played in the children's art gallery whilst I had a wander around, I haven't been there since the first week of Art School many moons ago.

Bernard Leach Pot at the Walker Art Gallery

 As well as Bernard Leach they also had a piece on display by Svend Bayer, Walter Keeler and David Frith.  The piece by Svend Bayer had a "please touch this pot" sign on and wasn't behind a wall of glass so I did so despite the strange looks I got from other visitors.

On Wednesday I travelled all over the place going to see Art Galleries people had recommended to me and even went over to see Rob Miller and his small gallery that doubles as his studio, over in Bolton.  He gave me lots of good advice, I had only gone to see his work, I really love his paintings I just wish I wasn't so very broke.

Today was the little one's preschool nativity and he was so cute.  Afterwards we went over to my little brothers to wish him a happy belated birthday as he has been in Belgium all week.

Been working on the marketing but has been going so slow, need to light a fire under myself and get going.  Also been painting but this latest one is just too frustrating, been too long since I have done an acrylic painting, I have been trying watercolour and goauche which are good for studies but I want to use oils or acrylics and do bigger pieces than 6*4inch.

Teaching Results

I have been so busy trying to get organised and into a new routine, working when I used to go down to the studio was easy, I opened at 10am every day tried to get organised, made some pots, packaged up what had to be brought home to the kiln.  In the evenings I used to fill the kiln and then set it going the next morning and let my wife kiln sit which would just be coming to the upper end as I got home from work.

Now things are different, I kiln sit myself but I don't have as many new pieces coming through at the moment.

Commissions are open and we are available to come and do parties, groups and Schools.  I am preparing information packs to be sent out to various organisations and to request one just email joseph(at)redfoxpottery(dot)com.

Here is the work from two of my adult students from the summer school Course.

Ben's Pots, Iron Stripes, cobalt and copper spots

Ben's Pots(2), Iron Stripes, cobalt spots

Michelle's Pots with Iron Details

Michelle and Ben's bugs cobalt, iron, copper and transparent glaze

Pumpkin Pie

This week the dresser moved in as we cleared the shop.  The walls have been plastered now and I am going to paint come Monday morning in the hopes that I can get the keys handed over to the landlord at the end of the month.  Talking to my barber I need to try and claim back my business rates from the council.  I also went for a job interview this week, hence the reason for going to the barber.

Made a pumpkin pie today, I have a pumpkin and walnut bread in the oven, and I made a little bit of bread just in case, it hasn't been baked yet but never mind.  I have two big bowls of pumpkin purée in my fridge, I guess I will be having soup in the next day or so.

So Long and Thanks for all the fish.

At 4pm Saturday 15th October 2011 with the help of two friends we finished packing all the pottery into boxes, took the opening times down and closed our doors for the last time.  Red Fox Pottery will no longer trade from Unit 9 Marsh Mill Village, though we will still be trading just working from home, as I still have all my equipment.

There are still quite a few jobs to do before I had the keys over to my landlord but they will get done this week.

We would like to thank all those that supported us over the last year and we hope you will continue to enjoy your pottery, for its lifetime.

For those still wanting to buy Pottery, there is pottery to be viewed from Oxheys Mill Studios in Preston and if there is anything you like on any of the blog posts just contact us and we will see what we can do the email address is joseph at redfoxpottery dot com.

Looking for some work on the side and over the winter will also be working on painting and drawing both traditionally and digitally.  I want to finally learn some graphic design skills so I can at least work on my own branding.

We are also available for bookings, for youth groups, scouting groups, school groups, Christmas and Birthday parties, as long as you have somewhere we can come.  We can do hand building, throwing or a combination of the two, once again email for details.

Only a few days left

I only have a few days left at the shop before I empty it, I wish I was leaving on better terms.  I will review the entire time once the shop is empty and maybe repainted.  I am both looking forward to and dreading losing the studio.  It has been my own personal space to work in and if it hadn't cost me so much I would have stayed but it is too expensive.

People keep asking where we are moving to and at the moment I am not even looking because I have enough money to even think of renting elsewhere.  I am applying for lots of jobs in the hopes I can get something to earn some money.

