October's Monster Dishes

I've had a good couple of weeks.  Most of September  was taken up with catching up on my throwing, and getting down to a few outstanding and rather random orders (- a mug with particular cat on it and such like). All fine, but not really making me jump out of bed with excitement.

The extruding experimentation of last month had thrown up one interesting profile and I have kept the sections under polythene waiting for a space to play about with them. They needed to be caught before they got too hard, (so a selection of thrown name plaques have been put back on one side to keep damp for a bit longer - sorry folks).

What I have really enjoyed has been shaping the edge with added coils. I had forgotten how much I used to make with coils and they seemed like an old and familiar friend.

I took some photos of these at the damp clay stage when they are rather luscious, but then discovered that I didn't have a card in the camera, so these images of them are when I have marked out a design and sprayed several layers of background slip colours.

I do love the scale of them. Possibly somewhere in the back of my mind were those wonderful carved wooden vessels which had delighted me on my recent trip to the British museum.

But not everyone is going to be have a need or place for a monster dish, so I have scaled down the profile and am now working on a series of smaller, but similar in feel, ' fruit dish' size versions.

It's good to be working on something completely new again, albeit with several deadlines still looming but nothing like the pressure of the first half of the year.  Now I am underway I feel much more energised and looking forward to the approaching winter to take stock and replenish my creative batteries.

Fierce and Fiercer make the 500

A rather smart hardback book arrived through the post the other day, courtesy of Lark Books. I had been told that there was probably going to be an image of mine in it, and very nice indeed it was to find that Fierce Dog and Even Fiercer Dog had been included. The book features quite a wide variety of ceramics, being a selection from the 500 series over the last decade. As usual, it is beautifully laid out with a clear page for each piece.

A lot of thought has gone into each page set - my Fierce dogs with their spots has been pleasingly placed opposite that spotty glaze. Very nice, and thank you Lark books. In fairness to them I should tell you that you can buy it here from Amazon.

 I can't believe that August has come and gone and we are now nearly half way through September. What happened?! After Potfest in the Park I had promised myself that I would slow down just a little.

It wasn't THAT much of a slow down though, I had to get started pretty well straight away on the Hardrock Challenge prizes. They asked for tankard shape this year. I quite enjoy making them, it's just fitting them in over a busy summer period that is always a bit of a thought.

I struggled with the new shape for a while, it had to take the design which had sat happily on the previous tall shaped mug. I think that I found one which seemed to fit the bill after a few rather dodgy first attempts. These came out of the kiln this week along with a few other orders. A second batch is still to get through a glaze kiln, but it should all be in the bag now.

I did mange a short break away, a totally absorbing weekend on a conga drumming course, followed by a couple of days in London. I haven't been to London for a few years and I felt like a total country bumpkin until I remembered how to negotiate the transport system again. I made a point of visiting the CPA shop in it's new setting opposite the British Museum. It was hard to find, with a very narrow frontage and I was a bit disappointed at it's size and narrow layout.  But of course I then couldn't resist visiting the museum and soon became lost amongst the treasures.

 I loved this Algerian Berber dish with it's bold and asymmetrical red and white design.

 And what a dear little dog ( I think, from the Solomon Islands). Wood, with inlaid shells.

   

The other pre-occupation over the past month has been trying to get the 'Captain' to work. We got this vertical pugmill from Glasgow School of Art and had hoped to be able to use it as an extruder. It has been much more difficult than we had hoped. In the initial tests the clay would start to flow and then get stuck.  It appeared that the 0.75 hp vertical pugmill, while being a scaled up version of our small one, was proportionally still not powerful enough to push the clay through a 90° bend and the wider die. There was just too much back pressure. 

Rodger set to and built a bench so that we could try it in a horizontal plane and use the expansion box without the bend. Even then the clay kept getting stuck.

The next experiments are to reduce the capacity of the expansion box, but it all makes me think that our little pugmill must be a five star block buster of a machine.

The Pilgrimage to Potfest in the Park

 Potfest in the Park was once again a really enjoyable show. We are so well looked after by the Cox's, who seem super human in their organisational abilities. Considering the summer we are having the weather wasn't too bad really, well actually, it was pretty cold, but then again I did bring July clothes instead of January ones. Silly mistake.... ! Despite weather and the Olympics the visitors faithfully turned out making it a successful show.

The piece I made for the Potfest competition was 'Terracotta Tours'. The theme this year was 'A Journey or Pilgrimage'. It is a great excuse to have some fun and as usual I got a bit carried away. But I was not the only one, there were some really good and imaginative entries. 'T T' was honoured with the Public Prize, possibly due to the number of children who were loving following it's route. 

