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.

Art and Garden 2011

It is nice to be out in the fresh air, but I do feel bad that the studio hasn't been open, IT is closed next Saturday too as we are attending the Family Fun Day at the Park in Poulton le Fylde.

Day One over but still today to go, I have a lot of the new work on display including my tea sets and paintings.  There is today left so if you are in the area between Blackburn and Preston its a really nice visit and the Gardens are amazing, it is a £3 donation to get in.  It is by the river and even with all the people around and a about it is still so peaceful.

There are a lot of other artists too, but I always feel uncomfortable taking photographs of other peoples

 The wooden stands are inspired by Steve Booton, they aren't finished yet but it is something to do over the next few weeks as I don't have another event booked.  It is a very crowded space but there are pieces I felt I had to show.

 My big pots on one of the lawns, they seem a little smaller in such a big space.  I want to make more and bigger, but that plan is on hold.  I also did a photo shoot of them down on the beach on Friday but I still have to edit all those shots still.

There was so much wall space and though I had hung up the three clocks it looked so empty so I brought some paintings down too to fill the space, I feel like an interloper when it comes to painting.

Tuesday is the start of the Lytham show,

A Trip Out - to a local school

This morning I went to a funeral which was nice as far as funerals go, my wife stayed with our friends as I had to work this afternoon.  I was doing demonstrations at a local school, so I had to get back to the pottery to clean the equipment up to get it in the car.

We were just doing demo's so we were quite loosely packed otherwise we have boxes etc to fit in and around the wheel too.  IT was one of the classrooms furthest from the school entrance so we had quite a walk with the Shimpo, so I will be glad to get the discus which will be easier to lug around.

Pots Pots Pots

Here are a few pots from my backlog.

There are a lot of storage jars, cookie jars and various sorts of vases.  I am being experimental with the forms.

If you have any questions please ask.  .

This is perhaps one of my favourite pieces from all the firings

Still making big pots.

Very anxious because I know the summer is coming and as are the events I am supposed to be attending, so I have been trying to make as fast as I can and get the big pots done and out of the studio so then  I can work on some smaller pieces.  I still want to make some lamp bases but my drawings aren't getting me anywhere, I just feel like I am going in circles with my actual designs.

I have been firing the kiln like crazy so much to photograph and I know I should etsy but I always feel like for etsy I need a box that I can wrap the items in and keep them safe and separate, I need to get organised!  Trying to work on some networking and marketing  but I just keep deleting everything as I am not always happy with what I write.

I am using the coiling and throwing method this is a piece I did mainly on Tuesday and finished Wednesday morning, these big pieces take a while to dry in between layers, it is about 15minutes with my hot air gun, I would use a blow torch but it is very much against the tenancy agreement..

So here it is finished with a wavy neck, just love being loose with those bits and not being so obsessed with the really fine details of these, it is how I used to always make my work last year.  The storage jars are all made using a pot that I tried to make Wednesday afternoon but failed, wedged it all up into 2 and 3 kg blocks and threw the storage jars, still need lids for them all. it is 20inches tall and 18inch at the widest point.

As I was leaving on Wednesday I threw this base ready to make another one today.  Today has made me realise once again how new I am to all this as I kept making mistakes and have had to rebuild whole sections of this several times.  at one point this pot was 20 inch wide and tall and when I left it was 17 inch wide and 17 inch tall and completely unfinished, much like the first image.

I have been using the small table to roll coils on so it actually takes two coils per layer of this big pots once you get to a certain size.

A lot to do tomorrow, finish the pot make some lids and hopefully make a quick big one that isn't as wide.