Friday

Hello folks

I'm writing this blog from the comfort of my parents' house in Bedford, which is my first port of call, during a week of travelling about the country. It's a journey that will culminate in an adventure across the border to visit a certain red haired potter, with whom I'm sure most of you are very familiar. See clue below.....

On Sunday I'll head off from here to Bolton, to stay with Hil's family for a night, then across to Alex' house on Monday morning and we'll travel up to Scotland together from there. Note Hannah clutching a hot water bottle, it's a lot colder up there - I've packed my thermals!

It'll be great to see Alex and Hannah, I haven't seen either of them for a while. We're going to fire Hannah's wood kiln on Wednesday, which will be very exciting.

So I got everything finished off in the workshop this morning before we left - actually these particular ones were decorated yesterday as the video below will show.
Here are some I made earlier.

So on to the video.

I walked to work yesterday as Hil's car was in for repair and so she had mine. It was a bright, cold, winter's day, but absolutely beautiful. I need to walk more often. The Devon countryside is such an inspiration, whatever the weather.

Well that's all for now, I expect my next blog will be from the frozen north.

Happy weekend everybody.

Thursday

Morning all
Koichiro, the owner of the Gallery St Ives in Tokyo asked for some photographs of the inside of the workshop for use in some of the publicity. My camera is so full of dust these days, that everything has a soft focus.
More bowls, thrown off the hump on the kickwheel.

Fingerwiped decoration.

Yesterday's video is much the same as the the ones from last couple of days(but with a much more abrasive soundtrack) - more turning of footrings on even more bowls - there would have been other stuff, but my batteries went flat.

There will be even more bowls to turn today, but not until after an invigorating walk to work through the cold Devon countryside. Hil's car is having some work done today, so she has my car and I have my feet. Well I'd better get out on those lanes and see what excitement lies in store for me on my journey. I consider myself so lucky to live in such a beautiful place.

Happy Thursday to you all

Bowls, jugs, slip etc etc etc

This is a brief post as I have to get going in a minute and as ever, I'm running late. I'm going away on Friday for a week, so lots of stuff to finish off - more about that later.

An 8lb jug.
and some more which I decorated yesterday.
These are some bowls which I threw off the hump yesterday. They're bigger than the ones I made earlier in the week. I really enjoy doing them - I'd like to have fifty of them in my next wood firing.

The bowls I made on Monday, with turned feet.




This evening Marky Mark's coming by and we'll work on in to the night. Well I must fly now, lots to do today.

Hollis, please give my love to Janet and Betty and all at the coffee shop, I wish we lived closer.

Have a good day everybody, bye for now

Monday

Hello everybody
Well I've had a few frustrating days since my last post. The tail end of last week I felt dreadful and so took some time off to get myself better. I feel fine now, I think I needed to recharge and shake off the man flu.



Yesterday I tried again to make more of the large harvest jugs that were causing me struggles last week and yet again, failed. I realized after several attempts and much pugging, kneading and cursing, that my difficulties were due to the new tonne of clay that I recently took delivery of. Whenever I get a new batch of clay, it's sticky and lacking in strength, as it needs time to 'sour'.

I don't turn any of my jugs, they're 'thrown to finish' and so the clay needs to be absolutely right in order to be thrown to the optimum thickness - this stuff is puddingy and flops too readily. So for the time being, I've decided I can waste no more time trying to make these big fat jugs.

The little film shows a batch of bowls that I threw 'off the hump' before I went home last night. I enjoyed making these, and it felt liberating to throw this way, after a day of struggling trying to make something of a specific size, from a specific weight of clay.

Today I'm going to carry on making lots of small stuff to send Japan - it won't fill the kiln as quickly as the big jugs, so I'm just going to have to make a lot of it - I'd better get busy.

Have a good Tuesday everybody

Big jug

Well I was really rough yesterday, waking in the morning with not only man flu, but a migraine too. I treated the migraine and went back to bed to sleep it off. I did get to work, but not until 3.30 in the afternoon. I was keen to see Marky Mark for our weekly workshop night. As it turned out, I just slept on the workshop sofa, but it was good to get there, to talk some rubbish and light the fire to keep the harsh frost away.