I am a potter in my heart and soul and not having a workspace already feels tough, I wish money didn't have to be a worry as I just love to pot, I find it is all I ever want to do and I am most relaxed and happy when I am throwing.  I just want to keep improving and getting better.  I know I think to much but the only time my mind rests is when I am throwing, and I am already finding myself bored, unfocused and disconnected from the world.

Second half of the Fleetwood Mural

I have been struggling to get this 2nd half done, I haven't found the determination to get it done.  I can't find the solution to what buildings I want on it.

My shelves still very full

It has changed since this photograph as I have sold a few pieces including the big pot at the bottom.

My wheel

This is my first wheel and since April it has been a shelf, I cleared it off and I have thrown a few bits on it, I forgot what life was like before my Shimpo Whisper T and I prefer this wheel, it has more character to the way it moves, to the way it turns, the Shimpo just seems so electrical and smooth opposed to what is a mechanical beast where you can feel and hear all the parts whirling.  The foot pedal is so much nicer to press on than the Shimpo's too, not it doesn't stop in one place to throw big pots, but for smaller pots this is what I prefer.

3 Weeks Left

Another week doneI ended up with 140 bud vases thrown in the end, there is very little space left at the moment.  Despite having a big "TO LET" sign outside the studio people still seem a little shocked that we have a closing down sale.  The sale itself will run from the studio until October 15th when all the furniture is due to leave.

The more time goes on the more mixed feelings I have about losing my first proper studio, but I can't afford it and it has caused me far too much stress.

I have been waiting for some new supplies and they finally turned up on Friday, so I can now do a commission that has been waiting in my book.  I have started it but ran out of the coloured slip I needed to finish.  I have the other half of my mural to do too so that's how the week will start.

When I came back from Holidays there was this giant addition to my store front

Getting very full on my main storage

Secondary Storage area full too.

I want to get my big wheel cleaned off soon so then I can throw on it again before I leave.  This is the wheel I bought off of Ebay when I was a first year Ceramics Student 5 years ago, it has character when it throws, but can't hold steady when I am making bigger pots, which is why it ended up getting used for storage in April.

A good pottery holiday

So this week I have been in the South West of England, across the three counties of Devon, Cornwall, and Somerset.  There was lots of travelling because there isn't much in the way of civilisation between all the potteries, but that is nice in some ways, very much unspoilt rolling hills and winding lanes.


Wednesday

Mike Dodd's show room, this is just the smallest of the three walls covered in pots.  Mike Dodd was the first potter we visited, as we wanted to visit on a day he said he was open.

One of his big pots that I would have brought home with me if I actually had any money.

Mike Dodd's Kiln was the first I saw all week and it is just a bit bigger than the gas kiln I used to fire in at University and he complained it wasn't big enough.  I really got kiln envy this week, with my little Eco 45.

On Wednesday we also visited Lisa Hammond at Kigbeare Pottery which was about 3 miles from where we were staying in Okehampton, and when I mentioned I was a potter I got the grand tour by her latest apprentice Bethan Jones.  The pottery is better equipped than my university and I didn't want to leave, I wanted to stay there and throw.

Thursday

We started Thursday by driving all the way down to Land's End in Cornwall, we got there and the fog was so thick that we couldn't see a thing, the tourist centre wasn't open as we arrived before 10am.  not wanting to wait we headed back towards St. Ives the fog was quite thick until we came around the coast and the bay opened up before us, it was amazing in St Ives and was so much nicer than the town here in Cleveleys which is also a seaside tourist town.

After spending the morning in St Ives we took the bus to the Leach Pottery (in hindsight if I knew it was that close I wouldn't have bothered with the bus).  We took the tour of the pottery and watched the video, the guide on the tour quickly picked up I was a potter and started talking about bits she didn't know.

After the tour and looking in the old kilns, I went out to the car park to find the Apprentices packing the soda kiln ready for a firing the next day as stock was running low and they had a scheduled opening on Saturday which they invited us to but we knew we would be at John Leach's Pottery that day.

I put my camera back in the car and waited for Jack Doherty to come back to the Pottery and he gave me a personal guided tour of his studio in Bernard's old studio upstairs which was full of just fired pots and then through to the production pottery and showed me the hidden wheels.  It is an amazing space and wish I had taken my camera on the tour.

