Pleading insanity due to excess water

I think the rain is getting to my brain. I am on the verge of even more insanity than can usually be expected. Even Paul is surprised by me and he of all people should be used to it. I know it hasn't rained solidly for the last three months, it is actually only two weeks and we got a dry afternoon on saturday when we picked lots of blackberries but it feels like it hasn't stopped. I don't know what to do with myself. Pots are back to the winter drying cycle too which just annoys me, it isn't time for that yet.

See what happens when it rains so much? Crazy decoration, that's all I can put it down to.

I couldn't leave it alone. Also to be blamed on the rain but could actually just be my incompetence with computery things I managed to delete the comments that went with one of last weeks posts, sorry you two, don't ask me how I did it but think you maybe should all think yourselves lucky that I didn't delete the internet while I was at it. Imagine that? Where would we be then?

Paul found himself with a dilemma yesterday evening while trying to decide which two bowls we should use for our pudding. Bless him.

The exhibition at the Tolbooth has finished as of about two hours ago. Myself Linda and Phil have had a tremendous response to it so thank you to all who visited and who left comments.

I'll put this on a pot...

Remember this one Ron? Tis a cracker, think I'll put it on a pot, a really big one!

Busy again, pie dishes done in the 3 minute challenge way. Always good when I remember to do it. Ceramics in the City is coming up quick along with a few other shows for the Autumn / dare I mention the C word? Christmas period. I'm looking forward to the Geffrye Museum show again, it's lovely, quite small and the stands are small too, just a trestle table which means I can feasibly do it without having to take a car full of things down. I can box it all up and courier it down there and I can sit on the train and read. The idea of driving to London makes me feel somewhat sick. I'm going down again in October to help out the amazingly talented Amanda as she has a stand at the very prestigious Origin event run by the Crafts Council. She's driving down but she did used to live in the big smoke so I think she is used to it.

So looks like another weekend working and if the weather is anything like it has been then I don't mind one bit as it's been cold and wet and miserable. I have to deliver my pots to the McGill Duncan Gallery on monday, the kiln is on for a glaze firing, hopefully no more power cuts down there, we had a brief outage this afternoon. Keep your fingers and toes crossed. I did get a charger out of the kiln in one piece today, just a bisque so there's still time for it to explode or do something else equally as horrid but at least it proves I can still make them. It is one that isn't decorated with any of the details that are needed on the ones that are awaited by customers though which is sod's law. The one that doesn't matter survives. It had about 20% grog mixed in with the clay so maybe that is the key. I am still to try the new samples but am looking forward to trying the ball clay one, sounds very nice and feels lovely in the bag.

If this reads a little disjointedly it's because I am trying to watch over some chocolate that I am melting to pour over some tiffin that is awaiting chocolate so please accept my apologies. It'll be worth it, well for us anyway the rest of you can just imagine, a much healthier option.

It is wet and windy and I am fed up with it!

At least I didn't lock myself out of the house today though. I did however manage to take some pictures. I had an afternoon in the workshop that I hadn't anticipated which was good. Started to sgraffito this harvest jug, this chap is supposed to be a sailor but for the life of me I couldn't remember what a sailors hat looked like so I drew this cowboy thing as it cam into my head and the straight away remembered the tricorn thing but it was too late. On the other side is a mermaid on a rock. There's a lot of work still to be done on it. I do enjoy it though.

What happened here I will never know. I had a droopy sort of weeping willow in my head and then suddenly this has happened and I don't know where it came from or if I even like it. I occasionally find that these weird things happen without me actually intending to do anything weird, they just sort of jump out and attack pots of there own accord.

Invites for the upcoming exhibition at the McGill Duncan Gallery in Castle Douglas which the lovelies Zoe and Jill run, a great gallery with a huge variety of different exhibitions throughout the year. September 6th sees the opening of "The Artists' Lunch and a Feast of Pots" which has work by some potter called Hannah McAndrew and one star potter from the good ol' US of A, Mr Ron flying fish Philbeck!!! Big cheers, the crowd roars with delight and excitement. I am really looking forward to having Ron's pots over here. How cool is that!

Forgot again.