I was pushing it to get it finished in time, and as a result the road sections cracked horribly, hence the need to throw a handful of traffic cones to warn of the hazards. The bus itself was steam drying in a cooling kiln for 12 hours over the weekend before the show. It is a miracle it survived really!

Here is a lovely picture of my friend from Corsham days, Sue Dunne whose good company I had this year, the first time she has come to The Park, and her stall looked great. 

I was trying very hard not to be tempted by some of the delicious pots around, but I did succumb to one of Guy Routledge's face plates. They were on the opposite side of the courtyard of marquees and talked to me all weekend.

The only mishap of the weekend was Rodger getting his finger trapped in the car door. Pretty painful and not great for packing up. Ouch!  

'Potfest' - the ceramic alternative to London 2012

For those who would like an alternative to staying at home watching Olympic games, come and have a grand day out at Potfest in the Park next weekend ( Fri, Sat and Sunday). Why settle for a few sheep in a stadium and some pretend rain, when you can get the real thing in Cumbria with some excellent ceramics thrown in?

This is a great event, in the grounds of Hutton in the Forest Country House, showing some exceptionally good pots from Britain, Europe and beyond. Teas, ices and some live music to add to the festive atmosphere.

The Summer that isn't, the piece that hasn't and the trouble with trousers

The extraordinary wet drab weather continues on and on. A couple of weeks ago a group of friends climbed Merrick in the Galloway hills.  This was the view from the top.

Then by some miracle the dense cloud lifted momentarily, enough to catch a glimpse of the views. 

Here north towards Loch Doon.

Meanwhile in the workshop I seem to have been extraordinarily busy not getting on very fast with anything! I can't blame interruptions as there have been an almost eerie lack of visitors to the showroom, (is that the weather, the recession)? 

I should be making more useful things like mugs and bowls for the summer visitors, that is if they DO come, not to mention some rather overdue orders, but as usual I have become a little too absorbed in making my Potfest competition piece. 

This has taken a few strange turns and twists since the initial idea. What is it? Will it fly? Has it even decided what it is at all?

 And what are those strange conical pawn like objects? Answers on a postcard please and the winner gets a, erm, well what about a Spring Fling penguin!

 Timbalada has decided that the dusty, waiting-to-be-cleaned-up Spray booth is a good place to sleep. Ha, found you, now what colour would you like to be sprayed? She looks a little worried.

 But she turned out perfectly as usual.

On Monday morning, after the cones had bent in my kiln, I decided that I really did need desperately to get off the premises and have a change of scene. Apart from the expedition up Merrick I have hardly been out of the workshop for days on end. As is becoming boringly usual it wasn’t great weather so I decided to take the day return to Carlisle and buy myself some long needed new trousers. 

Now my perfect trousers would be baggy, comfortable with lots of pockets and hopefully made of some nice interesting coloured soft yet sturdy material - not that I am not fussy, not at all !

But what is it about modern trousers. Huge wide waists which aren't actually where ones waist is anyway, tight bums, narrow ankles, no pockets.  Then I became aware that everyone I saw walking down the street looked like their trousers didn't fit properly anyway - because they don't MAKE trousers for human beings at all. Oh well, it's the fabric shop and the old sewing machine for me. AFTER Potfest that is.

Earth (Wind, Rain) and Fire

Well, it not only rained at Rufford, but more worryingly it was also an exceedingly windy weekend with gusts predicted to be up to 70mph. This made life rather stressful for potters showing their treasures on market stall type stands, which wobbled and rattled alarmingly.

The inclement weather and dreadful forecast undoubtedly meant that visitor numbers were down, but those who came were rewarded by a fantastic show of great and varied work. There was a superb exhibition of Sue and Ashraf Hanna’s work in the Rufford Craft Gallery. Here was an oasis of calm, out of the whistling wind, clear, clean and uncluttered. Certainly worth seeing and it is on until July 15th.

I was next to one of my favourite potters Anna Lambert, whose delightful pieces were a joy to spend three days next to. 

On the other side was Toon Thijs, a Potter’s Market pro, who had a tool, implement and solution for everything. I certainly benefited from his extra stays and his shelter, not to mention his Dutch beer. The awning we attached to the back of the stand also worked a treat, (that is until the wind tried to blow it away).

Potters are a resilient bunch, but their was an air of anxiety as we held onto our stands and pots. and heard the occasional crash. There were some horrible casualties, Peter Beard experiencing the worst one in my area, losing a whole load of pots and a glass cabinet. Jim Robison kept smiling as he always does, despite losing three large planters. 