I honestly didn't want to leave St Ives and would of happily spent the rest of the week there, especially if I could have worked in the pottery, it seemed a peaceful friendly place to work.

Friday

We started Friday looking for Svend Bayer's Pottery outside Sheepwash, we got to a crossroad's where we couldn't work out which was it was and as the was a van behind us we ended up going and seeing Clive Bowen's Shebbear Pottery first (No pictures from there) though panicking about a show that is 4 weeks earlier than he anticipated he took time out to show us round his pottery and showed us his big bottle kilns, I can't even imagine having enough work to fill it ever.

After lunch we visited Svend Bayer at his Pottery it is very quiet there and he is next to the woods, you wouldn't spot it if it weren't for the chimney and the wood pile.

This is one of his Anagama kilns, this is the bigger one, the smaller one he recently took down citing that the brick were failing and was rebuilding from the ground up.  There is chopped wood every where.

Some of Svend's big pots. they just seem so flawless, they are very different to the work of Nic Collins who makes pots to have imperfections.  I asked Svend if they were hard to put in the kiln, I got a single yes.  After having a good look around I picked out a mug, paid and left him to his peace.

We knew we had found Hollyford Pottery when we saw a lone chimney as we came up the lane, potter's chimneys are hard to miss.

This is Doug Fitch's Hollyford Pottery, it seems very tranquil in the middle of nowhere surrounded by farm land. He showed me round his pottery which is the smallest of the week, but no less impressive.  He even took me down to the stream and I brought home a ball of clay with me, it is so close to such a brilliant natural resource and it is a nice colour too not like the clay I found the near my house which goes putrid green when slaked down.

Doug hard at work decorating his jug, it is still fascinating watching other potters at work and I think I always will no matter how good I get at making pottery. I had to be dragged away from  Doug's studio as I was having a good chat with him while my fellow travellers sat in the car.

Saturday

We went to the Kiln opening at John Leach's Muchelney Pottery and John Leach did some amazing demo's.  He even gave me a one to one demo on pulling handles off of a pot the pot in question was a spoon rest which he said was the strangest piece of work he has ever put a handle on.  He is so warm and friendly, and teaches like a caring grandfather when it comes to giving criticism.

This is the middle of three chambers in John Leach's Kiln, with the front part already emptied read for everyone turning up.  By the time we left the table of seconds was empty and quite a number of the signed pieces had been bought too.  Everything seemed to be selling well and it is definately a well marketed event.  Nick Rees told me about the kilns and about the various work that they do.

The last potter on our trip was Paul the Potter, just 15 minutes away from Muchelney Pottery at Barrington Court, once again I forgot my camera.  I loved talking to Paul and looking around the pottery and  at the buildings he was in, we don't have those sorts of barns up here in Lancashire not with proper tiles etc. He has some amazing plans for the future and another potter I will definately visit again.

Thanks to Doug Fitch, Paul Jessop, Mike Dodd, Lisa Hammond, Svend Bayer, Clive Bowen, Jack Doherty, John Leach, Nick Rees and all the apprentices (and a few other potteries I can't remember the names of) Thank you for letting me in and looking around, I just wish I had taken a few more photographs, but I always feel awkward taking photos of people especially when my young brother is a photographer and was with me.

After this week though, I want to be part of something big, something that is more than one man, I want to look for an apprenticeship again.  I would love to work in the Leach Pottery but without being able to drive it is a long way from here in Lancashire.

I have lots to do this week, hopefully going to pick up some supplies from Pilling this week, to rush make some things for Christmas.

The end is in sight

The end may be in sight be there is still so much to do. Today I have been working on my presentation, doing the presentation doesn't both me, just preparing it makes me nervous.

This Half of the Mural is almost finished, a few details to add and then I will do the second half after my Holiday.

This tray went into the kiln this morning as well as two other trays, so just one more biscuit firing to do but still lots and lots of glazing that needs doing, I think 3 firings should cover everything.

