50 Shades of Brown

Taking some time to plan ahead for 2014's activities - trying to sort out what is worth putting some effort into and what I should back away from.
The factors are sometimes a bit hidden, but enjoyment of doing the task has to be high on the priority list.
I've had a few interesting enquiries recently about my replicas of ancient pottery, that is certainly one avenue that I will be striding confidently along!
My studio store needs an overdue clean out - to remove some of the accumulated junk. Then a sort out of the remaining pottery stocks. A chance to reappraise my life's work! An opportunity to get rid of all the things that I should never have kept!
Some of the pottery will feature in my installation in April's "Could Have Fooled Me V", with a subtitle of "50 shades of Brown". This is our collective take on Contemporary Art, an enjoyable sideways look at how art is produced, described and perceived. http://www.artseeker.co.uk/activity/could+have+fooled+me+v

Resolved and resolute

And so 2014 begins....
A few days are needed to do some planning for the year's activities, if I had a resolution it would be to be better prepared and ready for action as the events come around.
The Ancient Wessex Network should be going from strength to strength, we are starting to get more invitations to events and people are valuing our services.
The Dorset Pottery Group is undergoing a make-over - hopefully some more members will get involved in managing the activities.
The Upwey Potters are doing Dorset Art Weeks again, the image is the one I selected for the DAW guide, I hope that draws folk in!
My pottery classes are fully booked, with a few new faces and still a waiting list, which is healthy for me. I am looking forward to stretching some of the class members a bit more, getting them to learn a few more techniques.
I spent some of yesterday covering "Woden" with a large plastic sheet, securely tied down to keep the rain off it - we will not be firing this wood fuelled kiln for a couple of months.

End of 2013

This is likely to be the last posting for this year, as I am closing down for a couple of weeks and/or will have nothing to say of any interest!
Looking forward to 2014, with the prospect of Could Have Fooled Me V and the Dorset Art Weeks.

You win some, you loose some!

Unloaded another batch of pots from our wood fuelled kiln today.
It had been a struggle to fire in the rain, with damp wood and not enough wind to excite the flames! We did not leave until 6am, which resulted in me not being at my best for the last day of the TAG conference at Bournemouth University - however that was a good event with loads of networking and reasonable sales to the archaeologists. I also got to fondle some real iron age pots, two of which were of a type I have made replicas - and I was happy with the match!
Some very good pots came out of the wood kiln. The beaker at the top of this image had been electric fired with a fairly uninteresting finish, the ash has fluxed the glaze and turned it a richer darker brown - my favourite!
However the bowl below was one of three that blew up. That'll teach me to load slightly damp pots in the kiln! Ah, the joys of the festive season rush!
We had some great results with the Udu drums made at a recent workshop, they should go down well with their makers.
Thanks to Laurence Eastwood - Larry No Plates - for masterminding the firing.
I have set up an archive page on the website to record the firing :-
http://www.crumbleholme.plus.com/Beakerfolk/wood-kiln/WodenFiring09.htm

Half Loaded

I got half way through loading the wood fuelled kiln today, not a job best done in a December drizzle!
Pleased with the wares, mainly mortaria bowls, some being refired after the last firing was not quite hot enough in the corners.
Also featuring the drums made at a recent workshop by Laurence and his students.
Busy day tomorrow, off to Hengistbury Head for the opening of the visitor centre then a drive across Dorset to Bridport to strike the Dorset Pottery Group exhibition.
Sunday will hopefully see the rest of the kiln loaded.
3 days next week at Bournemouth University, attending the 35th Annual Conference of the Theoretical Archaeology Group. I am part of the entertainment, making prehistoric pots and selling my wares. A good place to meet interesting people who might help me understand a bit more concerning the current thinking about ceramics in prehistory. However I might not understand most of what they say in their very own Archeo-babble, a language developed by folk in academic circles!

Bowled Over

I've just finished applying glaze to the next batch of "mortaria" bowls, ready for the next wood firing. All they have to do now is dry out soon enough during the next week.

I've spent a few days recently down at the Bridport Arts Centre, setting up and stewarding the Dorset Pottery Group's annual exhibition. We are all very proud of the displays and are hopeful for reasonable sales during the 2 weeks. There is an archive of photos on the group's website :-
https://sites.google.com/site/dorsetpotterygroup/gallery/bridport-arts-centre-2013

Like real Cool !

The wood fueled firing went very well, a batch of excellent pots emerged.
See the archive about the firing at this link:-
http://www.crumbleholme.plus.com/Beakerfolk/wood-kiln/WodenFiring08.htm
It is always a time of angst waiting to unload a kiln, expecially a large one with many pots.
Laurence Eastwood's pots were probably the best he has ever fired, just in time for the exhibition in Bridport with the Dorset Pottery Group.