This morning the roads were so icy, that I got stuck half way up a hill. Fortunately one of the locals with a big truck was there to tow me to the top of the hill. The little lanes don't get gritted round here any more.


I only managed this one big pot today - I lost another four. Sometimes it just doesn't happen. I'll try again tomorrow - I still feel quite exhausted from the migraine, so a good night's sleep will help no doubt.



Here's a little film from today
Goodnight all

Tuesday

Today I carried on from yesterday, decorating drinking bowls. It seems to be taking forever to make a kiln load of pots this time around - everything is small or flat. I still have a lot of small pots to make to send to Japan, but I'm stressing about getting a kiln full of pots in time for the firing deadline. Here's a link to an album of pictures of this month's production.
I decided I should take a bit of pressure off and make some bigger pots. I felt back in my comfort zone today with these 8lb jugs. I'll make some more tomorrow, or maybe some bigger jugs if I feel well enough. Man flu is coming over me this evening, so I'm feeling sorry for myself. A hot bath and an early night is called for I think.

Here's a short film from today

Goodnight all

It's behind me

Happy Monday everybody

I went to work on Saturday morning. Marky Mark came over and we spent a few hours sipping tea, talking rubbish and decorating pots. These are some basins that I fingerwiped.
And some shiny, dribbly slip on a jug.
Saturday night was the final performance of the pantomime, Cinderella. I enjoyed it all very much this year, nevertheless, it'll be good to have my evenings back again now that it's all over. It's a huge commitment, with at least two rehearsals a week for several months. I played the part of a baron, although I look a bit like an ancient member of some dodgy re-formed, '80's New Romantic band!

Here's a little film, showing Saturday's workshop activity and the 'it's behind you' scene from the panto. I wonder how much sense it will make to you folks across The Pond. We're very easily pleased, we Brits!

Have a lovely day all, I'm off to work to make some big fat jugs, woohoo!

Keith Maskell

I took Luke to his college interview yesterday. During the day I was remembering back to when I was his age and my Dad took me to my interview in Derby.

I recall being very nervous, but was soon put at ease by Keith Maskell, who was the head of the course. He chatted about the poorly-made, lumpy pots that I had taken with me, in the kind, encouraging manner, for which I grew to know him, before offering me a place. I was greatly saddened when I got home last night, to receive the news that he has just passed away.

He was a sweet, gentle man and a fine and ever-enthusiastic teacher. He profoundly affected my life and the lives of the many others who studied under him during his lengthy teaching career.

Thank you Keith for everything.

Wednesday

A day of turning and decorating today. Tomorrow I'll not be in the workshop as I have to drive Luke to Winchester for a college interview. Here's a short snippet of today's action.



Back soon

Tuesday's pictures, Wednesday's words

Hello all

I should have been at work ages ago, but here I am blogging instead. I'm tired today, Marky Mark came up last night and we worked late. Here's what's been going on.


I've been busily making domestic wares for the exhibitions in Tokyo. These are some basins, which I'll be slipping today. I haven't made pots for food in a long time. I'm missing making big jugs - that'll be next week's task.

These are drinking bowls that I made yesterday. I'll go through them today and eliminate the dodgy ones. It was fun making these as they were thrown 'off the hump', rather than weighing out individual lumps of clay, which is how I usually work. I will be sending mugs to Tokyo too, but somebody told me a while ago that my mugs will be too big for general use in Japanese daily life and although I'll make some smaller ones, it seems relevant to me to be sending some drinking bowls. I wouldn't go so far as to us the 'c' word with all it's connotations - these are simply little bowls that can be used for drinking from.
Here are dishes, decorated in a sloppy slippy fashion with green, white and orange slip, over a black slip ground. The orange is made from the clay from the stream near the workshop an looks great on a black background. My trailing style is unashamedly squirty. I find the broken line more interesting that a continuous one - when it comes to circular stuff, nothing quite joins up, so you have a line with a beginning, a middle and an end - three for the price of one!
The dishes in the foreground will have white slip fingerwiped decoration today.

And here's the moving version.

I need to go to work, bye for now

Friday

Just in from the pub after the opening night of the panto, which went really well. Same again tomorrow night.