Power Lunch

So much going on with he pottery trying to get everything fired and glazed, that I had to come home to finish filling a kiln load of children's work, it needed glazing too so that has been done.  Tonight I will be glazing the ones for the morning, and pretty much everything I have left near the kiln will be done, then it is down to doing 3 days still left at the shop, going to be very tight 8 days of constant firing, I can see sleepless nights coming, but I want to get it done before my trip.

13 tiles have come out so far, got 21 in this next firing. as well as a lot of other pots that all belong to children.

I am also doing a presentation based on last week's workshops, just wish I had taken more pictures whilst I was there.  I am also working on the Mural, and want to get the first half of the Mural done before my trip to Cornwall, Devon etc.

To relax I have made 12 pint pots, I pulled the handles this morning and I am going to attach them when I get back to my studio.  I want to get them done before I go away too.

I have a list of things I need to make:
-4inch tiles (for children to decorate)
-tiny mugs (for children to decorate)
-bud vases (for children to decorate)
-small bowls (for children to decorate)
-Pint pots
-Mugs
-other half of the Mural

See not much to do.

540degrees C and Cooling

Kiln is going to be used a lot these next two weeks, kiln is cooling now, but will have to come back at lunch time to empty and fill the next load as it is still over 500C.  I am drying things as fast as I can but the kiln can't fit everything and I am trying to keep everything in date order.

The Mural getting towards half finished, but we are low on slip so we might have to pick up some more to finish the second half.

I have to also remake all my biscuit pieces that I used, vases, bowls, cups and tiles.  I also need to make more pint pots, but the Mural is priority right now.

As am writing this my little boy is pretending to drink from my Doug Fitch mug, and when my nephew comes over he always wants to drink from my Hannah McAndrew mug, it is a really nice mug, but feel like a giant if I drink from it myself.

Summer Workshops

So this week is the week of our summer workshops at the Marine Hall at Fleetwood.  The best thing about our room there is the two massive windows that look out onto the lower prom and the sea.  Tuesday the waves were crashing and very destructive and people were attempting to surf, Wednesday they were calm and gentle and we saw some kayaks go out as well as yachts out in the slightly deeper water.

                                                                    Photograph by Benjamin Travis
Part of the old Fleetwood Dock, not much happening there any more the company that ran boats from here to Ireland stopped, good for the locals because there weren't as many big trucks coming through the town, but takes away from the feeling it was always busy there.

Some of the children's work packed into trays ready to be moved back to the studio.

This is the Mural we are working on too, this was after the morning session.  We still have a lot to do on it as you can see.

The other thing we have been doing is a plaster tile with the children, but I don't have any pictures as they took them away with them at the end of the session, despite having not touched plaster for over two years, I have been mixing it and pouring into moulds the children make.

Out to Work

                                           Photo by Benjamin Travis
This week the pottery studio at the Mill will be closed as we are working in Fleetwood at the Marine Hall teaching workshops Tuesday to Friday.  We are doing Coil pots, Treasure Box, Plaster Casts and a Mural that we are making there on site.

The Marine Hall Garden's are being re-landscaped at the moment, don't let that put you off, we will still be working there.

From the Council Website:
"Pottery Classes for Children

Tuesday 16th August 2011 - Friday 19th August 2011
Red Fox Pottery are providing a range of pottery projects for children aged five and upwards. Find an object on the beach and use your plaster casts to make a treasure box. Or decorate a tile - one for you and one to make a tile panel for the Marine Hall. If pots are your thing, try making an easy coil pot. All items will be taken to Red Fox Pottery to be fired and can be collected from either Marine Hall or the pottery in Thornton Cleveleys. Sessions held at the Marine Hall, Fleetwood. Two sessions 10am - 12pm and 1pm - 3pm. Cost: £5 per child per session. Suitable for 5 - 14 year olds.
Further Information: 01253 887693"

Manchester Museum

I have been busy in the pottery preparing for our week at the Marine Hall next week, very nervous about everything, I want it to be a success.  The pottery is closed Monday to Friday next week, so no one will be there to help you out if you need anything, if you do need anything while we are away please contact me at Joseph at redfoxpottery dot com . 

