Snowy / Rainy / Sunny / Windy

Cycled in in thick snow this morning, cycled home in sunshine, well ok only a tiny bit of sunshine but it was still sunshine. In between was some rain and continued high winds. I had a whole bundle of birds on my nuts this morning and Phil and Doug I know you have more, thanks for boasting so well Phil, but mine are new and it's taken them weeks to get here, it's very close to my workshop window but they've got here, brave wee beggars. I was sat throwing this morning while watching them out of the corner of my eye, the pots are probably a bit wonky as a result. Lots of pots thrown and lots of visitors too, Amanda popped in for a good old natter, great cake, we should have opened it while you were still there though. Linda and her son Peter and some customers who raved and offered compliments a plenty and went away with a pile of pots. A massage to soothe my aching body from the weekend's antics and cauliflower cheese for dinner, what a day!

Reached my limit

I got the last two straight courses of bricks up this morning in the pleasant part of the day that came before the torrential downpour and howling gale that have been going on ever since. The work so far is currently wrapped up against the elements and will, fingers crossed, be fine and safe, just another reminder of the fact that my shed roof isn't adequate and really needs some walls and possibly a wider stretch of roof so I can get some wood under it in the dry too.
I didn't see Antiques Roadshow last night but a friend told me about it, about 6 minutes in is a lovely bit with a Cardew pot bought for 50p at a car boot sale.
Opening tomorrow, 30th March at Rufford Craft Centre in Ollerton near Nottingham there is a group show with the Northern Potters Association. There is some of my new work in there for anyone in the area that would fancy popping in for a look.

Back to throwing tomorrow, it feels like an age since I've done any proper throwing. I started on some small bowls this afternoon but felt very rusty. Hopefully it'll be easier tomorrow, I have an order to make for a shop in Manchester and a couple of commissions to get one with. I suppose really I should start thinking about Spring Fling too, it'll be here before I know it and I thought while I was at it I would start making a set of pots to go in this kiln too. The thing is I'll probably end up firing them in the electric kiln but at least I can try and get some ready and waiting to be sacrificed.

More bricks

Another day of building, I am shattered! It's coming on though. Two more courses of bricks to go until the start of the arch.

In the kiln, it's still to have a layer of lightweight insulation bricks to go inside yet, hoping to get that started this week too.

This is how we left it tonight. It feels like huge progress, I have a big grin on my face now.

Men at work - Happy Hannah

I remember once upon a time about 12 months ago putting up a post saying that we were making the foundation for the kiln and someone said they didn't think I'd done anything as my dungarees were too clean. Well look see they're mucky now.

Today, sunny but some rainy spells but we did something that for a while have been thinking may never happen. We did some more kiln building!!!! Ta da daaaaaa! Bring out the champagne, sing and dance and be excited. Well actually I have been doing that for most of the day it seems, I'm very happy, things are taking shape - finally. Don't get me wrong there's a long way to go yet but it feels good to have done something. We have made a start on the "Happy Kiln Building" song too so maybe we'll release that at some point during the year.

This is the chimney end.

Pretty pretty.

The channels in under the floor, I think the last time you saw it the channelly bits were in but the outside walls weren't up to the same height yet, well now they are.

The floor going in, looks a bit small now but it'll be fine I'm sure, I can always rebuild a bigger one - gulp! These are big carborundum slabs that Jason has given me, they came from Shank's factory, however he got a hold of those I don't know but they are great, if a bit of a bugger to shift about. I don't like to admit defeat, I like to be able to do things myself but they were just too heavy for me to be manhandling and why have two fellas around if you don't let them feel macho every once in a while?

I forgot to take a picture of where we were up to when we left tonight. Hoping to get anther day at it tomorrow, more pictures then I promise.

More pictures

Postcards arrived this afternoon. What do you think?

This is the entrance to the ceramics rooms at the Victoria and Albert Museum. There are some big big pieces on the plinths around the room and you can just maybe make out the installation up in the dome there by Edmund De Waal.

I think this is a cabinet of Delft ware but I might be muddled up there, apologies if I am.

Just for Dan.

A couple more jugs from the shop selling the old Greek pots. Great necks on these two.

