Much more in Store

My daughter, Lottie, and I just about finished setting out my studio store today, sorting all my pottery and putting it out on the racks and temporary tables. As a graphic designer, Lottie has a great sense of space and colour, so her help has been really important to make "The Old Slaughterhouse" look impressive, not a white cube, but not a shambles like it usually is. So bring on the crowds of fans on the 6th September until 21st.
I am being left to sort out all my prehistoric pottery replica wares, which will be taking over the kiln room.
Meanwhile some of my pots are appearing at the Upwey Old School Village Hall, alongside the art of Mark and Jennie Vyvyan-Penney.

Retrospective

I've been busy re-organising my studio/shed ready for opening for the local Artwey Art Trail in mid September. It has been an interesting journey through my past - finding old pots hidden away, that will now see the light of day again and might even get sold!
I've also been active doing the graphic design for the Artwey printed map, now at the printers. Also doing the Artwey website and other promotional stuff.
I'm looking forward to the Art Trail, a chance to dedicate some time to pottery and hopefully meet up with some old friends and make some new ones. I just hope we raise enough interest to get the visitors to come along.
Meanwhile I am off to the Oak Fair at Stock Gaylard with the Ancient Wessex Network this weekend, hopefully another pleasant gig, doing ancient pottery bonfire demonstration, talking to the visitors and selling some wares. Also the social side is important - a chance to chill with friends in the evenings.

Working Holidays

Apologies for a lack of blogging recently - I've been away from interweb connections! And very nice it was too!

 We did another great wood fuelled kiln firing, quickest one yet with some good results.

I've been on a working holiday at Corfe Castle with other members of the Ancient Wessex Network, see details at this link :-
http://ancientwessex.net/venue.php?venue_id=274
We had an interesting time, the weather was almost too good and I am still recovering from mild heat exhaustion, coupled with a summer dose of man-flu!
I've been hiding from the sun since my return - preparing the design for map of the Artwey September Art Trail http://artwey.co.uk/activity/artwey+september+2014+art+trail which is coming along nicely now.
I have to bite the bullet very soon and start the massive re-organisation of my studio and stores to enable me to open to the public in September, for the first time ever. The aim is to stage a retrospective display of my pottery to celebrate my 60th Birthday and sell some of my back catalogue of pieces that have sat around too long, but are actually some the best pots I have ever made! Also some of the lesser pots to people with no appreciation of quality and no money!! Perhaps I should not say that?! My daughter, Lottie, has agreed to curate it for me, to add some style and thought to what might otherwise end up as a pile of crocks! Watch this space as the show comes together!

Dorset Art Weeks seems almost over

I been very busy keeping up with the Upwey Potters' activities during the Dorset Art Weeks. This is a full-on time, preparing for it and then stewarding, selling and demonstrating during the two weeks.
We had a very successful time so far, with good visitor numbers, favourable comments and reasonable sales of our wares.
I ran my normal pottery classes during the show with the chance for my students to experience the delights of Raku glazing. The image shows that magic moment when the red hot pot hits the sawdust and gets a sprinkle of pixie dust to ignite the flame and suck out the oxygen to reduce the glaze and produce a lustre and create a crackle. We had some really great results.
Today Laurence and I took to the road and visited some other creative folk, always an inspiring activity - to see what others get up to and how they share the same issues.
Now for the last few days, enjoying the friendly atmosphere and helping people enjoy themselves.

More Maggots and Jugs

This is one of the bowls inspired by Neolithic maggot decorated wares, this was thrown using stoneware clay, it has been raw glazed internally and is drying out ready for firing in the wood fired kiln. This is one of a couple of dozen. I am very happy with how they turned out, with almost rounded bases and a distinctive repeated motif, made by impressing the clay with coiled rope.

I have also made a batch of jugs and "costrels" for wood firing. The costrels are inspired by the Verwood Pottery versions, also known as Owls because of the ear-like lugs. They were all purpose storage vessels, taken to the fields with small beer during harvest time. I prefer peddling them as jars that wise old women (witches) used to store their potions!
I like to think I am getting better at handles these days, but the jugs are still a bit on the heavy side, although I like that in a functional jug. These I think will be sold as cider jugs, (or for a couple of extra quid as a "Cyder Flagon"!), some of the shapes are also copied from the Verwood Potteries, although country potteries everywhere tended to produce this sort of jug, with a fat belly and narrow neck. They are nice and stable and easy to carry around because the centre of gravity can be almost below the point of lifting on the handle close to the top of the pot.

Maggot Decoration

I am currently working on a commission for some replicas of Neolithic bowls, which are coming together fairly well now. They are about 20cm diameter.
I have to do some experimenting to get the "Maggot" decoration to look right. This is made by impressing a cord into the softish clay to leave a short twisted mark. But to get the twist into a tight spiral the cord is wrapped round a thin central core.
There is also a knack to getting the clay soft enough to take the impression, but stiff enough to hold its shape while decorating it.

Watch this space for some images when done!

I have not really appreciated the beauty of most Neolithic pots before, I've made some "Grooved Ware" which tend to be buckets with scratches and dents on, but these are rounded bottom bowls with an interesting rim and the lines of vertical maggot decoration.
I think I may try throwing some modern versions for the next wood firing, which is coming up soon.

I have enjoyed my holiday from pottery over the Easter break, spending time with family and the snails in my vegetable patch!

We went to the opening of the Hengistbury Head Visitor Centre recently, a chance for my wife to see the "piles of rubbish or" display of my replica pots. All very good for the ego of a struggling experimental potter!

Making Light Work

So, I've been playing with a new bit of software "Lightworks" to edit video, here is my first rough of me throwing a pasta bowl. There is no soundtrack yet and it might be a bit speeded up (to minimise the boredom factor!). We will see if this is worth developing!

Meanwhile the Dorset Art Weeks proof for the Upwey Potters entry has arrived, much less text than we had submitted, but perhaps all the better for having bigger images. If you click on the image below it should pop up a larger version.