So I haven't made much over the last week, creatively I feel a bit stuck with my pottery.  Not sure what to make, I really have enough stock of the bits I like, and have started firing the cupcakes so I can show pictures of them soon.  I also made a crackle glaze for my wife which needs testing in today's kiln.

Yesterday we went to the Manchester Museum to see Stan the T-Rex, and I got photographing the pottery collection.  Definitely a place to take Anthea to again so she can get some reference for different animals as they have a taxidermy section too.

Potfest in the Park

Yesterday we closed the studio so we could go visit Potfest in the Park, as we have done every year for the last five.  There is some really amazing work there, and one year (in the distant future) I would love to display there myself.

We got there not long after it opened and people were still deciding what their prices were on certain pieces.

We spent three and a half hours wondering around and picked up a few small pieces, and lots of inspiration.

Bowls Finally photographed

I have been making new bowls, just some general purpose and ice cream/dessert bowls, I made the form so then they would easily stack. They are decorated with the single blue/green cobalt stripe of my work. They are available in the shop right now.
Stack of Ice Cream Bowls

This stack has 3 ice cream and GP bowls to show that they even stack nicely inside each other.

Single General purpose bowl with single stripe on it

My little boy's Monster, he keeps carrying it round with with him and tells me it is going to eat me. I am planning to do a post on specially on kids and clay and birthday parties.

On another note in September I am planning a trip to the southern tip of the country, finally going to visit St Ives, and the trip will probably end 10th September at the Muchelney Pottery Open Day. There are other potters I would like to visit Paul Jessop, Doug Fitch. I would like to visit Svend Bayer, Nic Collins and Richard Batterham(If he accepts visitors) I know there are plenty more I haven't mentioned are there any potters that are a good visit?

Earth, Fire, Sea and Sand

Been very busy this week, Last week I was at Art and Garden, so I took Monday off and had a lazy day with my little boy.  Tuesday I rearranged the studio and cleaned all the shelves and display boxes, it took most of the day, I made a seconds box to get rid of all those pieces I don't like and don't fit into my view of where I want to take my work.

Wednesday I looked after the NPA Exhibition in Lytham and was trying to sell other peoples work, though I could show them my work I find it easier to talk about other peoples.  Thursday I went off to Blackpool and Fylde College to look at their end of year show for the Art and Design people, my little brother just graduated there with a Distinction-Distinction-Merit in Photography, and I spoke to two of my old tutors from when I was doing my National Diploma in Illustration(which I didn't finish)

Friday I went to Earth and Fire, I met up with a lot of potters but made the mistake of forgetting my camera.  Above is a picture of myself with Steve Booton who I spotted after coming back from Lunch, I wasn't certain it was him so went over and was listening to him for a while.  He had one of his Black Tea bowls in his jumper, there is a lot about ceramics that the camera just doesn't pick up.

Jack Doherty was there too, I love the textures of his soda fired porcelain, he came to the University last year and gave an amazing demo and talk.  I also spoke to Doug Fitch, Hannah McAndrew, Ben Brierly, Nic Collins and a few other potters, I found Paul Jessop wandering around too.  There wasn't enough time to talk to everyone, in fact I was at Earth and Fire for 2 hours longer than I had originally planned.

The UCLAN graduates were there, I think Earth and Fire is more suitable for graduates than all that money we spent last year going to London and not really having many people that were interested in ceramics.

I enjoyed myself and by the time I spoke to  Nic Collins the quiet reserved potter that I am was wildly gesticulating and Nic is a very quiet calm man, it was interesting talking to him, but I think I came off as more than a little insane. I got lots of great advice and was feeling really inspired, but won't get chance to use that energy on actually making until Tuesday and first I have to make bowls so I actually have some I am happy with.

I also bought a discus wheel, the are so amazing powerful for something light and won't break my back if I have to carry it through a school, or across a field.  The base isn't as stable on the slanted field I was on yesterday, so we need to come up with a system of levelling if we are on grass again.  We had a good day yesterday at the local park, the generator they lent us was very noisy though, and the discus worked well.

I wanted to take pictures of my pots by the seaside that inspired them,  I just need them to be bigger.

A better image of my teapot, I have shots of the whole set in pieces and together but I just need to edit them all to a manageable size.