Here's a video of some stuff that happened today, which I'm pleased to say does not include any footage of this evening's performance, with my solo rendition of this

It does however show Different Dave wiring in my new lights in the 'showroom' - now I can sell pots after dark. It also shows my friend Heather decorating a wassail pot that she's made during the last week.

Bedtime for me now. Happy weekends everybody.

Wednesday and Thursday

I'm running a bit behind with these videos.

Here's what happened on Wednesday.......

and Thursday.

Happy Friday everybody!

Pots by Ray and friends

I knew Ray Finch through his pots and in that respect, I knew him very well indeed - I've lived with them since I was eighteen. I thought you might like to see a couple of the treasures that I own.

This teapot was made by Ray at his son Joe's pottery in Wales, in the 1990's. It is unusual as it is a slipware pot - Ray had made the transition to stoneware in the 1960's, but revisited the materials and techniques, I would guess, for a bit of fun. His are the most fantastic teapots.

This tankard was made in the 1950's. I think this is really clever potting, as it stays true to its traditional roots, but also has a clear sense of the style of that era in design.

The next two pictures are pots that were made by dear friends of mine who worked with Ray at Winchcombe Pottery in the 1970's. This small dish was made by Alex McErlain in the 1980's....

and this tankard was made by Dan Finnegan last year. He gave it to me when Hannah and I visited Virginia back in the Spring. An example of the Finch influence, spread across the Globe.

I'm not saying this very well, but the point I'm trying to make is that I connect with these chaps because we understand the certain kind of pottery that Ray made - they are pots that are a part of each of us. I'm pretty sure that if it hadn't have been for Ray, that we would never have met. I have a lot to be thankful to him for.

Ray Finch

Ray Finch passed away today, peacefully at home aged 97.

I met Ray a good few times over the years, but regrettably I never had the chance to really get to know him well - I wish I'd had more opportunity.

I know a lot about him though, through close friends whose lives he has touched. He was a greatly loved and respected man.

He was an exceptional craftsman and I owe a huge debt to him. It was after a visit to Winchcombe Pottery many years ago, that I decided I wanted to become a potter. There's a bit of him in every pot that I make.

His spirit will live on through the hands and minds of the many, many people whose lives he has enriched.

Tuesday

Marky Mark came up to the workshop at the weekend and helped me build a new bench between two of the wheels. I've been struggling to get going since I made all those jugs a couple of weeks ago - I feel like I've been falling over myself, so I decided to invest the time in organizing the workshop so that it flows properly. It's been through so many transitions in the past few years, changing when new equipment arrives or a new shed is built. This is the best it's ever been.

I have Adam Field coming over from the States to stay and make pots in a couple of months and the space needs to be sorted so that we can work together. I'll write more about Adam's visit later, it's exciting.

I think there are still a couple of places left for the demo weekend that I'm doing with Adam and Nic Collins in April - more details...... here



It was a delight to be able to go in to my clean and tidy workplace this morning. I got started making a few mugs, then a jug for a student who came to take some photographs and then a small dish, which I'll be making more of tomorrow. I need to start cranking out some pots now.

Life is busy at the moment. I've a rare night off tonight from pantomime rehearsals. Dress rehearsal tomorrow night, final rehearsal on Thursday, then opening night on Friday - I still don't know my lines, eek. Performances this weekend and next weekend, then after that..... well it'll be behind me :)

My day today

My day yesterday

Today in my shed

Monday

Happy Monday everybody.



I've been catching up with decorating the little jugs that I made this time last week....



and also some small tapered jugs that I made on, I think, Wednesday.


I'm a reluctant decorator, so they've been tightly wrapped under polythene since last week, until I could leave them no longer and had to get on with them before they dried out too much.



These were made from 1.5lbs of clay and are about 6" tall at a guess.

This morning I delivered my car to the local garage, about a mile and a half along the lane from the workshop. It needed an MOT test. The walk to the workshop was inspirational, I love living in the countryside. There's a sense of the season moving along now, with the flora enjoying the mildness of this year's winter. I shot a short film of today's exploits, I'll post it on here later once it's uploaded. Oh, the car passed by the way, which is pretty good, as it only cost me £100 a few months ago.

The next couple of weeks are going to be hectic. I'm taking part in the village pantomime again, which opens a week on Friday, so most evenings will be rehearsals. I still haven't learned my lines, so I'll be practicing tomorrow in the workshop - I hope I don't alarm too many passers-by!

