Autumn is a time for gathering in and consolidation but the first term at UCLAN seemed very disjointed and I felt I need more inspiration and direction. Three things helped. The 'Research and Contextual Review' encouraged me to access the resources of the Lindley Library, to read more widely and carefully than I might have done, and license to be more critical.
I found Janet Mansfield's and Karin Hessenberg's books helpful in documenting the breadth of possibilities, as well as highlighting the practical issues for makers of garden ceramics. The review of garden gnomes emphasised the very personal nature of our relationship with gardens, and the books on ornament and sculpture the potentially public face. Writing the essay was interesting and useful. I gained a much deeper consideration of the relationship between a ceramic piece and its surroundings. This research process however did not help my ideas on what form my pieces might take. Secondly, I took the opportunity to visit the Knitting and Stitching Show in Harrogate and was overwhelmed by the colours. Soon afterwards I was at Ness Gardens. At this time of year, tree trunks and bark stand out as features. Some bark splits reflect trauma and healing, others the effect of life and growth in the structures below, bursting and stretching. It even gave me the germ if an idea....
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AuthorI am indulging my passion for ceramics by undertaking studies for an MA at UCLAN Archives
August 2021
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