I came home feeling a bit not sure where I was at work wise and not really knowing what to do next as I have a good amount of stock in the workshop and wasn't sure how best to go about getting it out and about and seen. Yesterday I had a phone call which had me spend the afternoon and this morning packing about 30 pieces to send up to Dumfries House in Ayrshire. I have mentioned this place before as I was doing some samples for them to possibly put in their shop but nothing ever came of that. These pots, a big oak tree Charger, a sgraffito harvest jug and a puzzle jug included have gone to be used in dressing an old dresser in one of the rooms in the house. Hopefully I'll get you a picture once they are in situ. Pretty exciting. I was very pleased that I do allow myself to indulge my guilty habit of hoarding cardboard boxes though as I needed a few to be able to get them packed up. The box stash is severely depleted, I need to keep my eyes peeled for more.

Bridget Drakeford throwing one of the pieces which she later threw a neck on and turned into a jug.

The trailing straight onto the bare clay by Paul Young, again from the Kindrogan weekend.

There are ginger biscuits in the oven, a good start to a weekend. Keep your fingers crossed for some good weather this weekend.

Welcome home

These little ladies were out waiting to welcome me home from London yesterday (except I took the picture this morning as it was dark when I came home but I'm sure they were there in spirit.

Kindrogan was good, as always. All the demonstrators were great, each in very different ways. We had an unusual balance this year in that all of them were throwers though they didn't all focus on that part of their practise. Bridget Drakeford in the picture above threw elegant bowls and jars in porcelain and stunned everyone by lifting even very wide bowls off the wheel with 4 fingers. She rarely throws on bats apparently. Very beautiful shapes, I don't think my clay would stand a chance at holding itself up in those shapes and that thin even if I had the skill to throw them in the first place. Makes me want to get a hold of the fremington clay again, that was much more plastic than my current one is, it did some horrible things too but it was strong and lovely.

Nick Marsh threw and altered shapes and explained and demonstrated his use of texture across the surface of his work and the importance to him of the definition between different areas on the surface. He fired some work in an oil drum with sawdust and hard wood logs having sprinkled oxides onto the work first. I missed the firings but the results were very varied as you would expect, great colours from very minimal equipment.

Paul Young demonstrated his sculptures and slip trailing throughout the weekend and was interrogated about his eating habits and his dog which made for a very bizarre afternoon. There was me thinking we'd paid him to show us his work and they wanted to make sure he ate proper food.

Camilla in the picture above was pretty thrilled to have won one of the pots that Doug made at Kindrogan last year, in the raffle.

The view from half way up the hill at the Kindrogan field study centre that we stay at.

The competition this year was on the theme "Eastern Promise", my entry a handled bowl with a compass trailed inside and the text "East West Home's Best" on the outside.

Then I popped home for a night before heading out down to London to the launch of the Heritage Crafts Association at the Victoria and Albert Museum. This was a fascinating day, met some people that I already knew and some new ones and learnt lots and about what the organisation plans to do. Visit their website for more information and to sign up as a friend of the association. Do you recognise the potter in the poster there?

This is the ceiling in the cafe at the V&A, quite spectacular.

Demonstrating at the launch in the afternoon was a friend of ours Owen Jones, he makes traditional oak swills, particular to the southern Lake District area of Britain. That wood he's working with is oak and the rim is hazel, all from copiced wood. They are fab, tough as anything and beautiful to boot. It was good to see him there.

I had to say hello to my wee sweet favourite pots in the V&A while I was there, my two cutey pie bestest most favourite slipware mugs, they've been featured on here many times before and this jug above which is from London made between 1300 and 1350. Tis a cracker don't you think. I think I left smudges on the glass where I'd had my nose pressed against it.

In a shop opposite the entrance to the British Museum are all these ancient Greek pots, the chap switched the sign on the door round to "closed" as I was stood looking in the window, charming! I have more pictures from both trips but I won't inflict any more on you for the time being, maybe you'll get some later in the week. I popped into the Percival David Collection at the British Museum, it's a collection of ancient Chinese pots. There are hundreds! Some for me were just too clean and beautiful and precise for me, so precise that they could have been machine made. I did like the carving in the celadon pots, I was interested in that at uni but never really did any in the end. They were probably my favourites in there.

