Spring Fling 2014

This years Spring Fling saw what was a record number of visitors to our studio over the three days.

It started early this year with a Friday evening opening which was a lovely low key affair with mainly friends, wine and good chat. What it did mean was that we were very much more relaxed on the Saturday morning having already got the place ready and having had a 'dry run'.

Visitors arrived pretty well straight away on Saturday morning and kept coming, and coming. Some old faces, some new faces and all lovely interested and interesting people.

It was a pleasure to have Wendy Kershaw come down and share the studio again this year. It added a visual feast for the visitors plus it was so much fun for us to have her. Mind you, even with three of us manning the pumps it was hard to find time to grab a snack. I wish I had found time to take more photos, I just kept forgetting where the camera was. 

On Sunday we were joined by the Dumfries African drumming group Africadabra who played outside in the sunshine and enjoyed themselves so much they stayed all afternoon, all adding to the general feeling of quite a 'Happening on the Corner'.

This year we added some extra display boards in the back shed for my long dishes. It worked well with yet more for folk to discover.

I had fun filling the garden with my ceramic pieces such as 'Toys for Boys' who looked happy following Terracotta Tours along the bus route.

It took most of Tuesday to put the workshop back to rights but this afternoon I got back to some mugs which I threw last week. Quiet and calm slowly descends once again on Barnbarroch.

Thank you to all those who called in, it was lovely seeing you and we really appreciate your interest and encouragement.

A long day's glazing

Its been a long day but that's it - the kiln is on at last. Actually it's been a long few days. As always I underestimated the time it takes to glaze. I think I've done all the work making and drawing but then I still have glazes to mix, apply, wax and dip. 

It's my own fault that I left this all to finish off today. It was a lovely weekend and too good to miss the chance to scrub and tidy up the outside of the pottery. I thought 'I can easily finish the glazing on Monday'. 

Well that was quite a Monday, I have hardly had time to look up! Every time I did look up I saw something else which needed to be finished. It all got a bit late and several rather large spillages of glaze over my feet towards the end didn't help. My pots tend to have too many ends to pour glaze out of, and even with a wide container I need eyes which swivel every-which-way. Then there was a thunder storm so it all got very dark and light-flickery. Thankfully it looks like the storm has now passed, so maybe it's actually a good thing that it was eleven by the time I started the firing. (Don't want any power cuts mid fire cycle)!

So hopefully all will be finished for 'Spring Fling' this coming weekend. This year we have elected to do the Friday night opening. Do come if you are able, the more the merrier! 

Pots in May

There are two weeks to go now until Dumfries and Galloway's Open Studios event 'Spring Fling'. This year Wendy Kershaw is once again coming down to share my studio space. It was really great having her last year. Having two people to welcome and chat to visitors made it a lot more fun.

             

I have already put aside some of my new work for this, though there is more to finish and there is always more that I would have liked to have made. Being on show at home means it is time again for the annual Spring Fling Spring CLEAN. This afternoon I took the showroom apart and got the windows washed inside and out. Plenty more to do but at least I've made a start.

I took the best of my new wave vases down to the Red Barn Gallery, but I wanted to build on the theme while it was still working for me and make some more for Spring Fling. Series two is underway and now trying to dry out in this damp slack low pressure which is May. 

Here are a couple of tree plaques which came out of the last kiln. I love the way the first extrusions splay before the clay settles into a flow. I only get a couple like this from each set, so they become quite special.

I like the movement in these surf dudes, but they need a little more colour, so I think I'll risk putting them back in the kiln again, maybe.

 These are the new double headed Tall bird vases.

And this is 'Toys for Dogs Too', the partner of 'Toys for Boys' which was exhibited at Gracefield Arts Centre at the Spring Fling exhibition. I'm looking forward to displaying them as a pair. I still have the road from 'Terracotta Tours' to put them on, so they will have quite a race.

If I don't manage another post before then, maybe see you at Spring Fling. Rumour has it there may even be an African drumming group coming along on one of the days to entertain (and hopefully not make any pots go bouncing off shelves).