I was so busy again today I forgot to get the camera out of the bag again. Instead I have a little story to amuse and entertain you.
This morning it was tipping down with rain, I mean bucketing, and blowing a hooey, tail end of some hurricane I believe. I picked up the car keys but figured hey it's only water, I won't shrink, I'll get the bike out. So donned the waterproofs and went out to the shed pulling the kitchen door to behind me so as the wind wouldn't blow the gallons of water falling from the steel coloured sky into the kitchen and flood it. Got the bike, came back to pick up my bag and my keys so I could set off but oops! I'd pulled the door completely shut. And the Yale lock had clicked. And I was stood in the rain with no key. And Paul is away in Newcastle and wouldn't be back till 8 tonight. Bugger. No probs, thinks she, find the spare key, I know where that is. Off to hunt it down, only to find that the safe spare key keeping place that I thought we had chosen is apparently no longer our safe spare key keeping place. Hmmm, back to the shed. I'll just ring Paul I think to myself.Oh no I won't my phone is in the kitchen. Figured I'd have to walk to work and stay there till he got home but then I'd be drenched to the skin by the time I got there and I'd have no food all day.
So I shoulder charged the door. Ouch.
Holiday pic of the day, Paul in the sea at. . . you guessed it Porlock beach.

Tuesday and more sunny sunny day dancing

Busy busy, throwing throwing throwing! I think I have thrown a total of 67 lbs of clay which fr me is an 'eck of a lot of clay in one day. Bellies of jugs and big bowls mainly and a plate to replace the one that I managed to dry way to fast in the sun this afternoon. I was getting a bit carried away with the getting things dry idea. I was so busy making though that I took not one single picture today which was a shame as there was a shrew on my doorstep this morning, second day in a row, 2 wee deer were on the drive in front of me on my way home and to complete the wildlife count I swallowed a fly while cycling home, I don't know why I swallowed a fly I guess I'll. . .

Holiday snap of the day, Porlock beach again, I did like these boulders and the wooden posts.

Do the sunny sunny day dance

A very very patient customer sent me this image above this morning, goes well with my t-shirt which has the slogan below on it. Think I should have one on the front on one on the back of my shirt.

It has been a gloriously sunny day which has made me want to dance and jig about all day but actually there was a huge big list to be attacked in a forceful manner. I unpacked a kiln this morning with glazed pots, lots of commissions in there and a little surprise for some good friends of mine. I was trying to take pictures but the battery n the camera was flat but it did start working again later in the day which may have been in response to my sunny sunny day dance or not, who knows. I did manage to snap a couple of works in progress but didn't get a snap of the surprise pot as I had already packed it up and it was away with the courier.

Some freshly slipped handled soup bowls which I still love.

More of those wee bowls that I was particularly fond of, I'm experimenting just using one colour of trailing and I like it.

At college a lot of my pots had lettering underneath. I had forgotten all about the fact until I was decorating a plate for Ron and Sarah the other week. All today's plates got the underneath treatment too, extra special, these are for an exhibition.

Spot the bloggers at the Leach Pottery.

Holiday pic of the day Paul on his bike on Exmoor while we were away, this was just after the amazing flying sheep poo trail and he's still smiling! I thought it was hysterically funny but had to try oh so hard not to laugh out loud as opening your mouth would have made it not so funny at all.

Weekend

Here is one of the set of harvest jugs that I have been working on. They are taking a long long time but I am very pleased with this the first one which is now finished. Second one is currently awaiting decorating.

Ron and Sarah's introduction to the Cornish Cream Tea. Not sure what they made of it really, I think they were somewhat surprised by the calorie content.

Holiday snap of the day Porlock beach, Somerset - just.

Potfest Pots

A few more pics from Potfest the other week, feels like months ago already though. Where does the time go? While we were driving home I was beginning to worry that I hadn't much planned for the next few months but something happened and this week I have been inundated which is great but does set me into a little panic once more. Next deadline is approaching very very quickly, I'm hoping the sun that was so glorious today will stay with us so I can get the pots dried out in a slightly speedier but not too swift manner. Fingers crossed.

I took this plate to Potfest, I was pleased with a lot of the new pots including the plate and the square baking dishes. The one below was one of the first things I sold swiftly followed by the rest of the squared dishes, did I already tell you this? I can't remember. Anyhow at least three customers said they had seen them in progress on the blog, interesting.

I only purchased one pot while at Potfest, a rather splendidly lively wacky goblet by a Mr Ben Fosker who has been making pots for a few years whilst on various courses. This was his first show however and if you want to see passion and enthusiasm for what he does Ben has it by the bucket load. The pots at the moment are I believe hand built and salt glazed, he wants to keep the clay in the pot alive he says. My goblet is utterly fantastic but blimey it holds an awful lot of wine Ben.