Normally having set up the display you can relax, knowing that the work is done and for three days you can just stand (ideally in the midsummer sun) and chat to pleasant pot lovers and potters. Not so this time. Each evening we had to take everything down and stack it safely beneath the table to start all over again early the next morning. 

By Saturday evening the wind calmed down a bit and by dawn was replaced by torrential rain. In the morning our white boards were a little rain stained, and the cardboard boxes had gone soggy. 

Despite what I have written there were sunny intervals and on Sunday it was a beautiful afternoon and calm evening to pack up!  It is a really good show in a beautiful setting and it is great to meet all the fantastic potters and their work, and forge new friendships.

Sales were not the best but certainly not a disaster either, which is good considering rain wind and economic gloom. Just-out- of-the-kiln Penguin platter above found a home  - I was barely ready to let him go.

 Oh, and I never did take part in the' Potter’s Olympics'. ( I got a severe joint problem in my finger, (honestly), which I have had splinted all week. RSI/arthritis? who knows, rather worrying). Doug Fitch kindly agreed to stand in for me and so I escaped such delights as blindfold throwing!

This one of my new black vases definitely felt at home in Rufford, (or WRUFFord as my nephew pointed out), as it is a very doggy place. There were lots of tails and noses around, and a fascinating variety of dog breeds. 

It rained and it rained

It started to rain on Friday and it never stopped for 48 hours. The drumming on the roof was so loud, that when it became even louder it seemed ridiculously impossible. I went outside late yesterday afternoon to have a look at what was making the whooshing sound on the road. 

The land drain was so full it gave up even pretending to cope and every now and then  sent up gigantic water spouts.

 A good couple of days to be inside doing a mega glaze. The big kiln is cooling and these overflow black vases are in the top loader. I trail the glaze on these using a fine slip trailer. The clay has had a high bisc so I have to use the glaze thickened up and float it between my incised lines.

 I hope that our overnight visitors, Maureen Minchen and John from Ardnamurchan got down to Wales and back North on their motorbike in the weeks deluge. Maureen makes exceedingly beautifully thrown pots,  intricately decorated with flora and fauna from her home on Britain's most westerly bit of mainland. Maureen was on foundation with me and is always an inspiration to meet up with, full of wise knowledge from her enormous range of potting experience.

 I picked the magazine up off the mat where the postie had dropped it, turned it over and whooped, Hannah is on the front cover of Ceramic Review! How exciting is that!

Next week I am off down to exhibit at  Rufford for Earth and Fire. I'm looking forward to it - meeting lots of great potters, but please stop raining, please! The only thing is it's just so disappointing to be missing Dan at the American Teaparty workshop at Hannah's on Saturday, tantalisingly just down the road. Och weel, can't be helped.

The only thing I am getting a bit worried about is that just to SHOW WILLING I gaily said, 'Yes of course I will take part in the Potter's Olympics' at Rufford. I kind of thought it would be churlish not to. I hadn't appreciated how few would say yes, and of those who did agree they are all full on big-time throwers, and the competitions are, well throwing....! Eeek. Get the booby prize ready.

The cellist went ‘Boom!

Stupid stupid stupid. I was rushing, trying to get some new vases out for 'Earth and Fire' at Rufford next week. During the morning I dried them in the tepid half- hearted sun, which didn’t get them very far. Then I found that three of them were JUST too tall for the biscuit emergency top loader kiln.

But yes, of course, take out the bottom shelf completely, that gets me the extra half inch I need. Was it because I was so pleased to have got them in and shut the lid without breaking the tops off that I FORGOT to put in the pyrometer? I set it on my pre-heat...to steam soak at just below ninety degrees, crowed to a sceptical Rodger that I got them in, then made a phone call. BOOM!

Instantly I knew what I had done, switched off, and opened a steaming kiln to find the tragic sight of three exploded vases.

What an idiot, how COULD I have forgotten to put the pyrometer back in?!
Maybe I have been working too hard, trying to cram too much in, I haven’t actually stopped since Spring Fling, or maybe I am just getting past it.

Anyhow a bike ride later I was feeling better. I've still got seven left, now steaming happily away. Just a pity it was the cellist, the last one I drew, when I felt that my drawing was in the zone, that I lost.



After that sorry tale, here’s a faintly winsome detail of “Girl and her gannet'.

 Lots of glaze painting over the next few days as I work out my kiln firing count down.

 And how’s this for an exterminating cactus. (Dalek sounds emitting).

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Oh and it's that house again. I got over to see it eventually. 'Couch' by Alice Francis, an installation which was part of Spring Fling. Makes you smile and especially effective as a tractor rumbled by. I loved the zip fittings.