Ah, here's the video it's just uploaded.

Handled

It's a New Year!

Hello boys and girls and a Happy New Year to you all! I wish you all a wonderful 2012.

I got back to work today after a lovely Christmas break. It was just what I needed, I was feeling pretty burned out at the end of last year and it was a welcome rest. So today, I was back in the saddle/swivel chair and making pots again for what seems like the first time in weeks. Usually I'd start off a fresh making session by throwing my favourite thing, 8lb jugs, but I already have some of those made, so instead I got started with a couple of dozen 1.5 lb, dinky little jugs.

I struggle with small stuff, it uses different skills which I rarely practice, but by the last few, things seemed to be going along nicely. I have to send fifty pieces to Japan, for exhibitions at Art Fair Tokyo and Gallery St Ives, also in Tokyo. It costs a fortune to ship these pots round the world, so I can't imagine I'll be sending any of my big heavy pieces. I need to make a lot of small pots in the forthcoming weeks.

It's been crazy weather today, gale force wind and torrential rain. This winter we've only had a few frosts and none of those have been particularly hard. The flowers in the garden seem very confused by it all. I'm glad of it though, last year at this time I was unable to get to the workshop because we were snowed in.

Here's a little film I shot today at the workshop.

Late night working with Marky Mark tomorrow, I'm looking forward to that. Bye for now.

Merry Christmas!

Here we are approaching the end of another year. Thank you all for tuning in to my sporadic blog posts. I haven't made many pots in recent weeks, so my blogging has been a bit lax, but I promise that I intend to start the new year with renewed vigour and enthusiasm. I have to, because I have a lot of commitments in next year's calendar already.

It's been a wonderful year, not least because I've had the opportunity to meet so many of my virtual friends in the flesh during the past twelve months. You are special people.

Thank you so much to all those who have done so much for me. A special mention for Dan, Hollis and Ron in the States; Marky Mark, Matt, Alex, Hannah, Frank, Different Dave, Nic, PY over here. I am blessed with having the very best of friends without whom I am nothing. And big thanks of course to those of you who have encouraged me and bought my pots.

The boys have gone out to the pub with their friends this evening. I miss them being little kiddies and remember with warm affection those Christmas Eves, when they couldn't sleep with the excitement of it all. I too would lie awake in anticipation of their smiley little faces. Hil's here wrapping gifts for their stockings - maybe they're still children, just briefly, once a year.

So now a few days of family time. Tomorrow we visit my brother, then later in the week, my parents and my sister. It will be fantastic to see everybody and to relax for a while with the people I love.

I Wish you all a very Merry Christmas and send every best wish for a healthy and prosperous 2012.

Check this out!!!!

I received an email this morning from Alex, with a link to this amazing piece of film. It's a British Pathe film, shot in 1930, of 'A man kneading some clay outside a brick building'.

This is so exciting for me. Helen Walsh, curator at York Museum, identified this unnamed potter as none other than my great hero, Michael Cardew, making pots at Winchcombe Pottery and sent it to Alex.

The slipware pots Cardew made in Winchcombe were in my opinion, his finest works and to see him as a young man, making and decorating them is incredibly moving. I've never seen this footage before, I can't think that many people have in recent times. Thank you Helen and Alex.

Enjoy this piece of lost pottery history everybody

(ONE GOOD TURN)

Teabowls in Tokyo

A while ago, I had a visit to my workshop from Koichiro Isaka, who is the owner of Gallery St Ives, Tokyo. He asked me if I would make some teabowls for an exhibition in his gallery.

The particular type of teabowls he asked for were Chawan. Of course I've never made such things, as I take my inspiration from the English tradition, rather than looking towards the East, so I proceeded to make them with some trepidation.Here are some of them. They're a very English interpretation of a Japanese form, I decided I had to just make, what I know how to make.

The exhibition opened last night. These photographs were taken by Koichiro in the gallery yesterday. There are about 80 Chawan in the show from some amazing makers.

There are pots by UK potters

Clive Bowen

Margaret Curtis

Jack Doherty

Lisa Hammond

Tony Laverick

Philip Leach

Phil Rogers

And from Japan,

Koichiro Isezaki

Kouchi Uchida

Tsubusa Kato Ryotaro Kato

Takuro Kuwata

Tomoo Hamada

Ken Matsuzaki.

