More pots

A few more blurred pics of some of the pots that went to London yesterday.

Nice one Frank

All delivered and back in Devon, Frank you're a star.

Here's John Rastall outside the Harlequin Gallery. It was good to see John again, what a lovely chap. I'd never been to his gallery before. He's an interesting exhibition on at the moment of Japanese ceramics. He also has a great collection of books on ceramics and art, some of which are quite rare and all of which are for sale - very tempting.

The other pictures are of cranes and planes in Staines and Cheriton Fitzpaine's lanes.

They're only on there to show the contrast between London and where I live. Also of course, just so I could write that stupid sentence.

What a relief to have all the pots delivered. I don't enjoy driving unless it's round our leafy roads with grass growing down the middle, so Frank took a huge amount of stress away from me by doing that.

I guess it's just what you get used to, I've lived in a few cities in my life and never thought twice about driving midst the craziness. Exeter of course is a city, but it's a very small one and hasn't the intensity of traffic of many other cities. Back in my Liverpool and Derby days, the prospect of driving down single-track lanes with high banks and trees either side such as those round here would probably would have freaked me out. Perhaps I just need to try and worry less and drive more before I become a recluse - perhaps I just need to try and worry less generally. Perhaps I just need to become a recluse.

Luke's got to go to the orthodentist tomorrow to get his brace tightened poor lad. We'll have a good time in town beforehand, grab some breakfast and wander round the shops for a bit.

The rest of the week, collecting wood, mixing slip and glaze and preparing everything in readiness for an intensive period of making in a couple of weeks time.

I'll take next week off so we can do some fun family stuff and visit my parents. I'm really looking forward to that. Hil and the boys break up for their Spring holidays on Friday. We'll go to my openings too which will be both exciting and terrifying. It'll be great to catch up with a few people, including my blogging buddies. I've never met Andrew although we've known each other for quite a while on here, so that'll be cool. I'm chuffed to bits they're going to come along and support me bless 'em. I missed the last opening in Winchcombe because I got so stressed out about it I wound up with a migraine.

When we get back after all that, a kiln load of pots to make for Clay Art Wales and Bovey Tracey in not enough time - and so it starts again. I do love it though, good job really.

Happy Monday everybody

Off to London

Off to London with my mate Frank in the morning to deliver the pots to the Harlequin Gallery. Frank's a top man and always comes to the rescue when I need a hand. I'm very lucky with my friends, very lucky indeed.

I took a few blurred shots of the pots before we packed them. It's good to have the space to be able to move in the house again, it's been pot chaos here this week.

Thanks all

This is a speedy post as I've still got a night of pricing and packing ahead of me, but I want to say thanks everybody for saying all those lovely things. I feel a much more relaxed person than this time last week.

John Edgeler from The Long Room Gallery came today to collect the pots for the Winchcombe show. I can't wait to see them in a gallery environment instead of the workshop, the attic or as it has been today, the entire house in every room, on every surface. In a minute I've to go and get the London pots down and pack them ready for delivery on Sunday.

My mate and Love Daddies front man(I'll not say singer - sorry Paul) Paul Cook has just started blogging. He's a great poet and lyricist and talented wood carver. I think his posts are likely to become quite interesting as he gets the hang of this Blogger thing, check him out.

Yellow stuff

Pots(including my Dad's - Happy Birthday Dad!)

Here are a few

Wooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooohooooooooooooooooooo!

All good, loads to do, check back later for more. Thank you big time Mark and Linda.

I'm sooooooooo tiiiiiiiiiiiiiired

Job done and there's nothing more I can do.

The firing started at 8am and we finally finished stoking at 2am this morning, got home at 3am - blooming tired today.

My friend and former work colleague Linda from the University came to help. I hadn't seen Linda for ages so it was great to catch up. She's the Ceramics Technician at the Uni and makes lovely pots. I hassled her to start a blog, so hopefully soon you'll get to see what she's up to before too long - go on Linda, don't be shy. Linda's husband Paul is also a very good potter and makes wheel thrown stoneware cider bottles for commercial cider makers.