Hazel's garden is looking a treat with the snowdrops and crocus at the moment. Great colours, what a carpet.

New pots and a weekend away

I'd left a glaze kiln cooling when I jetted off for Devon last week, here are a couple of the things that came out of it. The plates above are for the Carbon Busters schools project which is run by the Crichton Carbon Centre in Dumfries. This is the second year I have made their prizes, it makes me feel quite chuffed looking at them because they don't need them until June and for once in my little life I am super organised. I will be very pleased come June no doubt that I'm not having to squeeze them in around whatever else will be happening at the time.


Some of the wee oval dishes I had made a couple of weeks ago. Maybe you would like some of these for the shop Christine. Speaking of which I will bring some over next week but I had banked from my mind when I spoke to Christine earlier today that I will be away in London until wednesday. How can I have forgotten that I come home from Perthshire on sunday evening and leave for London on monday morning? I am going to the launch of the Heritage Crafts Association, in my press capacity don't you know (sounds good that doesn't it). I'm going so that I can use it in my next article for the Craft&Design Magazine, and because it's an interesting and exciting new project, and because it is at the V&A and I can get another scoot around there and because I get to see my potter friend Annabel and also my friend Elinor who works at the V&A now.

Another wee oil pourer beastie out of the kiln.

This is some of the clay that I got from the beach over Christmas, I have finally got it washed and sieved. It feels nice but I haven't thrown anything with it yet. I left a lump with Doug last week too, there's only about enough for an egg cup though.

For those of you that haven't managed to get a hold of the magazine, not sure if it's available over the water for all you US bloggers, here is a copy of it. I hope Craft&Design magazine don't mind, the issue has been out over a month now so it's not brand new anymore.

So away in the morning to Kindrogan for the Scottish Potters conference, we are having the following three invited demonstrators to show us their skills and share their passions for the weekend. Bridget Drakeford, Nicholas Marsh and as I mentioned in a previous post, Paul Young. Along with that we have a lady coming to demonstrate a tea ceremony, Paul Young giving us a chat about his India residency, a ceilidh on the saturday evening with the theme "Eastern Promise" which I tried and tried to come up with something clever and funny for but failed on the inspiration and the time front and have opted for an Indian style top instead, poor effort but it's better than nothing.

The wee film is the master movers Mr D Fitch and Mr P Jessop trying to shift Paul's wheel from the old workshop to the new. How could I not stand and laugh while all that was going on?

Devon time

So if you hadn't deduced where I scooted off to I've been to Devon to see Mr Fitch, a bit like going to London to visit the Queen but less corgi dogs and more galena. Apart from that it's hard to tell the difference. He swore to me he was very organised but still there was some glazing to be done when I got there, in fact maybe it was all the glazing to be done. Doug glazes pots nothing like I do so it may be that some of the dodgy ones from the firing are as a result of my dodgy glazing, he'd never say that bless him but I think it may be true - oops, sorry Doug.

He treated me like a princess as you can see, all the best quality dining experiences at Hollyford Pottery, hot cross buns toasted, nah incinerated under a gas burner. Thankfully Marion (Blogger Paul's good lady) fed us and the film crew who were there to hound Doug (from Sky News were they Doug?) very well and Hil too, thanks girls. I think the picture above was taken just before we scared ourselves witless about some strange noises outside in the dark, honestly a pair of country bumpkins should be used to the dark but it sounded like a very big nasty monster with huge gnashing teeth and sharp claws, that or it was a badger or two.

Doug did lots of this, sitting around in the sunshine, drinking tea, ordering his minions around, that man sure knows how to crack the whip, myself, Different Dave and Frank worked our fingers to the bone all weekend.

Hopefully those of you reading this who know me will detect a certain amount of my characteristic sarcasm in this post by the way. If you don't know me then I'll let you into a secret, I can be a little sarcastic so read this knowing that I'm writing it tongue in cheek. Any how we packed and fired the kiln over saturday and sunday working late most nights and now I'm wondering why I'm shattered and have a sore throat, ho hum, every flipping time. When will I learn?

