On the 14th November we went on an arranged trip to North Wales. No buckets or spades but a great day out. We managed to fit in Ruthin Craft Centre, the Brookhouse Pottery (David and Margaret Frith), Craig Bragdy Design, the Anvil Pottery and a trip to Wendy Lawrence's Studio. Very different and excellent makers; different styles and business models. David Frith and Wendy Lawrence were particularly interesting as they make work for outside in the garden. What did I learn? Well, I was struck by two things. Firstly the sheer amount of resources and back stock that all these businesses needed to carry; even those working to commission needed lots of samples and those who make 'on spec' end up with a lot of stock hanging around looking a little unloved. Secondly how vulnerable they all were to market forces -not just competition and changing fashion but also the financial climate and a changing world. These first images are from the shop and exhibition at Ruthin Craft Centre These next three from the Brookhouse Pottery, two from the Anvil Pottery, two from Wendy Lawrence's garden and the last, another from the Frith's. I did not take any pictures at Craig Bragdy but their website hosts much better ones than I could do. Looking at real pots rather than pictures is a different and much better experience.
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Christmas fun! A group project before our shared Christmas meal, to make a table centre/structure on which to display and serve food. Each group was given a set amount of pugged recycled clay. There was a limited time frame for making, to focus our minds. I found myself allocated to work with three people who had very different styles and ceramic outlook to myself. I decided to 'go with it' and learn from the experience. The chosen design was a landscape inspired series of blocks with curved tops, very much as one might have drawn in Geography lessons. We discussed making some of these blocks open at the top which would be functional for salads, but rejected the idea (too functional ?) as spoiling the line of the piece. We duly planned the design on paper taking account of table sizes and the amount of clay, made numbered templates and rolled clay. The pieces required force drying then texturing, mitreing, assembling, and drying /firing to bisque. We had agreed that we would follow the guidance and glaze in white. It would look good piled up with red berries. A white glaze was duly made up and applied, the pieces re-fired in time for our Christmas lunch. What went well ?
Mistakes we made (and learnt from)
I made another mistake too. Having heard from more senior students that the christmas meal would require us to make a white serving dish of some sort, I jumped the gun and made two. These were made in porcelain, textured using a pasta roller over cling film, and the edges rolled under. following bisque firing I brushed on spectrum transparent glaze and re-fired to 1230 in and electric kiln. Having made them I did not want to waste the effort, so brought them in for use on the lunch table. They can just be seen on the left of the lunch picture above.
Ah well no mistakes are wasted! One of the useful initial activities has been to put together a mind map on 'what informs my ceramic work'. For me, it was helpful to review what previous experience has influenced me both in ceramics ( great teachers, interesting experiments, sometimes disasters) and from my professional life as a physician. I reflected on the fact that a physician uses observation from all the senses including touch to 'think beneath the surface'. She needs to see things in context using both technical knowledge and pattern recognition to analyse, problem solve, and to decide on the way forward. Often that process depends heavily on others' input. The outcome is reviewed. Its not so very different from ceramics! We were also asked to consider our 'likes' which for me were engaging in making things and gardening; textures; strong deep colours; curved shapes suggesting movement, growth and bounty; and things that are useful as well as beautiful. How does this translate into my making intentions? Well I plan to to make ceramics for the garden. This brings its own set of challenges, not least that its still a wide wide field of activity to be narrowed down. |
AuthorI am indulging my passion for ceramics by undertaking studies for an MA at UCLAN Archives
August 2021
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