Mark came up in the evening and helped me fire until the bitter, exhausting end.

So now the wait until tomorrow afternoon when I'll slowly unbrick the door and hopefully find some very hot, shiny, new pots. These will all be brought home and added to the many pots I've been stockpiling in my attic.

John Edgeler from the Long Room Gallery in Winchcombe is coming on Friday to have a look, then on Sunday my mate Frank is going to take me and my pots to drop some of them off at John's place in Winchcombe and then on to London to drop the rest at the Harlequin Gallery

It's been crazy times.

If you would like to come to either of the Private Views, Winchcombe on Friday 4th April, or London on Sunday 13th April, drop me an email and I'll make sure you're invited.

Images:
Lighting the kiln
Mark and Linda

All paque(d)

Happy Easter


All packed and almost ready to go, nice one Marky Mark. Everything from the bisc went in except for a couple of large jars, they'll be fired in the next kiln load for Clay Art Wales. There's all sorts in there, espresso mugs, coffee pots, jars of several sizes, bottles, jugs and platters and lots more.

Had a good gig last night. We've been working on a new set of songs and it was our first time of trying them out live. It was a good challenge, we can play the old set with our eyes closed, so we all had to really concentrate on the new tunes and it went down really well, no rotten tomatoes, phew.

I'm looking forward to a day off with the family tomorrow, it's been hard work for all of us lately so we're going to Exeter for lunch in town, then to the cinema. I'll have to pop up to the workshop in the evening to brick the door up. I was too tired to do it tonight and I'd had enough so tomorrow evening will have to do. The burner will have to go in then too, to dry stuff out ready for the big burn up on Tuesday.

Here's the bisc kiln and some of the pots unpacked and awaiting glazing.

The grey pot is my Dad's jug, all glazed and ready to go. It'll be yellow when it's fired.

I managed to get most of the pots glazed yesterday and today, the rest I'll finish tomorrow afternoon before packing them into the kiln in the evening. Glazing has to be my least favourite job.

Mark's going to come up and help pack the kiln again, what a star.

Well, I'd better go get cleaned up and slip into my glitter suit ready for tonight's gig.

Rock and roll

Going Modern and Being British

I got all the wood sorted out today ready for Tuesday's firing. Well, when I say 'sorted' I mean spread out in the workshop in every space available to allow the air to get to it, some of it's a bit damp and I need it to be completely bone dry before Tuesday. I'll unpack bisc tomorrow and do the glazing midst the chaos, remembering to use the right glaze this time.

The picture is the cover of a book to which I contributed an essay years ago. I co-curated an exhibition of the same title, at the Royal Albert Memorial Museum in Exeter and the book accompanied the exhibition. You can buy it from Amazon, or get it here for free. I haven't read it for years so as far as I know it might be absolute rubbish, but I found it on this site last night and thought I'd share it with you.

Somebody who follows this blog called by the workshop yesterday when I wasn't there, sorry I missed you. Why not pop by and see the firing on Tuesday? Drop me an email and we can make a plan. Off to band practice, got a gig on Saturday night - too much to do!

Done

The bisc's fired. I started at 8am after preheating with gas overnight. Blogger Paul came up in the morning and helped fire through the day, thanks Paul for the help and the great company. Marky Mark and Cookie joined me for the evening shift and we reached temperature at about 10pm, sealed up the kiln and got home about an hour later. I want to try and get it out tomorrow if possible so that I can start glazing ready for packing on Sunday and firing on Tuesday.

I forgot to take my camera but here's a bit of video from a firing last summer with Mark stoking firebox 1.

I've taken today off for a rest and to prepare Hil's birthday tea ready for when she gets in from work. Happy Birthday Hil, love you.