You can download the pdf catalogue here

Slippy jugs

Hello all

I've been having a bit of a struggle to get back in to making lately. I was exhausted after all the crazy hours of hard work leading up to the show and wound up feeling somewhat burned out and lacking inspiration. I don't know why, the show was great and I came home full of enthusiasm, but it's been difficult to get started again.

Yesterday I unplugged the phone and turned up the rock and roll and got stuck in to making some big fat jugs. I'm going to do the same again today. I'll post some pictures later.These 8lb jugs have been under polythene for a couple of weeks, waiting for a coat of slip, which they were given yesterday.

This leafy jug has a green slip.
Winter is upon us now, although down here in the softy South West, we've had very few frosts, just lots of rain with sunny bits and the resulting rainbows.

Well I must get to work, back soon

Bye for now

Here we go again.

I've been working a long day today. Marky Mark came by and we worked into the evening. I know I need to start keeping sensible hours again, but I'm anxious to get some wet pots on the shelves. Getting started is always difficult, but it's easier this time, coming off the back of three great firings and a successful show. The show is still open until Sunday.

I started this batch of pots, with making my favorite things, six 8lb jugs. It's good to get the cycle going again. Although they're similar in form, I haven't tried to make them the same. They'll get handles tomorrow, then they'll be decorated using a variety decorative techniques, adopting whichever suits the curves of the particular pot the best. I'm excited about the pots I'm going to be making in the forthcoming weeks, I've got lots of ideas I want to try.



A big thank to my friend James, who shot this film at my show at the weekend. He asked me to apologize for it's shaky nature as it was his first iphone film, but I don't think he needs to do so, it's great record for me, of how it was on the day.

Demo weekend on Dartmoor

Next April, I'm going to be giving a workshop demo at my good chum Nic's place on Dartmoor, along with the great man himself and an amazing potter from the USA, Adam Field.

As you can see from the videos below, it promises to be a really interesting weekend. Spaces are limited, so it would pay to book early via Nic's website, right here



Nic

Adam

The show

I just had a wonderful weekend in chilly Nottinghamshire.
The opening was a great success. Here is an old friend of mine, Strav, who came along. We studied together on an Art Foundation course twenty seven years ago, before going off on our separate paths - we hadn't seen each other since. It was lovely to meet up again, we'll stay in touch now via the wonderful world of Facebook.
Here are some pictures of the show. Thank you to Jon and James who took these pictures, I didn't get a chance to take any, so it's great to have them.

It was a brilliant day. Hil and I arrived at the gallery after an early start and a five hour drive, to see what a fabulous job David and Steve had made of arranging the pots, it was quite overwealming. Throughout the day, David, his wife Ausma and Steve were fantastic, rearranging the display as pots were purchased and wrapped, so that the show looked fresh the whole day long. I felt really well looked after.
And a lot of pots went to new homes too, which was way beyond my expectations. It was such a great day, chatting with so many lovely people.


I'm excited about these pressed dishes - I want to develop them in the forthcoming weeks.
I want to make more bowls and thrown dishes too - I'm always short of flatware, it's not something I've invested enough time in
A big thank you to everybody who came and to all the people who bought my pots. There have been some very kind comments made about the work, which is a huge confidence booster and will help me to take things to the next stage.

We stayed with some friends in a beautiful, ancient house, dating back to the 1600's, full of wonderful pots. After a lovely meal, we headed out to Geoff and Pat Fuller's pub which is situated nearby.

It's a sweet little pub - no TV and a ban on mobile phones - how refreshing that is. And of course there was plenty Geoff and Pat's splendid pottery to look at, particularly the kitchen.

On Sunday we headed back home, Hil at the wheel and me with the inevitable migraine in the passenger seat. I was exhausted. It's been a very hard few months, but it's been so worth it.

Today I had a much calmer day, thinking a lot, while tidying up the workshop garden which has been badly neglected this year. I'm preparing myself ready to make the next pots. I'm very excited about them, greatly encouraged by the weekend's events - I feel I know where I'm going at last.

Well that's all for now. Back soon with muddy wet pots to show you, bye for now.