They are very much in the vein of Simon Carrol but also reminded me of Peter Smith who I saw in June. That jug on the right there I was tempted by too.

Busy old day the day, my list appears to have taken on a mind of it's own and seems to be reproducing and adding more and more all by itself over night. I attacked it with vigor this morning but barely appear to have made a dent on it. Think it'll be a busy working weekend coming up.

Holiday snap of the day, Porlock beach stones with my foot prints.

3 At The Tolbooth

Today I have been in the Tolbooth Arts Centre in Kirkcudbright with my two friends Linda Woodfield and Phil McMenemy where we hung an exhibition on tuesday. It is to be there for two weeks, until August 31st which is the bank holiday monday if you are in the area and fancy popping in.

The centre dates back to 1629 when I believe it was a town hall and prison, hence it is built of solid stone and has some fabulous window sills and nooks and crannies.

Phil does the stunning photography and can always be relied upon to tell a good tale and generally entertain the troops.

Linda makes rich quilts and textile panels, here she is hanging one to replace the one that she sold straight away as she got it on the wall before we had even opened properly!

A holiday snap, the two pf us in the Doone Valley in our tent enjoying some red wine from our newly acquired drinking vessels.

Speaking of drinking vessels I hope you enjoy the mug Anna, I wondered when you would be given that.

Long time no blog.

Well I've been all over the place since my last post, Potfest where I met lots of people that read this blog and sold lots of pots met lots of fab potters, more later. AND I came home to have an email sending me this:

a holiday down south in Devon

met lots of fab potters

saw lots of pots

and came home to an email to tell me I had won this

What a busy old time. I'm pretty chuffed about the award, thank you to all who voted. More on all the above and the exhibition I set up today to come during the coming days.

Crazy day and off to Potfest.

Today I have been having a whale of a time decorating lots of pots in lots of different ways. I had a couple of plates which I white slipped for sgraffito, one was for an order, the one above was just purely for my amusement.

I decorated a couple of harvest jugs too with sgraffito. The one above is again purely for my own indulgence, the other for a commission. I like the thick band of cut away slip on the neck and surrounding the tree.

Sunflower-ish flowers on the back. The jug shape is very pleasing, a satisfying jug I think.

Another commission, hmmm no prizes for guessing where I got my inspiration for this one from. Thank you Mr. Toft.

Another flan dish a simple design after the rest of the days results.

So Potfest calls, I'll be away there tomorrow to set up and then the show is open Friday, Saturday and Sunday so do pop along if you get half a chance, junction 40 on the M6. Easy peasy to find and a great atmosphere lots to see and do. Say hello if you do manage to make it there.

Chaos II video

I meant to post this video yesterday but ran out of time. Hope it makes you laugh. I got a lot done today, a highly productive day. Phil my photographer friend popped around and I had a visit from some lovely customers, one who lives down Cornwall and pops in on his annual holiday up here. Another big list for me to tackle tomorrow but I feel I'm getting there. I want to get all the things that are thrown decorated and turned and so drying out while I am away. Paul and me are having some time away next week on a thing which I believe is called a 'holiday' which I am looking forward to as I don't remember the last time I stopped working and as much as I love my work and what I do and I'm sure there will be a lot of pot thinking and talking when I'm away I do sometimes need to take a step away. So that's what we are doing. Paul has had a very busy year so far too so we'll probably spend the whole time sleeping but we are looking forward to it.

Chaos II

Seems these days my workshop gets to being chaotic fairly regularly. Yesterday I spent about four hours packing up pots for various places. That was about three hours longer than I had planned but it turned out fortunate as I was still there when Zoe from the McGill Duncan Gallery popped in for a chat and a brew. It was good to see her and talk pots and her new exhibition which opens at the weekend and has some fabulous looking bronze sculptures by Richard W. Boardman.

Lots of new pots out of the kin over the weekend and a bisque packed and fired, the wettest bisque I have ever fired. I got that out today, glazed it all and it is back in the kiln now for a glaze firing which should be out thursday morning. Phew! Busy.

I'm pleased with the pots that have come out but as always frustrated that I can't get everything in through the kiln that I have made in time for Potfest but it's always the way for any deadline. I seem to think my kiln is twice the size that it really is. Today it has rained and it has rained and it has rained some more. Ain't half wet out there. Still a lot to do before thursday when I go but tomorrow will see a lot of the packing done hopefully and some finishing off of pots that can then be left drying merrily while I am away. Some big plates to turn and some jugs to decorate.