Boring bisc no.2

Another very busy weekend. I took delivery of some beautiful but battered Edwin Beer Fishley troughs on Saturday. They were made in the nineteenth century at the Fremington Pottery in North Devon, the wares of which has been very influential on my work. I'll try and get a picture of them up at a later date.

I had to work late on Saturday night finishing the last of the pots that got packed into the kiln today with help from good ol' Marky Mark. All is ready for the next bisc which will be on Tuesday.

Ii's a relief to have reached firing time, because that's that, I can't make any more pots so I've got to go with what I have. Let's just hope I can get them all fired successfully.

This evening we went up to Nic and Sabine's place on Dartmoor. I love it at their place and it was great to see them. They're building a new workshop from cob, the traditional local building material - basically mud and straw. It's going to be beautiful when it's finished.

Tidying up tomorrow, what a mess my workshop is at the moment - and getting the wood ready for Tuesday.

I'm very tired so that's me for now, happy Monday everybody.

Thank you Michael

I had a parcel today from Michael Kline in the USA. Inside was this beautiful little beaker and a clay sample from Michael's place in North Carolina, thank you Michael very much.

The unsavoury picture shows Michael's clay on the right, a real piece of America and the smaller lump on the left is Hollyford clay. I'll have to get a piece of Devon off to you some time soon Michael. A strange and wonderful feeling to have a lump of North Carolina in my hand.

Things seem chaotic at the moment and I'm so tired. It's been hard work getting another kiln load of pots together in such a short time, but I've done it and more. There are pots everywhere. Today was the last making day, finishing and decorating tomorrow.

Mark's coming up on Sunday and we'll start to pack the bisc ready for firing on Tuesday.

I'm worried I don't have enough wood. I've got loads of it outside but the high winds of the past few days have blown my tarps away and so any back up supply is soaking. Nic's going to come on Tuesday to help and he's bringing his oil burner, that'll save on wood, I'll be interested to see how it works.

Sleeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeep

A birthday blog

Ron is the grand old age of thirty eight today, happy birthday Ron, here's a slipware cake for you.

And here is my Dad's birthday jug with a fresh coat of white slip.

Loads of finishing today, lids for the double jam pots thrown, turned and knobs thrown on, yesterday's jugs all handled.

Another good making day tomorrow and Marky Mark for company during the evening, I look forward to that.

A good day's making

A speedy blog, we've got crazy weather at the moment and the power keeps cutting in and out. Joe's getting all the candles ready. More severe weather warnings for the South West tonight.

I got loads done in the workshop today. Lots of finishing and more making tomorrow. I'm loving it at the moment in spite of last week's firing frustration. Right, I'm off before the lights go out and I lose all this.

Fair's fair

I guess it's only fair after ridiculing my mates that I should stick this picture of myself on here. It was taken at my graduation show in Alfreton Hall, Derbyshire - ah the eighties, such style.

Funny old pots those, things have come a long way in the last twenty odd years.

Late start

Up late today - needed a good kip. Off to the workshop shortly to do a bit.

We've got Nic and family coming for tea. Here's another picture of him from the early eighties with our mate Simon - tee hee.

Some more pots

Working weekend

Well the firing wasn't that great really. I stupidly used an old batch of glaze inside some of the pots which bubbled and blistered. It was made even worse by the fact that a shelf near the top of the pack, broke during the firing, bringing pots downwards onto pots below and backwards knocking the stack behind against the back wall of the chamber - lots of pots stuck together.

Oh well, I could either get stressed and depressed, or take it on the chin and make some more. So it's a working weekend. The new pots are better than the ones they're replacing so that's a positive. Some huge jugs made today, more tomorrow. Also got the handle on my Dad's jug.

Can't believe I used that old glaze, why hadn't I thrown it away? What a plonker.

