At last, I have a batch of new pots, all finished over the last few weeks. It has been a great relief to get some pleasing results after the rather uncomfortable run of glaze problems. It is only now that the cloud has lifted that I realise just quite how oppressive and anxious that cloud was.
So after a long wait I have now some new work which I am happy with.
I started this series of sea and river section vases in February, never exactly sure where they were heading, but always enjoying the journey they were taking me on. The vase is inserted and goes right down through the section so they actually take flowers quite nicely. The vase section of this one could be seen as a kind of ship with flags, a submarine or a flag iris. The tufted ducks don't really care.
I was working on this one during the flooding of the Somerset levels and thinking about the great biblical flood.These swimming animals are inlaid in white slip - I wanted them to look ghostly amongst the fishes, who are enjoying the extra water to swim in.
This jaunty vase looked happily mad when tested with a bunch of Easter daffodils.
On the same theme and from the same die, these are some smaller sailing vessel vases. I put one out in the showroom the day it came out of the kiln, as much to see how it looked, and someone came in minutes later and bought it. It is both rewarding but also a bit devastating when that happens. I like to get to know my pieces of work a little better and for a little longer before saying goodbye.
Fishy Clouds - it must be the wet season we have had, for fish and water seem to have been very much the theme so far this year.
I will be selecting a group of these for my show opening May1st at the Red Barn Gallery Melkinthorpe, near Penrith. There is just one last kiln firing this evening with potential work for it. The Red Barn is not just a lovely gallery, it shares premises with the amazing Larch Cottage nurseries (the largest variety of plants I have ever seen, most of which are propogated on site), and the Greenhouse Restaurant which is a very nice place to eat. So a day out there is well worth it if you like plants, food and ceramics!