Sorry a blurry picture of the little mugs of mine that were in the kiln, they are pretty sweet I think, I like them anyway and only one stuck to the shelf. They are sitting in the kitchen back here merrily pinging away to themselves.

Frank's lovely gilded sign on the door to the showroom at Doug's place, Frank however isn't really called Frank, now really why am I surprised about that? Really he's Andrew Grundon, have a look at his website to see some of his great work.

On monday we had a rather slow and yawn laden trip to Blogger Paul's place in Somerset. Paul is in the middle of moving his entire workshop a couple of hundred feet along the row of buildings to a new huge fantastic space. Green with envy at the place, hmmm, just a little. Thanks for the mug, it's making friends with the wee ones I brought back in that picture above.

Home again for a couple of nights before I head off north to Kindrogan to the Scottish Potter's annual weekend of workshops and demonstrations, this year we have the one and only Mr Paul Young as one of our three invited potters. Looking forward to that. For the time being however it's good to be back here after my trip. I've had a great time, good to meet so many people and good to see Doug again, maybe see you again in a year I think Doug, a bit of piece and quiet from me for a while.

Phew!

Damn these blooming wood firing potters are slave drivers. Been forced to sit outside glazing pots all day while Different Dave laid a concrete slab and the prima donna that is Mr Fitch swanned around throwing poses for the film crew that are currently following him. Must be hard to be such a celebrity.
The kiln is packed, the wood is stacked, it's ready to go tomorrow morning, hope it's a cracker.

No not sheep

Spring Fling brochures are out and about now, new and vastly improved, it's a gorgeous publication this year, better than ever. You can download it from here or order a copy online. The last weekend in May, including the bank holiday monday, around a hundred artists and craftspeople across Dumfries and Galloway opening their doors to the public, many of us, me included who are not normally open to the public as such. The variety is incredible. If you want to come and join in the fun then you won't regret it.

We have lots of flocks of white things in fields around here but generally they have four legs and fleecey coats, these long necked webbed footed ones have been in this field for a week or so now, never seen them there before.

It's my little sister's 30th birthday today so a big happy birthday Sarah!

I've been tidying up lose ends all week, funny how you don't think you've much to do and then there appears to actually be lots of lose ends all over the place and frantically unravelling as you get more flustered. Anyway I'm lose end neatening as I'm away for a few days from tomorrow, popping down south for a few days. I need a change of scenery, my brain is getting a bit fried at work at the moment and I'm due a dose of strong tea and pottery / clay / fire time. I'm sure I'll crop up somewhere and maybe I'll even blog while I'm there, who knows? You'll have to wait and see.

Off on the train tomorrow morning, Paul has just made soup for dinner which he assures me has squash in it but I think it may actually be garlic soup. Very strong. That does have the added benefit though of keeping away any stray daytime vampires that may be in the same carriage ass me tomorrow so possibly no bad thing. It probably means I'll get lots of space to spread out too. Have a good weekend all.

Monday Sunny Monday

Spring is here with full sunshine and crocuses out and daffodils shooting up through the ground, still a very heavy frost this morning but blimey what a day, it feels fantastic.

I've been sorting out the workshop today, sorting out some pots from the end of the exhibition in Castle Douglas, packing some to go away elsewhere and generally trying to regain some control over the chaos that was starting to take over my workshop. It feels better now, tidied up and usable again. Then an afternoon of sieving glaze -ohh am I not the luckiest person, what a fabulous job. I did do it though in the beam of sunlight that was shining through the open door of the workshop while I had pots outside drying in the sun too. Taking advantage of it now that it is here, make it feel wanted and then hopefully it'll stay for a good while.

More buckets! New buckets! Thanks Su, a girl can never have enough good buckets. Now I can fill them with slippy goey muddy looking substances.

I got my article finished and emailed off along with the pictures to go with it. It's funny, I take photographs all the time and then I needed some to send away and I can't find any that I've taken that look good enough or tell the tale that I want to tell. Oh well I have finally decided and they are away and done. So now I can get on with sorting the rest of the chaos tomorrow, I have a pile of reclaim and another stack of the frozen clay to pug as I've used up all the first batch that I did. The postcards are ordered and hopefully that will go smoothly, I'll let you see them when they arrive here (don't hold your breaths though, it'll be a week or so).