Some more

It's late now, so words tomorrow

Some pots

Here's what I'm waiting for

Here are a couple of shots of the pack. I wonder how much of this is going to come out. I think some of it may be stuck down to the shelves, Galena is such a fluid glaze. Must stop thinking of all the things that might have gone wrong - blooming pottery, it screws with your head.

More big jugs to make tomorrow.

Wooooohooooooo

What a crazy couple of days it's been, I haven't had any time at all to update this blog.

Today was supposed to be firing day, but it's done, a day early.

Monday and Tuesday were concentrated glazing sessions. I really don't enjoy glazing at all and the sight of a whole kiln load of biscuitware is pretty daunting, so it was a case of just getting stuck in until the job was done. The workshop was chaos, pots on every surface, in every stage of production. I'd got large jars and bottles that had to be decorated midst all the glazing, the first shot's of one of the large bottles with combed decoration through freshly applied slip.

Mark came up on Tuesday evening and we packed the kiln and bricked the door up, finishing at about eleven thirty. We managed to get a lot of pots in, it looks to be a great pack.

Yesterday was supposed to be a day for getting in wood in readiness for firing but as we had decided to fire, I went to Tiverton to collect the wood first thing and lit the kiln rather later than usual. Because of the late start, we finished at about three thirty this morning instead of the more regular eleven o'clock. Getting up again at seven, ready to take Hil to work and Luke to the dentist wasn't easy.

It was my Dad's birthday yesterday so I made this jug for him - he'll be thinking 'oh no, not another jug'! I like these fat, softly thrown jugs and I've an idea of how I'm going to decorate this one for him and if it works how I can see it in my mind's eye, it should be quite tasty. My poor parents have got a house full of my pots from the last twenty plus years, I hope one more won't hurt.


The firing went brilliantly it seemed, with a long, slow climb to get the final cone over. The last picture shows two cones in the foreground and the third cone bent, which told us that we'd reached our optimium temperature.

Now, the wait until Saturday morning and the unpack, which will be either good - or not so good - I do feel quietly confident that it'll be good though - let's hope so.

Half way

Everything came out of the bisc firing . The workshop's crammed full of pots, the majority of which I managed to get glazed, the rest I'll finish tomorrow. Mark's coming up after he's finished work and we'll get the back of the chamber packed. Finish the pack Wednesday, brick the door up, fire on Thursday - new shiny pots out on Sunday - fingers crossed.

10lb jars and electric guitars

Good morning Ang in Adelaide, thank you for checking in.

Had a day off yesterday for Luke's birthday. He's fifteen, what ever happened to our sweet little baby? He discovered rock and roll that's what! Here he is looking all Hendrix with his new guitar. He's becoming a very good player and has a band with his mates called The Trilbies. They practice once a week in our garage much to the delight of our neighbours I'm sure. I'm so proud of my boys, they're growing up into really sweet natured young men.



Housework, shopping and cooking for Joe and me today, revision for exams for poor Luke. It's Mother's Day here in the UK, Happy Mother's Day Mother, love you!

Joe delivered Hil her breakfast in bed, along with a card that he'd made and some sweets that I intend to steal later, once I've finished off Luke's birthday toffees.

Tomorrow, a busy day. I've got to unbrick the kiln door, get the pots out and glaze them all ready to repack on Tuesday and Wednesday, for a Thursday firing. I'm glad I've left the door up because we had a bit of rain during the last couple of days so the atmosphere is damp. The kiln should still be relatively warm and dry.

I'm going to try and carry on pot making in amongst the chaos. The big jars from last week will be ready to decorate and I made some big bottles on Friday that'll be ready too. I want to try and make some 20lb ones this week.



Recently Ron's started to post video streams on his blog. It's interesting to see how and where he does things over there. My workshop's too much of a mess at the moment for such things and my camera isn't really good enough, but here's a bit of video that Matt took last time he was here. I've had to trim it because the file size was too big(?) but it'll give you an idea of how I do stuff and you'll get to have a laugh at my 'potter's nod' which looks pretty silly.